In a word: Puns: ‘The highest form of literature’ or ‘the wurst?’

in a word

Published
August 14, 2022

In a word: Puns: ‘The highest form of literature’ or ‘the wurst?’

“Of puns it has been said that those who most dislike them are those who are least able to utter them,” said Edgar Allan Poe.
Published
August 7, 2022

In a word: HIJack, frEEEr and other words of distinction

Taking things to the extreme is 'greenskeeper,' which uses the same vowel five times, while “strengths” is the longest word to use just one vowel one time.
Published
July 31, 2022

In a word: Animal terms straight from the horse’s mouth

Claus finally had enough and told me to stop beating a dead horse. 'Sorry,' I said, 'I could go on until the cows come home.'
Published
July 24, 2022

In a word: Myriad examples of Word Guy’s weird week

I knew that 'swashbuckling' meant something like 'engaging in daring adventures with bravado,' but did I know what 'swash' meant? Nope.
Published
July 17, 2022

In a word: What’s in a word? Often lots of silent letters

'M' keeps quiet in 'mnemonic.' I also found a sign on the internet that warns 'Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.'
Published
July 10, 2022

In a word: Fun with Merriam-Webster’s ‘Words at Play’

The dictionary's playful website feature puts the antics in semantics.
Published
June 26, 2022

In a word: ‘Loanwords’: absconding with foreign terms

Do you feel a sense of deja vu when you RSVP to an invitation while dining al fresco?
Published
June 19, 2022

In a word: Planet Word Museum is out of this world

Even the bathrooms of this Washington D.C. museum offer insights and humor about words.
Published
June 12, 2022

In a word: Publishing terms: judging a book and its cover

Get ready for blurbs, gutters, leaves, backbones and front matter, if that's not too foreward.
Published
June 5, 2022

In a word: Time to rectify my mistakes: mia culpa

Let’s just say I have lots of 'experience' when it comes to writing.