WORDS FROM WFB
SOME PICK a book by its cover. I’ve been known to pick them by their titles. And so it was with Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription, a sentiment I’d rate … Continue reading
TRAVELERS’ CODE
IN THE early days of telegraph communication, sending a “cable” was priced by word count—and it cost a pretty penny. A ten-word message from New York City to Chicago in … Continue reading
LOL
HERE I’M thinking of LOL as in “Lots of Luck,” one of the many possible meanings for this oft-used internet alphabetical triple. One website lists seven interpretations of LOL earning … Continue reading
GOT THE BLUES?
THERE HAS been a lot in the news these days about the color blue: a new African monkey, the male of whom has an astonishingly blue butt; a berry reported … Continue reading
MY WORD!/MY MUSIC
TWO OF the most entertaining uses of radio waves were the BBC programs My Word! (1956-1990) and My Music (1966-1993). Anchoring these two panel shows over the years were Frank … Continue reading
THE RISE OF “NO PROBLEM”
“HELLO,” SAID Dottie, answering the phone. “I want to talk to Mike,” said the caller. “I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong number.” “But I said I want to talk with … Continue reading
CHAUCER’S FUTURE SHOCK
IT’S SAID we live in a time of future shock. And certainly I would agree with this as to our means of communication. Mobile devices, for example, evolve with astounding … Continue reading
PREPOSITION ALERT
WE OF a certain age have been taught by Mrs. Grimbly not to end a sentence with a preposition, such as “Who are you going with?” Winston Churchill famously (though … Continue reading
ON PROFREADING
IN PRODUCING a new edition of the King James Bible in 1631, the King’s Printer, Robert Barker, made a slight mistake: Its seventh commandment came out “Thou shalt commit adultery.” … Continue reading
FLABBY FUN WITH THE WORD “ONLY”
THE WORD “ONLY” is misused—or at least used in a flabby way—every day. However, years ago my Mainer friend Steve Macdonald taught me The Only Game, a great way to … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 