Tag Archives: George Orwell

More about Orwell

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Kathy

In 1984, George Orwell’s dystopian state created Newspeak, a strictly utilitarian language with a continuously shrinking vocabulary and simplistic syntax. To avoid ambiguity and complexity, Newspeak kills words, limiting the possibilities of thought. Clear victims of this effort are beauty … Continue reading →

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Orwell’s Roses

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Kathy

Both sides of the conservative/liberal divide claim George Orwell for their own, but the left has a better claim. Orwell fought against the fascist Franco revolt in Spain. He sided with the poor and powerless in labor (labour!) disputes and … Continue reading →

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KSU and the English Language

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Kathy

In his 1950 essay “Politics and the English Language,” George Orwell wrote that the English language was in a bad way, hastening to clarify that he wasn’t talking about bad grammar. Instead, he was talking about verbosity, empty metaphors, and, … Continue reading →

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I Am Beset by a Grammatical Dilemma

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Kathy

In the winter semester (they call it “spring,” but, um, no), I teach a writing seminar at an institution I’ll call the More Prestigious University, or MPU. It’s a choosy place, which selects students carefully based on grades and high … Continue reading →

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“Annoying” by Definition

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Kathy

Everyone’s noting Sarah Palin’s hypocrisy in screaming for Rahm Emanuel’s firing over the word “retarded” while giving Rush Limbaugh a pass for repeating the term over and over on a broadcast. Indeed, she couldn’t bring herself to criticize somebody on her own team, … Continue reading →

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