Language

Mnemonics and misconceptions

[some language notes]

Apr 14 • SDG

Zombies and weasels: Why the passive voice is so confusing

[Mistakes have been made, even by experts!]

Feb 11 • SDG

‘WhiTe CHocOLAte iSn’T ChOcoLaTe’: Against food tribalism

[LONGREAD: from the Not Even Wrong files: of cranberry sauce, pizza, and the varieties of chocolate]

Nov 27, 2025 • SDG

‘God does not need my lie’: Who really said it? (A quick one)

[Saint Augustine? Martin Luther? Blaise Pascal? Someone else?]

Nov 11, 2025 • SDG

Please stop sharing this fake, problematic ‘Screwtape’ political ‘quote’

[not just spurious, but beneath Lewis morally and literarily]

Oct 24, 2025 • SDG

Shakespeare, the Bible, and Jesus’ death

[LONGREAD: “breathed his last” vs. “gave up the ghost” / “gave over his spirit”]

Oct 1, 2025 • SDG

Prophecy, prophesy, and the one I can’t bear to headline

[lectors, gird your loins]

Aug 5, 2025 • SDG

When is an acronym not an acronym?

[the long and the short of acronyms, backronyms, initialisms, and various addenda]

May 27, 2025 • SDG

Misquoting the pope and everyone else: Why it matters

[on taking responsibility for what you share online]

May 16, 2025 • SDG

“The English are not sweet”

[brief notes on culture, communication styles, and interpretation of tone]

Feb 13, 2025 • SDG

Plant and animal sex, what Aquinas and Aristotle didn’t know—and how it still affects our language

[yes, flowers DO produce eggs…plus a Marian coda!]

Feb 5, 2025 • SDG

English fun facts: Deciduous and supernumerary

[What links trees and Opus Dei? The answer has to do with teeth!]

Jan 25, 2025 • SDG

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