19 Emotions For Which English Has No Words
May 15, 2013 § Leave a comment
I’ve long been interested in the limitations of language—and the loopholes offered by learning the words of another. Awesome infographic by Pei-Ying Lin via FastCompany (click to make it big).
Also, file under “why hadn’t this been invented yet”: The Emotionary. It’s a list of emotions for which English (until now) has no words. See vindexance (“the immediate desire to redeem oneself upon realizing what you should have said or done moments after it is too late”) and epiphannaise (“the moment one realizes aioli and mayonnaise are exactly the same thing”).
Users can submit new words for once-inexplicable feelings. Personally, I’m looking forward to the “words most felt” page (coming soon!).
Slash: Not Just a Punctuation Mark Anymore – Lingua Franca
May 6, 2013 § Leave a comment
It’s not news to me that the word “slash” is a commonly used word (yes, the word, not the symbol—as in, “this bookstore slash coffee shop is my new favorite study spot,” or “my plans tomorrow include studying for finals slash watching West Wing reruns slash Facebook-stalking my ex”). My generation’s been using the term with panache for as long as I can remember.
But I’d never thought about the role “slash” plays in our always-evolving lexicon. Unlike the nouns and verbs we add to our vocabularies almost daily (Obamacare, Snapchat, twerk), “slash” is something different: a new conjunction, which means something like “and/or.” Says Anne Curzan at The Chronicle of Higher Education, “slash” is like a “rare-bird sighting in the world of linguistics.” If only we could say the same of “twerk.”
Great article on the Lingua Franca blog—read slash learn.
Slash: Not Just a Punctuation Mark Anymore – Lingua Franca – The Chronicle of Higher Education.
How Writers Interact With the World
April 30, 2013 § Leave a comment
Saint Jerome, the writer as a recluse…may have a lion at his feet, but he lacks other company—and, of course, he has no Wi-Fi.
His condition is distinctly different from that of the modern writer; her room is not only well-lighted and likely lion-free, but also furnishes an Internet connection, through which the world’s tumult pours…
It’s no secret that I love Draft. Not only because it allows me think about writing in new ways—but also because it helps me discover new writers. Writers who write about writing—and who love to think about and explore the same ideas that I do. This week’s piece is no exception.
How Writers Interact With the World – NYTimes.com.
MARY GABLE 