Beautifully timed appearance of this ad campaign here for my first year lecture on grammar next week!

Dem cats dem cats dem Libble Demcats He really can’t pronounce the name of his own party #LibbleDemcats

Bigger, bolder, bodelicious! The new 3rd edition of this textbook just arrived: www.routledge.com/Studying-the...

Summer’s end: tomato chutney it is, then

Ok @uniofnottingham.bsky.social Open Day, I’m ready for ya! (Croissant already eaten in Trent Cafe)

Love this! (And a reminder that all empires, however eternal-looking, will always fall) youtu.be/Xtt78SW-mgg

Just on BBC Radio Bristol to talk about the origins of ‘coconut shy’. Shy means throw, here, not timid, and they are completely separate words. I wonder if Old English sceatan (to throw) leads to the past participle ‘shot’ which is close to ‘shied’? No one knows. 1/3

This is going to be as bad as that Thomas the Tank Engine semi-live-action atrocity from a few years ago. Stop trying to remake perfect art. Go away and have some new ideas, you bloodsucking ghouls. Children's TV favourite Bagpuss to reawaken for new film www.bbc.com/news/article...

A joy to be on BBC Radio London just now talking to Shay Kaur Grewal about Multicultural London English

I’m a guru! (Plural in the Sanskrit would be guravah (nominative case) so Jess and I are guravah, except that’s masculine so it doesn’t really work. ‘Gurus’ it are then). Anyway: come to this….

So the Baronet Sir Laurie Magnus (Eton, Oxford) destroys working class single mother of a disabled child Angela Rayner, even though she took 3 sets of advice over her housing. Meanwhile the thieves den of former Tory ministerial actual crooks walk free. Honestly, this country.

Thanks, Judith, for everything you’ve done for the School.

This chunky beast just arrived - some excellent stuff in here, as well as my own bit on cognitive stylistics. www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/1...

This is by one of my colleagues but honestly it is one of the great books. It’s about books, and the restorative power of reading. Buy it.

How are you taking orders now?

I will absolutely well keep off

In case you need help deciding whether or not to buy that book.

This beauty is now out in paperback! Cheaper than a cheap night out. Get it here: edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-reading...

Reading Fictional Languages is now available in paperback! 🖖🏻 edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-reading...

And this! ….

Too hot here today. You can dream about this…

To all UK English teachers: good luck for A-level results tomorrow! I can’t imagine any of the TikTok generation follows me here, but good luck to you too. And if it doesn’t go to plan, take a deep breath and get on the webpages/phone for clearing. You will love your English degree wherever you go

The first episode of our podcast series for Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now is live! Join Michael Gamer discussing his editing of The Italian by Radcliffe with project research associate Rosie Whitcombe.

Save the date! We'll be hosting an A Level English Language Student Conference at Friends House, London, on 27th November! Booking opens 17th September, and keep an eye on our website for more details: buff.ly/Xka0Qu9

It took me a while to read ‘can’ as a noun. I teach linguistics.

Back on the holy ground, for a wedding

Clothes would at least be easier if this were true

I was shot dead by an arrow in the market, in my life as a medieval tenant labourer. Worth 100 shillings (£10k now) in compo How about you? www.weregildcalculator.com

I am very sad to hear that Brian McHale has died. A great scholar: leading light of narratology with a brilliant stylistic rigour. He was always supportive and engaged with my own work. His wonderful books remain but he will be missed. RIP.

The birthplace of modern linguistics. Ferdinand de Saussure gave his lectures in general linguistics here, 110 years ago. Much developed, extended, and misinterpreted, most debates in the modern field still stem from here. University of Geneva

So I escaped ‘Yorkshire Day’ by leaving the country, only to find it is also Swiss National Day here 🏃‍➡️ 🇨🇭

Obviously my vibe, but I have many questions. And this is Safe Meat 2

Going down Geneva

New issue of Fafnir - Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research - out now fafnir.journal.fi/issue/view/1...

Classic local news pic

Job opportunity teaching science fiction in Liverpool. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOC313/l...

At last, a benefit from the AI slop

Elle retourne chez nous!

Footy on the telly; cricket on the radio. And running into the kitchen and back to do a Sunday roast. Someone has not planned this very well. Come on Englands!

Really want Spain to lose this. I’m so fed up of tedious tippy tappy, diving, and spiteful hacking down as soon as they lose the ball. Let’s see Proper Germany

We’re really nice, and we’ll do our very best to help you get a permanent job after this one

Does anyone have an AI killer? I’m interested in exterminating all of them - grok, copilot, google AI overview - that pop up when I want to do a simple search. Any way of switching off this intrusive, error-strewn, imbecilic slop?

Gain an in-depth knowledge of grammatical concepts on this comprehensive course led by Prof. Bas Aarts. #EnglishGrammarforTeachers www.futurelearn.com/courses/engl...

Graduating today in Physics with Astrophysics from Newcastle University. I’m on my way there now to sit on the other side, for once, as a proud dad

AFLiCo (the French Association for Cognitive Linguistics) is now on Bluesky! We’re here to share updates about AFLiCo, our journal @cognitextes.bsky.social , and highlights from our members' research in cognitive linguistics. Follow us here—and on LinkedIn—for news, publications, and more.

Back in the office after a week away, and my mysterious benefactor has struck again! I suspect @norselass.bsky.social but have no definitive proof

Are you dreaming of those cooler autumn/winter days? Why not plan ahead and book some LangLit CPD? Starting to teach A-Level Language and Literature | 04/11/25 (N.B. This is a repeat course. If you’re looking for something new, check out the next post!) www.englishandmedia.co.uk/courses/8a8f...

Externalling in Athens. Once more to the StylisticsMobile, and away!

Mexican wave in the crowd. Disgraceful, pathetic, imbecilic. No genuine football fan should have anything to do with this.

Few now at @uonenglish.bsky.social @uniofnottingham.bsky.social will remember Norman Page, but I am sad to hear he has died, aged 92. He was a kind soul. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...