Tag: Sociolinguistics
How ‘gate’ became the syllable of scandal
Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis
On June 17, 1972, Washington, D.C., police arrested five men for breaking into...
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...
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...
We call workers ‘essential’ – but is that just referring to...
Zachary Jaggers, University of Oregon
By this point in the coronavirus pandemic, you’ve probably heard a lot about “essential workers.” They’re the people working in...
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...
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...