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How verbal hedges can get you out of yard work
At the dawn of every springtime, I make a list of things I want to do in my lawn and garden. This year, I hope to grow items to make salsa, increase the amount native […]
humor columnist
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There’s some extra pleonasm on your shirt
By Curtis Honeycutt In the “Ghostbusters” movies, the eponymous heroes blast ghosts and otherworldly beings with their proton packs, and the ghosts explode into a mess of slimy green ghost goo. This goo is called […]
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What’s my name again? Explaining pseudonyms
By Curtis Honeycutt Names hold enormous power. I’ve always been impressed by people who go by names with only one word — Cher, Beyoncé, Prince, Madonna, Bono, Beck, Banksy or Pelé come to mind. These […]
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Baby got back slang
By Curtis Honeycutt As I approach the magical age of 40, I’m supposedly getting to the peak of my life (and then it’s all downhill from there). What I didn’t realize is what a rude […]
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If you squint, it almost makes sense
By Curtis Honeycutt I didn’t wear glasses until I was 19. As an up-and-coming visionary word nerd, I had never thought I needed corrective lenses. Of course, I always fancied monocles, although I didn’t know […]
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What’s your word for 2023? Don’t go with one of these.
By Curtis Honeycutt Many people focus on one word to guide them through the next year. Is this something you do? If so, you might want to make sure it’s the correct word. While I […]
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Believe it or not, ‘gaslighting’ is the Word of the Year 2022
By Curtis Honeycutt The folks over at Merriam-Webster are at it again. They are claiming that the Word of the Year 2022 is “gaslighting.” That is so typical of them. They can believe that if […]
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Embracing unembraceable idea nouns
By Curtis Honeycutt In elementary school, we learn a noun is a “person, place or thing.” Rabbit. Cereal. Toilet. Especially toilet. Words like “toilet” make Mad Libs a hit with my kids when we take […]
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Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ combines old-school lyrics, poetry, to go deep
By Curtis Honeycutt If there is one thing I love more than grammar, it’s The Beatles. In April 1964, the Fab Four held all five songs in the top five songs on the Billboard Hot […]
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When you’ve had your fill of words
By Curtis Honeycutt We all have that friend — the oversharer, the non-stop talker, the chatterbox. Sure, we’re stuck with them; as adults, it’s hard to get rid of a friend. We want to keep […]