Do you speak Scots? If you’re not sure, the text and audio samples at Aye Can will help you decide if you do. This is of particular relevance this year due to the 2011 Scottish Census.
Errol Morris, whose news essays have featured elsewhere on this blog (see here), has a compelling five-part essay ‘The Ashtray’ about his relationship with the philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn at the Institute for Advanced Study, and whose title derives from an object hurled at Morris by Kuhn (no, really!).
Popular Linguistics magazine is an important addition to the wealth of online resources relating to language and linguistics, with a particular focus on materials for nonspecialist readers. It promises to present material written by linguists (not just language mavens like Safire) in an accessible manner.
I had no idea that there were four distinct ways of saying ’10:15′ in German, or that they divided so neatly along well-defined isoglosses (lines marking distinctions in language). In North American English there would be similar, geographically-delimited variability but not for 10:15, but rather 10:45. Do you say ‘quarter to eleven’ or ‘quarter of eleven’?
Finally, as someone who has sent out two articles in the last ten days and desperately hopes not to get rejected, here is the Journal of Universal Rejection, the world’s most selective (and thus best) journal, with a 100% rejection rate. At least they promise to be prompt!
Glossographia 