Lately I've read a number of sarcastic comebacks to a proposal made by the editors of the Journal of Animal Ethics pleading for greater mindfulness in language about animals. The journal argues for ...

The philosophy of language has long engaged with questions concerning the nature, use, and interpretation of proper names. Central to this field are debates between referentialist and predicativist ...

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet famously asks, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” She wonders how the name someone has can define them, ...

Our picturesque country of Costa Rica boasts a diversity of natural wonders, from lush rainforests to stunning beaches. This gives rise to the question – why do foreigners seem to take liberties with ...

Proper language is crucial to the scientific community. It helps answer questions and convey big ideas to the general public. Often, though, specialized scientific words have very specific meanings ...

It stinks. It's too unwieldy. And it makes no difference. That's what Erik Wemple, a blogger on news media issues for the Washington Post, had to say about NPR's style — and my support of it — on some ...