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So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of "whatever" in conversations.
When Neil Armstrong first spoke from the moon, he said one thing and people on Earth heard another. What the world heard was grammatically flubbed: "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong insists he said: "That's one small step for 'a' man." It's just that people just didn't hear it.
Merriam-Webster Inc. has added more than 100 entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Here are some, along with the year in which Merriam-Webster researchers first found them used in an English-language publication, and their meanings:
Do you use a sock puppet to secretly keep track of your frenemies?
Republicans are honing an attack line against President Barack Obama in an attempt to play on Americans' fears of government overreach and economic uncertainties, suggesting he is nationalizing American industry and socializing medicine.
It’s hard to escape news about the bombing economy these days. It's also getting harder to escape another type of explosion — the verbal kind.
President Barack Obama's spokesman is defending the sharper tone Obama is taking to push his economic stimulus plan through Congress.
A movie about a "maverick," his journey "from Wall Street to Main Street," his "desperate search" for a "monkey" and a "game-changing" revelation about his "carbon footprint" probably would make the nation's word-watchers physically ill.
He spoke about posterity, and for it. But in looking forward at his finest hour, Barack Obama never forgot to look back.
By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.
The South Dakota Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments over whether yelling profanities at a passing police officer is protected speech under the U.S. Constitution.
Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama spoke about education at their party conventions:
John McCain claimed the Republican nomination Thursday before a surprisingly united Republican convention. But McCain has often been out of sync with many in his party. His prior statements help explain why.
"Of course," John McCain says, "it helps to be a mayor."
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman cast Democratic nominee Barack Obama as untested and inexperienced during his GOP convention speech this week. Two years ago, Lieberman offered a different take on Obama.
President Bush, Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and former 2008 GOP presidential rival Fred Thompson are slated to speak out forcefully for John McCain at the Republican National Convention Tuesday. Bush and Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner both have been at odds with McCain in the past. Lieberman has consistently sung his praises.
She's making nice now, but Hillary Rodham Clinton had a lot of sharp things to say about Barack Obama during their tussle for the Democratic nomination.
Former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday night in a videotape aired at the party's national convention, some of his remarks taped in the Gulf region. He wasn't always so charitable.
Sen. Joe Biden went before the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday to make the case for Barack Obama's presidential bid. Biden, selected as Obama's running mate, has offered different messages in the past.
Changes in the Bush administration's rhetoric over the past 16 months on a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq:
Merriam-Webster Inc. has added more than 100 new entries to its new edition of the Collegiate Dictionary.
More than 30 years after George Carlin pronounced "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," some of those words have lost their sting.
Sailors in the Persian Gulf have known him for years: a radio operator who taunts and insults passing ships. The rants are heard and logged, then mostly forgotten.
Some of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks on the economy during 2007:
Lake Superior State University's 2008 list of banished words or phrases:
I was browsing through the stations and since I did not hear anything I liked I left it on one of my presets, then I heard something that made wait for the announcement. It is not important what station it was or which dj's had this conversation, but What a pair of morons.
Washington Post's Style Invitational"The Washington Post's Style Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are some recent winners:
Sounds Fair Enough, But Not to EveryoneShould the preservation and proper use of language be a matter for general concern?
Is the C-Word Losing its Bite?There is still one word I can never bring myself to say in front of my mother. Even here, I'll have to punt.
Does Language Shape What We Think?My seventh-grade English teacher exhorted us to study vocabulary with the following: "We think in words. The more words you know, the more thoughts you can have."
What did Jesus really say? Most Americans claim to be Christians, but many know little about what Jesus actually said. How much do you know?
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. Open your arms to change, but don't give up your values. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back you'll be able to enjoy it second time.
When I was young and had my first real job out of high school I had a supervisor that said innovate, innovate...innovate. I have kept that advice with me since then and it has been very useful.
Upside-down U.S. flag reinstalled at Crivitz business | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-GazetteI do not have more info on why the flag was upside down but the actions of whoever cut it down are suspect. And the police did not respond. Why?
The words of God do not justify cruelty to women | Jimmy Carter | Comment is free | The ObserverJimmy Carter does the right thing.
I got this in an email last week and at first look it appears easy enough to do.But when you get started you'll see this is no easy game! Read the rules and give it a shot. Lets see what you can come up with.
List of Banished Words Released for 2009They're the words we used incorrectly, too often and sometimes for no good reason. Lake Superior State University has released its annual list of the 15 most misused, overused or generally useless words.
Out with Medicalese: Plain Language for Health Care ProfessionalsThe doctor's mouth opens, and "medicalese" pours forth: words like "pyrosis" and "myocardial infarction." The patient's eyes glaze over. If only the doctor said "heartburn" or "heart attack," the patient could learn what caused the chest pain.
Today I received an e-mail from Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting about an article published by by University of Southern California professor Sandy Tolan, who examines why the detention of Pulitzer Center journalist Iason Athanasiadis is a "breach of Iranian hospitality."
The 10 Coolest Foreign Words The English Language NeedsHave you ever blurted out, "Wow, that guy is just so...so..." and then were left floundering with nothing to say? Well, it's not always your fault. English doesn't have words for every situation, or even the ones that happen every damned day.
Monday mornings are maligned as mostly meaningless days mired down with myriad mundane minutiae. Here are a few things to ponder and, in the words of Newsvine - learn something.
Most incorrectly spelt words in English language are..The most commonly misspelt word in English is "definitely", with many incorrectly writing it as "definately"
Scrabble - the Teacher of Obscure English WordsAt the rarefied levels of championship Scrabble, few of the players - native English-speakers or otherwise - know the meaning of the esoteric words they use. In Panupol's game with Richards, the board was covered with odd little pseudo-words such as amu, aa, mm, jai, zol and gup.
Obama Omits Various Words During Press ConferencePolitico: a couple of surprising words were missing from Obama' news conference today.
Top 10 Longest Novels in the English LanguageThis task ended up being much more complex than one would think a "list of longest books ever" should be. Here are the various parameters I decided on: 1. I included only published works (read: not self-published), 2.
15 Words You Won't Believe They Added to the DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary is constantly updating, adding new words to reflect the vibrant changes in language and culture.
Star Trek: New Words, New CivilizationsHow Star Trek effected our use of the english language, including getting many terms included inthe Oxford English Dictionary.
Wording AroundDo people know more words than they actually use? And is having a large vocabulary something you learn or have a natural ability for?
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