Columns
Excuse my Finnish!
When Clark Gable’s character delivered the line “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” to Scarlett O’Hara ... Read more
Author: Julia Palmer - Page 2 | The Farmville Herald
Columns
Words with multiple meanings
We are normally comfortable with the fact that a word, at any given time, may have multiple meanings. ... Read more
Columns
That which troubles us…
From time to time readers contact me with grammar questions. Today’s column is dedicated to answering some of ... Read more
Columns
Me, myself and I, oh my
Several of us refer to it as “administrator speech” and it is, unfortunately, becoming a little too common. ... Read more
Columns
Needless repetition or necessary distinction?
I was having dinner with colleagues from my department recently when the topic of redundancy in language came up. ... Read more
Columns
Vegetable word histories
Several vegetables common to our gardens come from the Latin word for cabbage “caulis.” Through a series of ... Read more
Columns
Myths that make monsters — Part IV
This is the fourth part in a series that challenges four fallacies or myths in our culture’s general ... Read more
Church & Community
Myths that make monsters — Part III
This column is the third part in a series that challenges four fallacies or myths in our culture’s ... Read more
Columns
Myths that make monsters — Part II
In a previous column, I started a discussion of myths that students often have about how language really ... Read more
Columns
Myths that make monsters — Part I
A few years ago, I experienced something completely unexpected in a college classroom that continues to trouble me. I ... Read more
Columns
A bouquet of flower and plant word histories
Many of the flowers commonly found in our gardens have word histories worthy of note. For example, the ... Read more
Columns
I hate it when you say that!
Recently, my friend Linda and I were talking about language, specifically about language that gets on our nerves. ... Read more
Columns
Is language change decay?
In order to be accurate, any description of language must always acknowledge two fundamental principles that are always ... Read more
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Where words come from
One of the most fascinating aspects of language and something that interests almost everybody is how new words ... Read more
Columns
The aks vs. ask controversy
As I explained in an earlier column, there are two principles that are always at work in language. ... Read more
Columns
Between you and me: A grammatical misfortune in the making
These days, it is not uncommon for someone to be corrected for saying “That’s between you and me” ... Read more
Church & Community
‘Beauty’ is Panto-magic
It’s that time of year again! Decembers in Farmville have been much more entertaining ever since Mary Jo ... Read more
Columns
Do women really talk more than men?
In her book “Language Myths,” Janet Holmes notes that many languages in the world have sayings or proverbs ... Read more
Columns
More on Appalachian English
When it comes to Appalachian English, myths and stereotypes abound. It is not uncommon for people outside the ... Read more
Church & Community
Don’t miss Waterworks’ Vanya
Calling all theater lovers! You do not want to miss the Waterworks Players’ production of Christopher Durang’s Vanya ... Read more
Columns
Appalachian English in Virginia, Part 1
Dialectal differences capture our attention, especially those differences or points at which communication breaks down between two people ... Read more
Columns
Losing -ed
It’s happening all around us and we don’t even seem to be aware of it. In fact, every ... Read more
Columns
It’s really crappie!
Crap-pie (krap-e) n., pl. –pies. Either of two edible North American freshwater fishes, Pomoxis nigromaculatus, the black crappie, ... Read more
Columns
Pairs of words that cause problems
It is with more and more frequency for us to see confusion between pairs of words some of ... Read more
Columns
The pesky apostrophe
Today’s column is dedicated to a grammar error which causes a great deal of irritation for those who ... Read more
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Sayings from different languages
Learning a different language is difficult and time consuming (although ultimately worth it) because different languages divide up ... Read more