I’m going to cheat today. Monday’s 1,700 word post left me a little worn out, kind of like Harry Potter after conjuring a Patronus.
Yes, I admit it. I read all the books. But I got the British “adult” versions. Oh, now get your minds out of the gutter! It just means that the covers were less cartoonish, making it easier to pretend that we’re not reading a kids’ book. I liked the books and I’m vain, what can I say?
As a bonus, I finally found that Tom Petty CD I thought I'd lost.
To take a break from research and course planning, and to finally finish the Great Summer Book Reorganization, I bought paint, moved furniture into the middle of the room, and dusted off my old CD player, because painting seems to go hand in hand with the local classic rock station, static and all.
While I keep painting and refreshing brain cells, here are some links I’ve found this week that you may enjoy.
Who’s on first?
- In Scientific American, psychologist James Pennebaker reveals the hidden meaning of pronouns.
- The Guardian instructs us on the difference between who and whom
- Stan Carey at Sentence First wonders where ‘she’ came from.
Word power.
- CNN Today reports on new words added to the dictionary. And yes, they’re internet related.
- From our neighbor to the north (that’s Canada, folks!) CBC Radio hosts the Q Contest: Most annoying overused words
What language is…
- Steven Pinker lectures on thought and language, and probably doesn’t get quite as plum tuckered out as I would.
- Did you know? Nope? Well here are 9 interesting facts about language that you’ll know if you follow this link!
- The Visual Thesaurus asks what language is. The answer? Disheveled.
…and how we use it.
- BBC News gives us two stories. The first is concerning language and war in Isreali-Palestinian Conflict writ large on road signs. The second one gives us the story of how we got our alphabets.
- The Web of Language celebrates its fifth Anniversary!
- The New Yorker’s Ask an Academic takes on the issue of Orange Juice
- Don’t miss it! The 24th of September is National Punctuation Day!
How do you recharge your mental batteries after some intense writing?
As a Linguist... 
I really, really don’t like painting. This may be because three years ago, we decided to paint the entire interior of our house before we put in new flooring. My small house seemed so endlessly big while painting it!
I look forward to clicking on your links. It seems that I’ve already clicked on the “who and whom” link at some point! I’m not sure who to blame for my lack of who and whom confidence! :)
Enjoy your painting and take a break from the fumes now and then! :)
I really don’t blame you! It’s amazing how much bigger walls can seem when painting :) I want to do the living room as well, but that will have to wait. I’ll choose some other, less disruptive projects to satisfy my DIY urge :)
Hope you enjoy the links!