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The Court Record
Language columns by Barbara Wallraff,
from The Atlantic Monthly and Atlantic Unbound
Word Court
From The Atlantic Monthly
June 2004
"overstating" versus "understating" the importance ... symbolic snakes ... and more.
April 2004
"Reduce" versus "lower" ... The correct usage of "carrot and stick" ... and more.
January/February 2004
"Robin's-egg blue" or "robin's-egg brown"? ... Is "ice cream" a word? ... and more.
November 2003
What are "airborne vermin"? ... "buttock" or "buttocks"? ... and more.
September 2003
The meaning of "mortified" ... "gone missing" or "is missing"? ... and more.
June 2003
Is "crowbar" racist? ... "vice-president" or "president of vice?" ... and more.
April 2003
Can not vs. cannot ... can one "inspire confusion"? ... and more.
January/February 2003
How long has a "first-generation American" been in this country? ... use of the colon in fictional dialogue ... and more.
November 2002
"man" vs. "gentleman" ... "impactful"? ... and more.
September 2002
"Art" vs. "Artwork" ... "ours'"? ... and more.
May 2002
"Surveil" vs. "survey" ... "quote/unquote" ... "gone fishing"? ... "one of the only" vs. "one of the few"
March 2002
"Entrée"/"Starter"/"Main Course" ... "Crescendo" vs. "Climax" ... the non-military "General."
January 2002
"It's" ... born and "bred" ... "Jell" vs. "Gel."
November 2001
"Democrat" as an insult ... pronunciation of "sorbet" ... "feeling froggy."
September 2001
"Nude, nuder, nudest" ... proper pronunciation of "culinary."
May 2001
"The proof is in the pudding" ... "might" or "may" ... address etiquette.
March 2001
e ... the redundant hypersuperlative ... dee or day.
January 2001
Gild the lily ... more rare ... short-lived.
November 2000
Aren't I? Thin-sliced or thinly-sliced. Co-chairs.
September 2000
As well as. Thought-provoking or provocative. The passive not. One pant or a pair of pants?
April 2000
Isn't it ironic? The the. Crisp and crispy.
February 2000
Good friends. Would have. Alleger or allegator.
January 2000
The devil is in the details. Redundant politeness. Anglo America.
Word Fugitives
Barbara Wallraff's acclaimed Atlantic Unbound column is back—in print! Send us your fugitive words.
July/August 2004
"Misalinement" ... "pandephonium" ... and more.
May 2004
"number-mumblers" ... "empty-fest syndrome" ... and more.
March 2004
"wishful linking" ... "devious ex machina" ... and more.
December 2003
"rolling roadblock" ... "temporary inanity" ... and more.
October 2003
"roadentaphobia" ... "mamamorphosis" ... and more.
July/August 2003
"sage fright" ... "onthewaylaid" ... and more.
May 2003
"Yakasses" ... "Please cover your mouth" ... and more.
March 2003
"Missing the gravy boat" ... "tome-deaf" ... and more.
December 2002
"magbalae" ... "niblings" and "auncles" ... and more.
October 2002
"toast-haste" ... to "Cosby" ... and more.
July/August 2002
"Two-footed" ... "antergy" ... and more.
June 2002
"Redundunces" ... "karmaclysm" ... and more.
April 2002
"Rebounder" ... "bawlderizer" ... and more.
February 2002
"Catsnap" ... "dialexia" ... and more.
December 2001
"Losthrophobia" ... "idiosynamajig" ... and more.
October 2001
"side defects" ... "uhopia" ... and more.
July/August 2001
"Dial or mash?" ... "concretinism" ... and more.
June 2001
"Male-pattern badness" ... "Orthinology" ... and more.
April 2001
"Selfism" ... "Offsprung" ... and more.
February 2001
The debut (in print, at least) of a new Atlantic column.
Archived features:
Word Police (January - June 2000)
Do you have what it takes to be a Word Police officer?
Original Word Fugitives (November 1998 - December 1999)
Is there a word for ...? Track down words that don't yet exist -- but should.
Browse a read-only archive from the Word Fugitives conference in Post & Riposte:
• When you're not, you're not
• An uncompliment
• Witless
• Now presenting
• Worn in both senses
• How awkward
• Insignificant other
• Got your thinking cap on
• Male hysteria
• His 'n' hers
• Move it up
• Take that
• Contrariwise
• Term limits
• What happened
• No B.S.
• Loyal to losers
• Well seasoned
• Virtual smirtual
• Give it the old heave-ho
• Just folks
• Older and wiser
• From bad to worse
• Top-drawer
• Loves women
• That creeking sound
• Good-sized
• Huh?
• Gentlewoman
• The shape of things to come
• Ms. Daughter, Mr. Son
• Sans slash
• Below expectations
• Name relations
• Return to sender
• Sharply pointed
• 'Do you know?' 'Do you?'
• Things to put PINs in
• Self-inflicted punishment
• You must remember this
• Ms.'s moxie
• Saved!
• He or she and you and you and you
• A pretty puzzle
• The very picture
• Not my specialty
• Froggie went a-courtin'
• I'm glad for you
• When you're not, you're not
• Ark-worthy
• About face
• World traveler
• Pacific time
• Always tired
• Not a cuckold
• The fox and the grapes
• What are you looking at?
• Don't call her "Miss"
• Joint decision
• Bad actor
• Foreign sympathizer
• Outliving one's child
• Dot dot dot
• Blank mind, blank page
• Everything's relative
• Pass the Kleenex
• Hooray for selfishness!
• Counting room
• Better-than-best friend
• What's your leisure?
• Eduerfnedahcs
• Hey you!
• Acro-batty
• Sloppy shopping
• In-laws once removed
• Buzzing
• A follicular challenge
• Mr. & Ms. Apt
• Realty Check
• Fore and aft forenames
• Criminal license
• This part's still good
• Relative position
• "Children"
• Non-romance language
• Vote here
• Open-door policy
• Mr. and Mrs. Velcro
• None of the above
• Um uh er uh
• Elegant as well
• Martha's concerns
• One for all of us
• "Soul" mates
• Lumpy driveway syndrome
• That is despicable
• What's your inclination?
• Eureka!
• A tight squeeze
• Doing double duty
• Are you all right?
• Finders keepers
• The opposite of sin
• That which moos
• The joy of pets
• Nephlings? Auncles?
• Wouldn't ya know it!
• To yesterday, to day, and to morrow
• Are you a homophone?
• Water! Give me water!
• A sustainer of sustainability
• Darling, sweetie pie, honey
• Now you see it
• A new balance
• Fair game
• The opposite of "synergy"
• Honest + fair + sound
• Ripe young age
• A disagreement among friends
• Shock of the old
• Man-hater
• A post-holiday preposition
• Furby and friends
• Terminological miscues
• How humiliating!
• Cut and paste
• A finisher of sentences
• A conversion of memories
• That crashed feeling
• Words with diametrical meanings
• Synonymous with 'synonym'
• From the USA
• Between the sidewalk and the curb
• No one we know
• Someone who knows what another person should do
• The "commercial 'a'"
• Dub-ya dub-ya dub-ya
• Shoelace fitting
• Puns that use hypertext links
• Fear of Christians
• Product names used generically
• When the rich turn the middle class against the poor
• Writer's equivalent of "articulate"
Copyright © 2001 By The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.