Dennis Baron

@drgrammar.bsky.social

510 followers 140 following 550 posts

I write about language and … language and law (free speech and regulation); gender (pronouns!); tech (how tech affects readers and writers); language reform; and language policing. All from a historical perspective.

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Dennis Baron is a professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the technologies of communication; language legislation and linguistic rights; language reform; gender issues in language; language standards and minority languages and dialects; English usage; and the history and present state of the English language. .. more

Communication & Media Studies 41%

Philosophy 14%

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Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 5d

Pronouns in the news, 1930 ed: antedating and author identified. Richard Tingley, prolific crossword setter, put three common-gender pronoun clues in a puzzle that ran in late 1930; this one appeared in the Rockford (IL) Star, Dec. 28, p. 23. The puzzle ran the next day in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Crossword with three common gender pronoun clues: 13 across: him or her, a suggested common gender pronoun; 18 across, he or she, a suggested common gender pronoun. 40 across, that one; he, she, or it, suggested common gender pronoun, third person.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 7d

almost time to re-up my valentine

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 15d

lived in allston during the blizzard of 1969. 36" or so all over the city. everything shut down for a week or more. people eventually shoveled out their cars and used lawn chairs to save the spot for when they came back. park there at your peril.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 18d

Today is National Handwriting Day. But you can only read about it online, on the Web of Language: blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/1360...

John Hancock's signature on a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 24d

Get ready for National Handwriting Day by reading all about it on the Web of Language.
blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/1360...

National Handwriting Day 2026

blogs.illinois.edu

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · 25d

King Kong vs. Godzilla?

Washington Post headline: Officials showed off a robo-bus in D.C. It got hit by a Tesla driver.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 11

Re-upping an old cartoon: In the run-up to National Handwriting Day, January 23, William Shakespeare takes young Hamnet shopping for school supplies. At ſtaples, of course.

Shakespeare and Hamnet shop for school supplies

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 9

much depends on context, speaker, intent, and so on. it's why the iha definition is a "working definition." what's your goal in this? describe change over time? corpus search? differences across manuals and style guides? all of that? it's a subject that awaits your expert eye.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 9

impressionism is alive and well

Tree reflected in water that is starting to freeze.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 8

The Old Anarchist says, "I've got a pencil and I know how to use it.". Je suis Charlie.

A. cartoon of an old anarchist armed with a pencil

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 2

As the crow flies...

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Jan 1

we had 50+ mph winds a couple of days ago and the next day this was on the lawn. no idea whose house or tree it came from.

large wasp nest blown onto grass by high winds. no idea from where.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 26

All you need to know about faith-based grammar in my new post on the Web of Language. blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/1328...

Faith-based grammar

blogs.illinois.edu

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 26

ABD No.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 17

Here's the source: Canadian linguists and editors letter on Canadian spelling as an important indicator of Canadian-ness. editors.ca/news/letter-...

Letter to the Prime Minister's Office about spelling in official Government of Canada documents - Editors Canada

Editors Canada and a group of leading language experts sent the Prime Minister's Office a letter to express concerns about a recent shift to British spelling in official Government of Canada documents...

editors.ca

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 13

Thomas Jefferson’s Hawkins Polygraph, a design which Hawkins adapted from the earlier pantograph, a machine designed to re-size technical drawings. Jefferson’s polygraph, acquired in 1806, is on display at Monticello.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 13

Speaking of presidents using autopens, Thomas Jefferson did it first. Got an objection to that? blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/805641

It’s National Handwriting Day: there’s an app for that

blogs.illinois.edu

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 9

Facebook really knows how to deliver an ad...

2 Facebook posts one after the other. First is about neonazis in Little Rock. Second is an ad for Chanukah jewelry.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 9

The Red State Model of higher education: The faculty have "commandeered" campuses for decades. It's time for administrators to have a turn.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 6

Posted without comment...

Fortune cookie fortune says Be outdoors this weekend

Thermometer says outdoor temperature is 4 F.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 4

Clip from the Speaker Request Form that she received and posted on scribd. Utah's HB 261 guarantees free speech to invited speakers, but fearing legislative backlash, the school is imposing these bans on speakers. Thus HB 261 chills free speech without actually violating First Amendment protections!

A list of banned terms and concepts, including DEI, anti-racism, bias, CRT, implicit bias, oppression, intersectionality, prohibited discriminatory practices, racial privilege, promoting stereotypes

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 4

The color of the year is white? Pantone going full MAGA.

Announcement that the Pantone color of the year is white.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 2

It turns out that when copy editing is optional, you can forget about both accuracy and quality.

ad for Fat Daddio's reads. Accuracy isn't optional! Either is quality.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 2

Of course there's an AI rebbe, but there's also a disclaimer.

Shall I am the AI Rabbi. Type Torah and Life Questions here"

Disclaimer: Rebbe.io is an AI-based educational tool. It does not replace consultation with a a qualified Halachic authority or Rabbi. For all Halachic decisions and life guidance, please consult a competent Rav.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 29

Here, I fixed it for you: The near extinction of copy editors continues to have severe consequences.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 29

"An Eurasian..."?

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 29

Snow day means snow globe back yard.

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 28

To lose the crown jewels may be regarded as a misfortune. But to lose a year's worth of snails ...

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 22

Revised and re-upping this post on "The second-oldest neopronoun, coined in 1849: ne, nis, and nim" bit.ly/475S3Cr

The second-oldest neopronoun, coined in 1849: ne, nis, and nim

bit.ly

Dennis Baron @drgrammar.bsky.social · Nov 18

Celebrating the publication of Merriam-Webster's 12th Collegiate, I am reminded of this important First Amendment hypothetiical:

Can a baker refuse to bake a dictionary cake on religious grounds if they have a deeply-held belief that dictionaries are woke tools of the devil?

Dictionary cake celebrating Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 12th edition

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