Bwahaha. Grammar nazi fail.
Language-conscious Fry.
Hundreds of company name etymologies
Very cool Wikipedia stating the origins behind hundreds of companies’ names.
Linguistics Micro Lesson: Tautology
Tautology is the unnecessary or unessential (and sometimes unintentional) repetition of meaning, using different words that effectively just say the same thing.
Examples:
- added bonus - “bonus” is an added extra, so “added bonus” is actually “added added extra”
- first introduced - “introduced” generally implies that it is the first time that someone or something has been presented
- free gift - “gift” is, by definition, something given without charge
- new innovation - “innovation” is defined as something new
- safe haven - “haven” is, by definition, a place of refuge and safety
- pre-book - “book” already contains the idea of reserving in advance, so “pre-” is redundant
What does “et cetera” literally mean?
Good to know: The literal meaning of the Latin phrase et cetera is “and the others.”
Random English Factoid
The longest words you can type with only the left hand using conventional hand placement on a QWERTY keyboard:
- tesseradecades
- aftercataracts
- sweaterdresses (more common but sometimes hyphenated)
The longest “normal” word is stewardesses.
Dammit, I’m mad.
How’s that for a great palindrome?
