Flying cats

The text reads: Neko tobidashi chūi ネコ飛出し注意 "Beware of cats jumping / darting [lit., flying] out" The Japanese have a special affinity with cats.  If you do a Google search on   —  cats jumping out japan  —  you'll find a zillion interesting / amazing things about cats darting / dashing / jumping / leaping / flying / springing […]

More Elle Cordova shorts

Many of her skits are focused on language — "Reference books hanging out": Or on typography — "Em dash on ChatGPT allegations":

Melvillian (non-)hyphenation

Frazz 9/10/2025 — Caulfield and Mrs. Olson discuss Melville's novel: Continued in Frazz 9/11/2025: It's true that Moby-Dick is hyphenated in the title of the 1851 American edition: And also true that none of the other 80-odd instances of the whale's name in that edition are hyphenated, e.g. In the British first edition, even the […]

Two new foreign words: Turkish kahvalti and French pavé

I probably learn at least one or two new foreign words per day, and they always delight me no end. The first new foreign word I learned today is Turkish kahvalti (lit., "before coffee) which means "breakfast".     Inherited from Ottoman Turkish قهوه آلتی (ḳahve altı, “food taken before coffee; especially breakfast or lunch”), from قهوه (ḳahve) and […]

Michael Edward Carr, lexicographer, R.I.P.

Michael passed away at the age of 77 on May 26, 2025 in Kapa'a, Hawai'i, but I just learned of this great loss two days ago.  Since we usually corresponded about two to three times a month, when I hadn't heard from Michael for several months, I suspected that he was having health problems. Michael […]

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