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laymanslinguist.bsky.social
Fun facts, exhaustive etymologies, & informative infographics for both linguists & laypeople
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The other site is arguing over whether Meghan née Markle should be allowed to use Sussex as a surname since she wasn't grateful enough for the title. (Her husband must've said thank you more often though since none of the complaints are about him using the same surname as his wife and kids.)

submitted 5 days ago • 2 comments

Recently learned that not everyone refers to the same 3 states when they say "tri-state area"—a common phrase across the northeast US in localish traffic, weather, and ads. I'd never bothered looking it up bc it seemed very obvious to me. Also I forget that Pennsylvania* exists.

submitted 13 days ago • 5 comments

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

What does this petroglyph look like to you? If you grew up with European folklore you may see a stork delivering a baby but to the Pueblo peoples would recognize the local ibis catching a frog, complete with water droplets still in midair from the fresh catch. But why? There are 3 major theories:🧵

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

Just did the math here and this dysphemism was coined around the end of WW2. Greatest Generation indeed, ya perverts 🥰🤗

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Dysphemism is my new Word of the Week

submitted 19 days ago • 1 comment

Books designed to be read only by human eyes are different from books designed to be read by machines, which is why Google will tell you that the phrase “shake my booty” can be found in an 1863 English translation of Don Quixote.

submitted 353 days ago • 82 comments

Critical Inquiry in Language Studies is advertising for a new editor in chief, co-editors + associate editors (deadline 18 April). these could be great roles for someone who is willing to push the field of critical applied linguistics in new directions! think.taylorandfrancis.com/editor_recru...

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

The country singer started the “Imagination Library” nearly 30 years ago to encourage early literacy. www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton...

submitted 21 days ago • 209 comments

Dysphemism gotta be my new favorite 10¢ word that I'll probably never get to use again. Unless...? Y'all know some more dysphemisms for me?? 😃

submitted 20 days ago • 3 comments

The idiom <SCREW THE POOCH> as in "make an embarrassing or costly mistake" is a mid-century euphemism for <F*CK THE DOG (AND SELL THE PUPS)>, itself a Depression-era dysphemism for the original version, <FEED THE DOG> meaning "to loaf around (often to the detriment of one's quality of work)"

submitted 20 days ago • 2 comments

Sorry to foodpost on main but

submitted 29 days ago • 2 comments

*taps the sign* Words Matter

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

In 1969, Mr Rogers gently but passionately spoke at a Senate committee hearing about the importance of free, accessible, inclusive, educational content for children. The head of the committee was a notoriously grumpy old Senator who immediately granted PBS $20 million (equivalent to $172m in 2024).

submitted 87 days ago • 1 comment

Watching "The Wire" as an unintentional period piece in 2025: This season finale culminates in some cops being like "there's this newfangled thing called 'tracking a telephone' 😲"

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Teaching the public about linguistics one tinder match at a time

submitted 36 days ago • 1 comment

Doesn't this guy run a school

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

Oh that's not—

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners #WordsMatter

submitted 52 days ago • 0 comments

Okay which language made Halsin a nerd

submitted 57 days ago • 0 comments