Category Archives: Wednesday Word

An Etymological Course

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Kathy

A person dear to my heart is currently in the throes of prodromal labor. Its common synonym, false labor, is something of a misnomer, because it’s not a mere fake out; it’s a precursor. Prodromal is used for any early … Continue reading →

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Vestibular Adventures

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Kathy

Last week, the ER nurse gave me a prescription for meclizine, the main ingredient of dramamine, to treat my vertigo. My world had been spinning for almost a week at that point She said it wasn’t a cure but would … Continue reading →

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Megyn’s Pedantry

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Kathy

During the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal twenty-five years ago, I remember parents’ bemoaning uncomfortable conversations with their children about sex acts that might have waited a few years if not for our President’s Oval Office activities. A semen-stained dress was in the … Continue reading →

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It’s about Boxes, not Boxing

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Kathy

Wherein I admit that the terms discussed below were heretofore unfamiliar to me. Be kind. Homework, a recent memoir by Englishman Geoff Dyer, is endlessly amusing. He’s a witty writer (The Ongoing Moment, The Last Days of Roger Federer) with … Continue reading →

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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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Sounds

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Kathy

I learned two etymologies from my new favorite YouTube Channel, The Salisbury Organist, created by a young Brit named Ben Maton. Actually, one I was reminded of, and the other I learned from Ben. Ben’s videos include a lot of … Continue reading →

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The Movie’s as Good as the Book! (And Vice Versa!)

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Kathy

Self-described grammar nerd Ellen Jovin came to town last week with her husband, Brandt Johnson, and their film Rebel with a Clause. A large, appreciative audience at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque enjoyed the movie and the Q & … Continue reading →

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Sym and Em

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Kathy

Yiyun Li’s recent memoir, Things in Nature Merely Grow, made it onto my book group’s (I should say, “one of my book groups’ lists”) 2025-2026 reading list, and I’ve been thinking about it in respect to a request to discuss … Continue reading →

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If Doggies Could Write

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Kathy

I learned recently that the GED test has dropped its poetry section, which used to be included in the reading portion, called Reasoning Through Language Arts. Which reminds me that my parents were amused, back in the sixties, at the … Continue reading →

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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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