The plain-speaking philosophers
Nikhil Krishnan’s A Terribly Serious Adventure shows how Oxford’s “ordinary language” movement, pioneered by JL Austin and Gilbert Ryle, looked…
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What does “love bombing” really mean?
On social media, terms coined to describe specific relationship dynamics are increasingly common – and increasingly misused.
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The furore over Oxfam’s “woke” language guide misses the point
The media attack on the charity’s “inclusive” wording forces us to choose between blustering bigotry and preening sanctimony.
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Why do people keep calling Rishi Sunak a “safe pair of hands”?
The stock conservative metaphor calls to mind the right sort of chaps doing the right sorts of things, no matter…
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In defence of the Oxford comma
Thérèse Coffey is engaging in the wanton destruction of a British institution.
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How to build a language: inside the Oxford English Dictionary – Audio Long Reads
The OED’s task – to define every English word – is as ambitious as it was 150 years ago.
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In defence of Mickey Mouse degrees
In the current thinking, my drama degree is deemed to have failed me.
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“Terf”, “pangender” and “vaxxer” included in the OED new words list
The June 2022 update to the Oxford English Dictionary reflects our changing understanding of gender and sexuality, as well as…
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