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Très Cool! Babies Cry in Their Native Language
I've always found it fascinating that dogs "bark" in different languages. Though we say "ruff ruff" in English, that same noise is expressed as "ouah, ouah" in French. Now here's something even cooler: German researchers have started to think that babies' wails sound different depending on what language their parents speak.
Do Tell: What Language Do You Wish You Could Speak?
I'm always very impressed by people who can speak multiple languages fluently. In my battle to learn French, which started in high school, I've often felt like Joey from Friends, who struggles to learn French for an acting part. In that episode, which I've posted for you here, Joey tries his best, but can't do better than speaking French-sounding gibberish.
Sarah Palin: Poet?
No matter how you feel about Sarah Palin, you have to admit the woman has an awfully strange way of expressing herself. I've heard her tortured syntax and odd word choices described as a "word salad," but one writer goes further. Palin's speech is likened to a verbal Armageddon because of her unique ability to turn a simple idea into near incomprehensible gobbledygook.
Vocabulary Test Time! Can You Speak (New) English?
Every day editors of the Merriam-Webster dictionary spend hours reading books, magazines, newspapers, and online publications to find out how people are using the English language. Eventually, if a word is used enough, it gets added to the dictionary! This year, Merriam-Webster added 100 new words, including frenemy, ginormous, smackdown, sudoku, and speed dating.
Gay-Married: A Term of Exuberance or Ignorance?
Some gay people may get married now, but do they get "gay-married"? Not so sure. The term is popular among a gaggle of campy gay (and straight) people to signify that they like something a lot.
Origins of PC Abbreviation "Ms." Not So Feminist
Using Ms. instead of Miss or Mrs. has become the norm in business. I've always thought we use it not only because we don't know a woman's marriage status, but also because ultimately it doesn't matter.
Do You Find the Cougar Concept Offensive?
Unless you live under a rock, you know that "cougar" is a term for an older woman who likes to "prey" on younger men. While it can be used in a derogatory way, some older women are reclaiming the term as a way to express their virility.
On the show The Cougar, a seemingly empowered 40-year-old Stacy has her pick of the litter of men half her age, who are all competing for her attention.
Why You Should Trash the Term White Trash
Some people tire of more don'ts to add to the so-called politically correct list of things not to say. For me, I think it's important to be aware of what the language you use implies — what it means, who it might hurt, the power behind words. Political correctness (for lack of a better term) is just etiquette on a larger social scale.
Missing Words: Half of World's Languages to Die Out by 2100
The chief of a Native American tribe died last year and with her an entire language. She was the last speaker of Eyak, a tribal tongue native to south central Alaska. Sound insignificant?
74 Percent of El Paso Households Are Spanish Speaking
According to new information released by the US Census Bureau, 74 percent of all households in El Paso, TX, speak Spanish as their primary language at home, even if they're fluent in English. That number is coupled with the fact that one out of every five residents of Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico speak Spanish at home too.
One home-Spanish-speaker says, "Spanish was my first language and it's the language that my parents speak, so I just use it when I'm there.
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