Logo-maniac

Logo-maniac: One who is obsessively interested in words. From Greek λόγος (logos) and μανία (mania), meaning: madness. I think this is me.  I am not sure that is a good thing….

Cruciverbalist

Cruciverbalist: Someone skilled in the making of, or completion of crossword puzzles.  From Latin crux (cross) and verbum (word).  And, yes.  This is a real word.

Words

This week (and probably next week) my etymology students and I will study the Greek and Latin words for, well, word. I find it fascinating to take a look at every word we study in about ten different languages.  All of these languages are somehow related to our very...

Use the Right Word!

Think Outside the Border Tip #11 – Use the Right Word! If you are not sure about the meaning of a word, do not use the word.  People notice.  Consider this example from the book, How to Sound Clever: Master the 600 English Words You Pretend to Understand When...

Help?

I fell of the wagon this year. In October, my wife and I had an argument.  We argue from time to time.  It’s no fun.  This one, however, was, for me, demotivating.  The fallout spilled over. For a while, I stopped blogging.  I stopped posting the “word of...