Monthly Archives: January 2011

Intrepid Reader Sara of Seattle says, “I’m curious about your usage of the word ‘since’ such as in the beginning of this thread. I once had an English teacher tell me it was wrong to use it in that context. … Continue reading →

I read today in a newpsaper article titled “Facebook tries to friend Japan” that 60% of U.S. Internet users have a Facebook account. The social network site’s rise to prominence has rapidly introduced the verb “to friend” into current English. … Continue reading →

Consider the word “defenestrate.” It has a strange and somewhat scientific sound, as well as a very specialized meaning. Who knew we’d need a word to express “to throw through or out of a window”? One would think that its … Continue reading →

Amulet A small object worn to ward off evil; a talisman Appears in English around the turn of the 17th century. From Latin amuletum, via Middle French amulete. Emulate To attempt to equal or surpass Appears in English around the … Continue reading →

For a long time, I’ve wondered about the name of the country Germany. I’ve studied a bunch of different languages to some extent or another, and I’ve seen that the country name was wildly different in several of them: English—Germany … Continue reading →