Tag Archives: foreign language

When to italicize foreign words and phrases

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Every once in a while, it feels good to add a snooty foreign word or phrase to your writing. I mean, what would the writing world be without a little je ne sais quoi? However, there are rules about how … Continue reading →

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Foreign color idioms

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

  Last time we talked about the ways colors have infused themselves into the English language. Naturally, this happens with other languages, too. But often there’s a little tweak. For instance, in English one could get a black eye, but … Continue reading →

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Sabai dee pee mai! Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun! Happy New Year!

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

  Felix annus novus tibi sit! Or, for our English readers, Happy New Year. I’ve been wanting to study Latin for years. (If some super rich and friendly reader happens to want to sponsor my Latin classes, I’d, um, be … Continue reading →

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How to say “turkey” across the globe

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

It’s that time of year again—a sad day for turkeys, but a gut-busting good time for human carnivores. Happy Thanksgiving, Grammar Party readers. To celebrate the holiday, I’ve collected translations of the word turkey from around the world. Wouldn’t it … Continue reading →

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Word Nerd Wednesday

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

Thank you, interwebs, for making this last week word nerd paradise. Here are some of my favorite stories from the last seven days: A German liquor company gets the German word for fuck trademarked. (via Der Spiegel) Murse, mantie, and … Continue reading →

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Word Nerd Wednesday

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

Here are some fun language-related links I scoured from the interwebs. Enjoy! Rap in 30 languages (including Esperanto and, my personal fave, Klingon), from How Stuff Works: http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2011/08/15/rap-in-other-languages/ Wondering whether that word is actually one word or two? (Think already … Continue reading →

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Important travel phrases

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

On Monday I will be travelling to Montreal to have some fun, to soak up a beautiful environment, and mostly to practice my French. This got me thinking about the most important phrases to know when travelling to a country … Continue reading →

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Funny French Idioms

Posted on April 21, 2011 by

As part of my final in my French class, I will be performing a scene from a famous French play. I don’t know yet what character I will be, but I do know that I will be wearing a unicorn … Continue reading →

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Emails and hyphens and little snails? Oh my!

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

Lesson: Recent AP style changes This is going to be a tough change for me. Since I took high school typing class, every time I go to type the word email, my finger automatically treks to the hyphen key. But … Continue reading →

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A non-ersatz etymology of the word ersatz

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

ersatz: being an artificial/inferior substitute Ersatz is a great adjective to use when you want to degrade something and sound really smart at the same time. But I most love this word for its story of how it sneaked its … Continue reading →

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