Lynne Murphy
@lynneguist.bsky.social
US linguist in UK. University of Sussex.
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@lynneguist
Blog: http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lynneguist
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@lynneguist
Blog: http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lynneguist
Authors in this issue include: @stephenturton.bsky.social @bethyoung.bsky.social @wordorigins.bsky.social and others not on Bluesky!
November 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Authors in this issue include: @stephenturton.bsky.social @bethyoung.bsky.social @wordorigins.bsky.social and others not on Bluesky!
All your floors had roofs.
November 18, 2025 at 10:44 PM
All your floors had roofs.
So, not saying it's the usual way to refer to the ground, but I do hear it with some regularity
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
So, not saying it's the usual way to refer to the ground, but I do hear it with some regularity
When our child was little, London husband was often warning her against things 'on the floor' in the park... it's possible to find similar on Mumsnet
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
When our child was little, London husband was often warning her against things 'on the floor' in the park... it's possible to find similar on Mumsnet
I also liked this BNC example: "all the telegraph wires hanging down, pushed down to the floor, broken, with the weight of snow. "
November 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I also liked this BNC example: "all the telegraph wires hanging down, pushed down to the floor, broken, with the weight of snow. "
That may be, but I do hear it quite a bit, and it's not hard to find examples.
football player "I've only ever known one way to play the game, and that is to pass the ball on the floor." (British Nat'l Corpus)
football player "I've only ever known one way to play the game, and that is to pass the ball on the floor." (British Nat'l Corpus)
November 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
That may be, but I do hear it quite a bit, and it's not hard to find examples.
football player "I've only ever known one way to play the game, and that is to pass the ball on the floor." (British Nat'l Corpus)
football player "I've only ever known one way to play the game, and that is to pass the ball on the floor." (British Nat'l Corpus)
The next of the Big English Dictionary #WotY2025 is Cambridge's 'parasocial'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Parasocial is named as Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year
Examples include the parasocial interest shown by fans to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement.
www.bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The next of the Big English Dictionary #WotY2025 is Cambridge's 'parasocial'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The online Project Muse version will be available in the next week, I hope!
November 16, 2025 at 9:38 PM
The online Project Muse version will be available in the next week, I hope!
The pay and conditions were horrid.
November 13, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The pay and conditions were horrid.
No, but I've been naturalised as a British linguist:
November 13, 2025 at 3:09 PM
No, but I've been naturalised as a British linguist:
Chair rail: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/c...
Definition of CHAIR RAIL
a molding on a wall around a room to protect the wall from being damaged by the backs of chairs… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Chair rail: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/c...