Author Archives: Louise

“Mandalay” by Rudyard Kipling

Myanmar, Bagan

Boris Johnson, Britain’s foreign secretary, yesterday started reciting lines from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Mandalay” while inside a Myanmar temple during an official visit to the former British colony. He was on a live mic (and on camera) at the time, being filmed for a Channel Four documentary; the British ambassador, Andrew Patrick, who was chaperoning Johnson on the visit to Yangon’s sacred Shwedagon Pagoda, was quick to remind him that citing from the colonial-era poem was inappropriate. Here’s the poem in full: Continue reading →

Poetry in Motion: “Leave It All Up to Me” by Major Jackson

Seen on the C train in Manhattan, Aug 31, 2017.

“Leave It All Up to Me” by Major Jackson.

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X v Y: You say lit, I used to say lighted

Cate Blanchett in “Carol” / Tumblr

Continuing Glosso’s September series, “X v Y”, we take a look at lit vs. lighted. Continue reading →

X v Y: To underestimate or overestimate: interchangeable, but only when it can’t be done?

During September, Glossophilia is looking at word pairs that often get muddled up with each other, or that essentially mean the same thing. Today’s is underestimate vs. overestimate. Continue reading →

X v Y: Philharmonic or Symphony?

Glosso is devoting September to looking at pairs of words that seem to mean the same thing, but often don’t. Today’s question: are symphony and philharmonic synonymous?

Continue reading →

The British “public school”: what does public really mean? Private?

British public schoolboys

Glosso’s “X v Y” series tackles the complicated matter of British schools: when are they public, and when are they private? Can any actually be both? Continue reading →

X v Y: When it comes to the line, do you “tow” it or “toe” it?

Do you toe the line …

… or tow the line?

Are towing and toeing both correct, when it comes to the line? Glosso’s X v Y series takes a look … Continue reading →

X v Y: Careering and careening

Continuing Glosso’s month-long series “X v Y”, we look at two words that are spelled almost identically, and used almost interchangeably, but are not actually synonymous. Career and careen: what’s the story? Continue reading →

X v Y: Sarcasm and jealousy: the darker sides of irony and envy (and the irony of Aristotle)

Glosso’s series, “X v Y”, takes a look at two sets of words — envy and jealousy, irony and sarcasm — that are often treated as synonyms but actually have substantially different meanings. Continue reading →

X v Y: Hispanic or Latino – or just plain American?

Continuing Glosso’s series “X v Y”, here’s a survey of the labels “Hispanic” and “Latino”. (And please note that this was originally posted several years ago.) Continue reading →