I’ve been browsing through 19th-century grammar books. Yes, on purpose. On my desk is an 1846 copy of The Principles of English Grammar; Comprising the Substance of the Most Approved English Grammars Extant, With Copious Exercises in Parsing and Syntax; and an Appendix of Various and Useful Matter, a popular text by the Rev. Peter […] … learn more→

When a friend in his thirties came up to me at a party the other day and said, “I have a question about fun,” I knew he wasn’t going to ask about whether the word could be used as an adjective. That would be like asking if iced tea could be used as a beverage. […] … learn more→

While surfing the Web one morning, I came across a headline that included the words “laying in bed.” Rather than going off like a troll in the comments, I shared the following snarky wisdom with my social networks: “LIE. You LIE in bed. You don’t LAY in bed. #lostcauses.” Almost immediately I received a flurry […] … learn more→