Ben Zimmer is a linguist, lexicographer, and language columnist—a word guru. From tracking the etymology of (and drama over) the word sneaker to interviewing Stephen Colbert about truthiness, Zimmer keeps tabs on the continuing evolution of language. With technology accelerating these changes and fueling debates over usage, Shop Talk decided to . . .
In honor of back to school time, we sat down with two experienced English teachers to find out what’s going on in the modern classroom. Bonnie Sunstein and Amy Shoultz are both English professors at the University of Iowa and both have years of experience teaching in classrooms. We talked to them on the phone…
Quotations permeate our life and our work, whether formally used in a research paper or informally tacked to an inspiration board. But making sure that a source actually spoke or penned those exact words can be tough. Sara Bader is making it her mission to compile and verify the quotes of the world via her…
Lynne Murphy is a linguist and author of the blog Separated by a Common Language, where she tackles the divergences and parallels between American English and British English. With entries ranging from adverb placement, the use of please in restaurants, and cars that hoot versus honk, she reveals how our language differences can . . .
Clear, strong writing is a goal that tops many writers’ and editors’ lists. But when the words must convey important information to an audience, such as the results of new research or the terms of a credit card agreement, unclear writing can be a serious problem.
Great books come in a multitude of languages and thanks to translators, readers are able to access interesting works and important research from around the world. Like editing, translating can call for some mental acrobatics and requires a clear understanding of mechanics and meaning. Teresa Lavender Fagan takes us through her translating process and reveals what words…
Mary E. Laur is a freelance indexer and part of the editorial team that has produced the last two editions of The Chicago Manual of Style, so she knows how important it is for readers to find the information they need as quickly and as painlessly as possible. In this month’s interview, she gives the inside…
Every day, Mignon Fogarty takes on questions ranging from where to properly place commas, to what is a gerund, to whether Pig Latin is considered a language.
In this month’s Shop Talk, the owner of Wordworking and the author of the language-celebrating blog Fritinancy explains how she approaches the rigorous process of selecting names for companies and products, how she keeps her word skills sharp, and where she draws the grammar line.
For many authors of academic papers, the specific rules of Chicago style may be some of the only straightforward guidance they get during a perplexing publishing process. Papers seem to disappear into a submission system only to mysteriously reappear with a decision. What is it that journal editors are really looking for?
