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Katherine McDonald

@katherinemcdon.bsky.social

2.5K followers 1.5K following 440 posts

Classicist and linguist, Durham. Working on multilingualism in ancient Italy, the written landscape and the linguistics of slavery.

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 1h

Yeah I think it's one to watch as a teenager really. As a 30-something adult, you just want to tell everyone to pull themselves together.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2h

Day one million (ish) of a rubbish chest infection. Mildly amusing memes and anecdotes appreciated. Nothing too hilarious, it'll make me cough. Tell me some mildly interesting happenings in your neck of the woods.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 12h

The deep sigh that I make when I need to pay expenses to a US account. It's incredibly convoluted.

Last time I went (admittedly 10 years ago now) they were also still CHARGING for ALL cash machine usage. That was a shock.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 12h

Also the default toddler position is that they need to repeat any action 100+ times to check that the result is always the same.

Baby scientists care about replicability.

Reposted by Katherine McDonald

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 2d

One of the most startling facts I have learned this year is that, as a person from the mid-late part of Generation X, I am older than ciabatta.

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

That seems to be the mood of the comments! It must be very old-fashioned.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

Yes it's an uncommon flavour here too.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

😄

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

I see - it was a US novel about Armenians and Kosovans in America. But a UK edition I think. I'm still a bit surprised, given it's a key point in a really famous children's book.

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

I have eaten a piece today in fact. 😄

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

Incidentally, I read a novel this week which over explained "Turkish Delight" in great detail. I was like, yes we all know what it is surely...?

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Reposted by Katherine McDonald

Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 2d

Ok, did not expect “The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe” to feel quite so relevant to this moment.

Here’s Edmund, deciding to side with the leader who he’s been told disappears people.

He did want Turkish Delight and to be a prince (and later a king) and to pay Peter out for calling him a beast. As for what the Witch would do with the others, he didn't want her to be particularly nice to them - certainly not to put them on the same level as himself; but he managed to believe, or to pretend he believed, that she wouldn't do anything very bad to them, 'Because,' he said to himself, 'all these people who say nasty things about her are her enemies and probably half of it isn't true. She was jolly nice to me, anyway, much nicer than they are. I expect she is the rightful Queen really. Anyway, she'll be better than that awful Aslan!' At least, that was the excuse he made in his own mind for what he was doing. It wasn't a very good excuse, however, for deep down inside him he really knew that the White Witch was bad and cruel.

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Reposted by Katherine McDonald

MedievalWomenSpeak @medievalwomenspeak.bsky.social · 2d

I have discovered that women are more than capable of undertaking any task which requires physical strength or of learning any discipline which requires discernment and intelligence. Books which say otherwise were definitely not written by women.

- Christine de Pizan, b. 1365

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

We were all going, "Why do you spell it like that then???" And the Americans were saying, "Like what?"

At least do an "aluminum" so we know what you're doing.

Reposted by Katherine McDonald

Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens @csmfht.bsky.social · 2d

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

There was once a Twitter conversation on the number of syllables in "poinsettia" which somehow went round and round in circles.

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

I cannot get on board with "herb", even though they are technically correct.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

When I first heard "solder" I was very confused.

"Pecan" is kind of jaunty.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 2d

What now??

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 2d

Here’s a primer on ‘primer.’

It’s pronounced ‘PRIMM-er’ if you mean “a small book” or “a short informative piece of writing.”

It’s pronounced ‘PRY-mer’ if you mean “an initial coat of paint.”

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 3d

King's Cross likes to retain an air of ✨mystery✨

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 5d

Brill isn't it.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 5d

The Warrior of Capestrano is from that kind of area - doesn't look similar. From C3rd or so the states generally look pretty Hellenizing. Sorry I can't be more help!

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 5d

I'm not an art historian, but that doesn't look like pre-Roman Italian art to me. Can't think of any massive statues with big heads like that.

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 5d

Is it a chicken? Am I hallucinating? Why does the museum not mention this??

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Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 6d

Ok, I get it, you all like the chicken.

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · 6d

I'm sorry, but for budget reasons, your chariot to the afterlife is scheduled to be pulled by a chicken.

Small votive dedication to Hades showing a man in a chariot and, sorry, a chicken. With greek inscription.