Does it count as a cheap mystery if you narrate a story in everyday English, but change a few key terms to keep readers on their toes?
Category: Language
Do You “Make,” or “Take,” a Decision?
Posted in Friendly Philosophy, and Language
In the UK, people “take” decisions. In the US, we “make” them. Believe it or not, that difference actually makes a difference.
Fifth Harmony gave Kid Ink two verses in “Worth It.” Instead of writing two verses, however, he wrote a few words and repeated them a…
Fruit Have you ever seen the following quotation? Intelligence is knowing that tomatoes are fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in a fruit…
Do We Experience Reality?
Posted in Friendly Philosophy, and Language
Do the election results make you think that some people have lost touch with reality? If it helps, many philosophers think no one has ever made…
Decisions Are Not Choices, or Are They?
Posted in Friendly Philosophy, and Language
The words “decision” and “choice” seem to be pretty much synonymous in English, as do their verbal counterparts “decide” and “choose.” However, they strike me…
In “Fancy,” by Iggy Azalea, ft. Charli XCX, Ms. XCX sings: I’m in the fast lane from L.A. to Tokyo Just in case future anthropologists…
It would make sense to specify dates in either of two ways: smallest-to-largest or largest-to-smallest. In England specifically (and Europe more broadly, I understand) people…