Almost everyone uses language, so inevitably almost everyone thinks they are an expert in it. I don’t consider myself an expert, though most of my work requires at least language competence and sometimes actual skill, but I do follow the blogs featured on this feeds page.
(If you are wondering where the translation-related feeds have all gone, I have put them on their own page.)
Most of the blogs represented here are in English, most of the time, but don’t be surprised to find other languages used. Go with the flow – I occasionally find myself pleasantly surprised at how much I can grasp in languages I have never seen before.
Language On the Net
Language Log » Return of the Mazel Tov Cocktail
Maya Rhodan, "A Donald Trump Surrogate Strangely Accused Jay Z of Promoting ‘Mazel Tov’ Cocktails", Time Magazine 11/7/2016: A surrogate of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused Jay Z, who performed at a rally for Hillary Clinton last week, of promoting police violence in a video that featured “mazel tov cocktails.” “One of his main videos starts off with a … [Link]
Language Log » Ask LLOG: "Fail to VERB" should not be used?
From J.D.: A friend of mine – philosophy professor – just got this comment from a copy editor regarding a paper he submitted for publication: Copy editor: "As per the style, 'fail to' (followed by a verb) should not be used." As in: "I fail to see why this sentence is ungrammatical" (my friend's humorous request for guidance on Facebook). … [Link]
Urban Word of the Day » beerboarding
A controversial process of extracting otherwise-secret information from a friend or co-worker by getting them drunk and thereby loosening their control on their tongue. The guys at work took me out drinking last night. After quite a few beers and a lot of questions I finally let slip that I was going to be a father. What can I say? … [Link]
Language Log » T-shirt slogans
A 28-year-old Chinese citizen of Korean ethnicity, the activist Pyong Kwon (the Korean reading of his name would be Gweon Pyeong 권평; MSM Quán Píng 權平), has disappeared after telling a friend that he was planning to wear the t-shirt pictured below on the street on October 1, China's National Day. 
The story is recounted in this article: "Young Chinese … [Link]
Language Log » Two new words in Mandarin
At least they're new for me. I'm always learning new expressions, constructions, usages, etc. in Chinese. The Sinitic languages are changing so rapidly that it is a heady experience trying to keep up with them. The two new Mandarin words I just learned are good examples of the kinds of transformations that are constantly taking place in Chinese. This morning … [Link]
Language Log » Ask Ricky the Dialect Dog
Amy Stoller is a dialect coach operating out of New York City, known among many other things for her work with Anna Deavere Smith. This valuable advice is from her November newsletter — reprinted with permission. DEAR RICKY THE DIALECT DOG: How can I learn to roll my R's? DEAR READER: Do a thorough tongue warm-up every day, to build … [Link]
languagehat.com » Filming Anna.
Ani Kokobobo’s “Candid about the Camera: Tolstoy Scholars on Adapting Anna Karenina” is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking things I’ve read on adapting a classic novel; it’s a set of scholarly reactions to Anna Karenina film adaptations based on a special issue of the Tolstoy Studies Journal: Anna Karenina for the Twenty-First Century. I won’t try to summarize … [Link]
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