Awaiting the storm
If you’re on the East Coast, buttoned down amid your stockpiles of bottled water and batteries, here are some things you can read as you wait for the power to fail.
Something to bookmark: At its website, The Chronicle of Higher Education has launched Lingua Franca, a blog on language and writing featuring five distinguished contributors: Lucy Ferriss, Allan Metcalf, Geoffrey K. Pullum, Carol Fisher Saller, and Ben Yagoda.
Among the initial posts is a reflection by Ms. Saller on consistency in copy editing, and when it shouldn’t matter so much.
For the nerds: Writing at The Boston Globe, the estimable Ben Zimmer reflects on the cloudy origins of the word nerd in the early 1950s, disposing along the way of some of the folk etymologies people have crafted.
Oh yeah, that: At HeadsUp, a salutary reminder: “News is supposed to be interesting for its own sake.”
Stay dry, people.
Comments
Lingua Franca: contributors distinguished; contributions somewhat less so?
Posted by: Picky | August 27, 2011 12:35 PM
Good luck this evening, John.
Posted by: Picky | August 27, 2011 3:12 PM
Nerd - the article was fine for the etymology, but missed the mark on the rebirth and popularization. That was not due to 1984's Revenge of the Nerds, but rather Happy Days on TV in the 70s.
How can I be so sure? It takes one to know one, of course.
Cheers from a nerd,
Tim
Posted by: Tim | August 27, 2011 4:02 PM
The hurricane having passed, our next entertainment is watching half the headline writers on the East Coast decide that "Good night, Irene" is both creative and original.
Posted by: anon | August 28, 2011 1:02 PM
I'm so intrigued by the use of "buttoned down" when so many, in the event, are employing "battened" instead.
Posted by: Anne Connell | August 28, 2011 2:07 PM