Slang’s literary origins are widespread and ever-expanding. Its social roots, however, are narrow and focused: the city. If, as has been suggested, the story of standard English is that of a London ...
In Borrowed Words: A History of Loanwords in English, I examine how words borrowed from different languages have influenced English throughout its history. The above feature summarizes some of the ...
It’s a universally familiar phrase. Ask any English-speaking adult or child, and they will recognize the label “goody two-shoes” as derogatory shorthand for an insufferable prude—but few remember how ...
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