Monthly Archives: May 2025

Whose Right Is It, Anyway?

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Kathy

The weeds are my sweet spot, etymologically speaking, and so we’re wading in. The subject is a constitutional principle that came up in the news today. In a Senate hearing, Kristi Noem, the head of Homeland Security in the Trump … Continue reading →

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Fan Mail, Reversed

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Kathy

Circa September, 1976, I received an astonishing postcard in the mail. Its handwriting was unfamiliar, the postmark said “Bellingham, Washington,” and it was signed, apparently, by Annie Dillard, my favorite writer. Or certainly one of the top five. I knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized, Weekend Editions | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Arabic Words in the News!

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Kathy

The English word tariff dates from the late sixteenth century. It referred to an arithmetical table or an official list of custom duties and derived from the Italian tariffa, meaning “a price or assessment.” That word came from the Latin … Continue reading →

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Albatross Around Our Neck

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Kathy

Who knew Alcatraz, the former prison in the San Francisco Bay, would be in the news, like so many other improbable and repellent items entering our consciousnesses these days? Alcatraz, at least, has two (nearly) redeeming features: one, the name … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments