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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.
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