Language
When ‘lie’ was banned by the Speaker of the House as unparliamentary language, I wondered if it was time to…
Language
Speccie reader Tim writes: ‘I’m interested to know when (and why) “partner” took on its new meanings. Years ago, I…
Language
When Donald Trump says he is ready for military action he often says he (or, rather the US military) is…
Language
My rage against the journalistic abuse of ‘populist/populism’ continues. As I have pointed out in the past, the meaning of…
Language
There are some silly people (in the US more than here) who like to claim that President Trump is suffering…
Language
John writes: ‘Here’s a curly one for you, Kel: what about the word Islam? It seems a strange word. Can…
Language
‘Hypocorism’ is another strange and wonderful word (hip-OCK-ah-riz-um.) The Oxford’s definition is: ‘pet name’. But there is a bit more…
Language
It was one hundred years ago this year that the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova toured Australia and New Zealand…
Language
There is a bit of water in the Persian Gulf that is in the news almost every day now –…
Language
There I was, relaxing one evening, when my phone burbled with a text. It was our distinguished editor with a…
Language
When I discover a new word I am delighted. ‘Autochthonous’ is one I have seen occasionally, but which I have…
Language
Are our governments guilty of ‘menticide’? This uncommon word is recorded from 1951, in which year it first appeared in…
language
Albanese has spent the whole of his political life a member of Labor’s socialist left. As a result we get…
Language
Speccie reader Reona writes to ask where the expression ‘peppercorn rent’ comes from. Well, there once was a time when…
Language
I have finally snapped! I have become so annoyed by lying halfwits misusing the word ‘genocide’ that I am going…
Language
Sometimes words are invented just because people wish there were such words – and (I suppose) wish that what they…
Language
Recently on Mammamia.com Emily Vernem and Holly Wainwright complained about the rise of what they call ‘dawn culture’. They complain…
Language
As Australia continues to suffer from the evil of antisemitism a phrase (or three phrases if you count the different…
Language
In a column in the Daily Telegraph Andrew Bolt used the word ‘pretendian’. I conducted a careful search, and so…
Language
When something is partly good and partly bad, we used to say it was ‘a curate’s egg’. Odd expression. Why…
Language
Antisemitism is a word I have written about more than once, but clearly, it’s a word we need to look…
Language
Let’s begin the year by summarising the ‘Words of the Year’ chosen by the world’s great dictionaries to represent last…
Language
I heard ‘begging the question’ being misused (again!) on talkback radio. But let’s not blame the poor old broadcasters –…
Language
In the NSW parliament Premier Minns referred to another member as ‘mate’. Then an opposition member got up and took…
Language
There is an expression that is now quite common in America, although I don’t think I’ve heard it used in…
