Tag: Linguistics
How talking about the coronavirus as an enemy combatant can backfire
Tabitha Moses, Wayne State University
Sometimes war involves battling other countries; other times, it’s the metaphorical kind, like our current “war” against the coronavirus.
We see...
How did ‘white’ become a metaphor for all things good?
Aradhna Krishna, University of Michigan
Shortly after George Floyd’s death, one of my friends texted me that Floyd wasn’t necessarily a bad person, but, pointing...
Why ‘I was just being sarcastic’ can be such a convenient...
Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis
After President Donald Trump said during his June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that increased testing was responsible for...
How ‘Karen’ went from a popular baby name to a stand-in...
Robin Queen, University of Michigan
When I read about Amy Cooper, the woman in Central Park who called the police on a black birder because...
Why do kids call their parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?
Bethany Van Vleet, Arizona State University and Denise Bodman, Arizona State University
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have...
What makes something ironic?
Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis
Have you ever found yourself about to say, “that’s ironic,” only to stop yourself – unsure whether you were...
Examining how primates make vowel sounds pushes timeline for speech evolution...
Thomas R. Sawallis, University of Alabama and Louis-Jean Boë, Université Grenoble Alpes
Sound doesn’t fossilize. Language doesn’t either.
Even when writing systems have developed, they’ve represented...
Your political views can predict how you pronounce certain words
Zachary Jaggers, University of Oregon
Politics can predict the TV shows we watch, the shops we frequent and the places we live.
But what about the...
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War games shed light on real-world strategies
David Banks, American University School of International Service
Want to try your hand at negotiating during a crisis? Think you have a plan that could...
