Constructions = grammar in action: social, rhetorical, meaningful. Excited for this conference, hosted by none other than @randyallenharris.bsky.social!

Constructions and Figures Symposium at the University of Waterloo 28 & 29 May 2026 featuring Jeanne Fahnestock, @adelegoldberg.bsky.social and @congramqueen.bsky.social. #rhetoric, #linguistics, #constructiongrammar @uwaterlooarts.bsky.social @uwaterloo.ca @uw-english.bsky.social

Another great podcast, with one of my favourite historians of linguistics. ... I never knew Brigitte Nerlich was so charming. It's lovely to hear the joy she has in her work.

UWaterloo English's Dr. Paul Ugor is holding a launch for three (!) books he has co-edited. March 19, 11am-12:30pm, DWE 3516 and online. tinyurl.com/muu55jss

Congratulations to ARBUS/UWaterloo English student Alicia Wang, who has been awarded a 2026 CBC News summer scholarship for emerging journalists. tinyurl.com/r6r7dp4r

It’s been a delight & an education working with @randyallenharris.bsky.social on this paper in @rhetstm.bsky.social POROI on LLMs ability to synthesize rhetorical figures & linguistic constructions. Worth saying nothing I poast should be construed to reflect the views of my employer or supervisor!

Great new article by @geryon.bsky.social. "Rhetorical Figures, Grammatical Constructions, and Form/Meaning Alliances in Pretrained Language Models," #rhetoric, #constructiongrammar, #linguistics pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/poroi/articl... pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/poroi/articl...

www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour... @congramqueen.bsky.social @adelegoldberg.bsky.social

www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour... #constructiongrammar #linguistics #Rhetoric #rhetorical

I did my homework. Very informative. Thanks ! @randyallenharris.bsky.social @hiphilangsci.bsky.social hiphilangsci.net/2024/11/01/p...

Photos featuring some of our proud UWaterloo English MA and PhD grads who received their degrees this Saturday. Congratulations!

The newly minted Dr. Kyle Gerber and sidekick. @uwaterlooarts.bsky.social @uw-english.bsky.social

Great new article by Geoff Pullum on Post, Chomsky, and the roots of generative grammar, written with his customary verve, depth, and precision. doi.org/10.1075/hl.0.... #histlx #Linguistics #LangSky

Episode 49 of our podcast is out 🤩 James McElvenny (@jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social) interviews Fritz Newmeyer (University of Washington) about linguistics, history of linguistics, and politics. 🔗 hiphilangsci.net/2025/10/01/p... #Histlx

A new podcast episode 🤩 Randy Harris (@randyallenharris.bsky.social) speaks with James McElvenny (@jamesmcelvenny.bsky.social) about his recent book A History of Modern Linguistics. hiphilangsci.net/2025/09/15/p... #Histlx

UPDATE: Abstract deadline: Nov 1, 25! Invited speakers: Corrine Occhino, Dagmar Divjak, Idan Blank, Randy Allen Harris, Gary Lupyan, Laura Michaelis, Kanishka Misra ! @dagmardivjak.bsky.social @randyallenharris.bsky.social @congramqueen.bsky.social @glupyan.bsky.social @kanishka.bsky.social

Calling all linguists, esp. corpus folks, and digital researchers, One of my students wants to research a grammatical cx on Twitter/X, but the Musk regime restricts searches. Would anyone who has Enterprise or Research access be willing to help? #linguistics #corpuslinguistics #academicbluesky

Once again: the GOP is a #fascist party. The CPC contains these elements. There is a tsunami of #reactionary politics on the horizon, because the weaponization of young men in particular goes largely unnoticed (because it's online). Crush them now, or we are in for generations of authoritarianism.

When a president promotes sadism and abuse you know that the abuses will quickly get worse. In a few short months the US has moved from kidnapping people off the streets to building concentration camps. There will be much darker days ahead. www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/trum...

I try to avoid commenting on US politics except unless it directly affects Canada (tariffs, 51st state horseshit), but this! Jesus! If this doesn't prove unequivocally that the Trump administration hates women then I don't know what proof is. www.science.org/content/arti...

No lawmaker in Congress should be able to own, buy, and sell individual stocks. We need to ban congressional stock trading—and I've got a bill for that.

#Trump #AgeofStupid

A podcast episode featuring some of the Rhetoricon Team (there was supposed to be a follow up, but--thanks Doug Ford!--the funding was cut & this turned out to be the very last episode of the Games Institute Podcast 🥲). But you get Sid & Emma & my wonderful team). open.spotify.com/episode/3Pcm...

Special 25th anniversary issue of POROI, reprinting a dozenish of its most influential articles. Very pleased to be between its covers with the likes of @leahcecc.bsky.social, @creekthinker.bsky.social, @rhetorologist.bsky.social, and @zoltanmajdik.bsky.social pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/poroi/issue/...

"coffee is only good when it is served in jim crow conditions"

Brilliant

Gleichschaltung is the word you're looking for, @theguardian.com

Trump is probably not capable of learning, per se, but it will be inescapable even to him that we are polite and congenial until we’re cornered. Then we’re badgers. The Mexicans are pretty tough as well. Vive le Canada! ¡Viva México! Wishing sanity and kindness returns to our US neighbours.

Biden's pardons attempt to inoculate people against political persecution. Trump's pardons reward people for violence, treason, and celebrating his cult of lies.

Am always thinking of the daily stormer style guide which @ashleyfeinberg.bsky.social published, esp this section on lulz. www.huffpost.com/entry/daily-...

Hell yes.

This should haunt these folks for this rest of their lives.

Hard not to love this takedown. Extra props for mentioning Canada’s biggest embarrassment, Jordan what’s his name. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Reminder (and date correction): The proposal deadline for RhetCanada's 2025 annual conference (online May 31 and at George Brown College in Toronto June 4-6) is Saturday, Feb. 1. We look forward to receiving your proposals! CFP: event.fourwaves.com/cssr2025/pages

Three linguists (I'm one of 'em!) 'coming up roses' in Broadway Buzz: www.broadway.com/buzz/205089/...

Gotta love ppl who work in book shops

Google AI having trouble with consistency. (Same search, literally seconds apart.)

Google AI having trouble with rhyme

The CFP for @RhetCan's 2025 annual conference is now available! The conference will take place online on May 31 and in person from June 4-6 at George Brown College (Toronto) in association with FHSS's Congress 2025. To register and submit proposals: tinyurl.com/mrx7hctv.

Volume 9 of Rhetor, the Journal of the Canadian Association for the Study of Rhetoric, is now available online. The issue features rhetoric-focused articles on a broad range of topics, from Construction Grammar to stand-up comedy, from pop music to optical weapons systems. rhetcanada.org/rhetor-9/

Check out this #CxG paper by two gifted undergrads: “Define Constructions Before Constructions Define You: Rhetorical Figures in the AB BEFORE BA Construction” rhetcanada.org/rhetor-9/

To paraphrase Haj Ross, #linguist folks, to study language with its aesthetics drained away is ultimately pointless. So get some aesthetics with @chloeharrison.bsky.social’s link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Another fascinating episode of the HiPhiLangSci podcast, this one featuring Judy Kaplan on the allure of universals. Among the surprises (for me) was that the growth of universalist linguistics in the latter 20th C was partially in reaction to racism and eugenics. hiphilangsci.net/2024/12/01/p...

Fixed it: Musk will use the‘Department of Government Efficiency’ for self-enrichment.