The meanings of words are in constant flux.  I assume this is a common idea in linguistics, but I first encountered it in Edwin Newman's popular books on language from some years ago.

(Tip #1:  Referring to Edwin Newman makes you sound old.)

 A few years ago, a CBS news executive,… Read full post »

I've talked to my friends about climate change, but I don't think I've ever really explained what convinced me that we need to take action.
Most people are coming around to that view by a kind of mass culture osmosis, but it kicked into high gear for me a couple of years/… Read full post »

Before I moved to Portland and sold my car, I used to drive everywhere, just like most people do. Being the sort of person I am, I developed a bunch of pet peeves about driving. I don't remember many of them now, but one that leaps to mind is the Jersey… Read full post »

Portland is not a hot place.  Summer is beautiful here (shhh, don't tell anyone), but it's only really hot for maybe a week.
One of those hot days was last Friday, when the temperature got up to 102.

I had tickets for the baseball game that night (our AAA Beavers), and had… Read full post »