Dennis Baron

London Times headline: Can you make hummus on the moon? Scientists are small step closer.

It's not green cheese after all, it's hummus.

2/2 The intended pronoun was actually "thon," coined in 1858, but either the writer or a helpful editor has changed "thon" to "thou" multiple times in the article. Beaumont (TX) Enterprise, Sep. 12, 1920, p. 30.

Newspaper article from 1920 considers the pronoun thou instead of the generic he or the coordinate he or she.

1/2 Pronouns in the news, 1920 edition: After the 19th Amendment guaranteed votes for women, politicians were advised to drop generic 'he' in their stump speeches. Since 'he or she' was never a popular option, this writer considers the gender-neutral "thou" instead.

National Grammar Day 2026

The long wait is over. National Grammar Day is here. And on the Web of Language: blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/4048...

National Grammar Day 2026

Reminder: National Grammar Day is coming ... tomorrow. But you can read about it now on the Web of Language: blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/4048...

National Grammar Day 2026

March 4th is National Grammar Day. Read all about it on the Web of Language: blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/4048...

Screenshot of a scam email offering to "promote" a book I wrote 36 years ago.

Got a couple of these scam requests recently. Didn't realize they were so widespread: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/b...

Welcome to the Banned Speech State

There's a new post on the Web of Language: Welcome to Florida, "the banned speech state." Read all about it: blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/3371...

Engraved on a red heart shape: Roses are red, violets are blue, singular they's older than singular you.

A timely valentine from Dr Grammar: pronouns have histories.

Guardian article reports that reading, writing, learning languages can lower risk of dementia

Great news for all you humanists out there: Reading and writing lower dementia risk--or, you can increase that risk by spending 4:28 listening to the article.

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.

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.

almost time to re-up my valentine

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.

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

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

National Handwriting Day 2026

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

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

King Kong vs. Godzilla?

Shakespeare and Hamnet shop for school supplies

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.

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.

Tree reflected in water that is starting to freeze.

impressionism is alive and well

A. cartoon of an old anarchist armed with a pencil

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

a crow flying

As the crow flies...

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

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.

Faith-based grammar

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

ABD No.

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

A Chanukah candle

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.

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.

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

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

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

Facebook really knows how to deliver an ad...

The faculty have commandeered campuses for decades.

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