I try to get my children to say “behold!” Also trying to get them to call me “father” and not “dad”. Wrong: Dad, please. Right: Prithee, father!

FUN FACT: if this kind of fence-type structure were named today, keeping the same meaning, it would be a “yikes”

Out Now! Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker cup.org/3LYWV3N Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker #LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦

Those sneaky cute babies! They tricked us into wanting to care for them, and part of that involves communication. But what about "cute aggression"? Prof Madeleine Beekman is the author of "The Origin of Language". @simonschusteranz.bsky.social Listen on becauselanguage.com

We’re going back… to the future… …time reference!

How do we fit this into our header?

ICYMI: Transcript is up for our episode with @natanlast.bsky.social about his book "Across the Universe". It's the history of crosswords. Natan is also a constructor, and he tests my mettle! @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/transc...

It wouldn't have been enshittification without being enshittification.

Scarburst

This popped into my inbox, and it's full of great stuff!

HERE WE GO Word of the Year season begins and it wasn't Collins going first this time

Good on him, but we might need to include "orphan-crushing machine" as a #WordOfTheWeek He's doing great work to save people from the orphan-crushing machine. en.wiktionary.org/wiki/orphan-...

He's right. It refers to me.

the word “behold” should make a comeback. it’s so confident

All deaf and hard of hearing kids deserve to learn sign language, and bodily autonomy with respect to hearing technology.

No kings. Only frogs.

So many words on this new episode with Maia Chao! Including COSY CRIME Go listen here, or on your podcast thingy www.patreon.com/posts/127-oh...

protest frog #WordOfTheWeek

Artist Maia Chao tells us about her show "Oh", an experimental linguistic lecture performance. With Kelly Wright. Watch the episode here (soon): becauselanguage.com/127-oh/

ENSHITTIFICATION was our Word of the Year in 2024. Catch our interview with Cory Doctorow here! youtu.be/mq0kSdzSjfc?...

stealing this for the Grice lecture thx

A dusty bell went ding in the Because Language offices. It seems that someone bought a "Chaos Goblin" sticker. If one more person buys one, then there will be two of you! Irregardless, they're pretty great. Go see our designs. www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1688...

Kavanaugh stop #WordOfTheWeek

It’s very simple. NOT is being used here as an intensifier, where each NOT strengthens the force of the negation. You know, like Spanish does.

Yes! It finally happened! 8yo: Dad, what does IYKYK stand for? Me: (conspiratorial head gesture) If you know, you know. 8yo: Daaad, tell me what it stands for. (followed by five more increasingly irritated iterations of this, until she finally got it) Peak dad moment.

Hear me out: it depends on the stress. FRENCH fries we know about. They are tasty but not that sexy. But French FRIES: possibly more sexy potential?

Revealing new insights into how the mind represents and processes language, this book gives a full overview of linguistic illusions. Linguistic Illusions by Dan Parker, Coming Soon #LangSky #Linguistics 🐦🐦 https://cup.org/4mwHEnC

Patrons at the Listener level can hear our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social ! Here's a snippet in video form. Click through and sign up. www.patreon.com/posts/126-ma...

One day I will find a way to tell people to knock off the grammar scolding, in a way that doesn't make everyone arc up and attack me. But today is not that day! 😈

What one thing explains the most about language? We put this question to our listeners, and also to Mark Ellison, and we got some really good answers! Come watch or listen. We'll be out on the deck. It was a bonus episode, but now it is freeeeeeee becauselanguage.com/106-what-one...

I hereby invite your responses to the question: why is [some language I know] so mean sometimes

From our new bonus episode with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/139541...

Rapture slang today is WAY different from the Raptures we used to have when I was a kid

It's a bonus Mailbag ep with @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social for patrons at the Listener level. Click through to join up or listen to a preview. • What's the optimal set of languages to learn, if you want to speak to the most people on earth? • Who is "Mason"? And more. www.patreon.com/posts/139541...

Great news!

We had a great time talking with @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org about her new book "Friends With Words". And she helped us with some of our toughest listener questions! It's a free episode for everyone. Video: www.patreon.com/posts/video-... Audio: www.patreon.com/posts/audio-...

@becauselanguage.com hits it right on the head: www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Li...

LLMs just tell us what we want to hear. Which is wrong. It should be humans telling us what we want to hear. Our new episode with Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is out, and you can find it in all the places. www.patreon.com/posts/137195...

Violence baguettes violence

Creators have to be mindful of what to say and what not to say in their content. This affects the language we're exposed to — and what we say IRL. But it's part of an old process. Adam Aleksic @etymologynerd.bsky.social is the author of the new book "Algospeak". @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

sadopopulism #WordOfTheWeek

This is assimilation era pedagogy. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

The ANU is moving to kill the Australian National Dictionary – this is why it matters theconversation.com/the-anu-is-m...

I’m so looking forward to this tomorrow! Pour a cup of coffee or whatever and join me at 6 a.m. Pacific Time for a chat with these fine folks.

Live show with Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social today. We'll be talking about her book "Friends With Words" and getting to some of our toughest Mailbag questions yet! All patrons are invited — even free ones — so get ready to join us and play games & stuff www.patreon.com/posts/136018...

How do we make better language choices? And what's beyond conscious language? Check out our episode with @karenyin.bsky.social, author of the Conscious Style Guide. Wherever you get your podcasts. becauselanguage.com/123-consciou...

I will be honest, I do keep forgetting Facebook exists.

This is one of the world's great lexicographical resources. It is like shutting down the OED.

We're having a live episode with Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org. She's the author of "Friends With Words", which is full of ripping tales of word histories. All patrons are invited, even free ones, so click here to find out when. www.patreon.com/posts/134667...