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@andrewcgrant.bsky.social

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 20d

Lots of opportunities to catch me this spooky season in and around #VancouverBC . I'm always adding more so keep an eye on my stories. And if you're a producer and would like to book me, my DMs are open so feel free to drop me a message!

#comedian #upcomingevents

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 18h

Some of my best friends think "push forward" means "delay" and that's just something that I, over time, have had to learn to accept. It's not wrong, it's just different. And if I keep saying that, I might one day believe it.

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 18h

Moving an event "forward" can mean it's earlier or later depending on your #concept of #time

The #perspective and conceptualizations we bring to #language affects our #interpretation of it. Some are so ingrained that we don't realize a different #meaning is even possible

#linguistics #cognition

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 1d

Big thank you to my friend for pointing this one out. They may be American but they're still pretty cool

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 1d

Contronyms are words that mean the opposite of themselves and they're some of my favourites. But while those typically differentiate meaning via domain or part of speech, the different meanings of "table" occur in the exact same context but in different dialects

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 1d

The verb "table" having opposite meanings in #Canadian and #American #English is just another example why speaking the same #language doesn't mean we speak the same

#linguistics #antonyms #dialect #meaning

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 2d

Every time I post about "hidden" or "secret" aspects of language , I get people telling me "everyone knows that!" so I'm a little nervous what the reaction to this will be.

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 2d

Lexicalization turns #words into fixed units that can't be decomposed (e.g. few people think of "vitamins" as "vital aminos") and it's why I missed this incredibly obvious #etymology for #PennyFarthing (the bike with the giant wheel).

Be seeing you 👁️👌

#linguistics #english #lexicon #embarrassing

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 3d

I get told #ILookLike a lot of people, from Garron Noone to Mick Foley to Son Wukon. Some I agree with, some not so much. So I'm celebrating my #OneYearAnniversary as a #ContentCreator by rating some from my comments (and a couple from real life).

#lookalike #appearance

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 4d

The new #Vancouver Art #Museum is a boondoggle that wasted $60 million to turn a #parkinglot into a worse #parking lot (they also removed temporary supportive housing)

I support the arts and some of this was outside of the project management's control but it feels like a waste of #taxpayer money

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 5d

We're two countries separated by a common language , a love of ketchup chips, the 49th parallel, and expectations for what "Smarties" are (candy-coated chocolate vs. compressed sugar)

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 5d

"Writing an exam" means different things in #Canadian and #American #English . In #Canada , the #STUDENT writes an exam but in the #USA it's the #TEACHER

#linguistics #language #dialect #semantics #sociolinguistics

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Reposted

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 7d

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY SORRY FOR OUR DELAY WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS A REAL DAY.

Cover of Merriam-Webster's All Caps dictionary, a red background with a white circle and text for people who are mad.

86 710 2.7K

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 6d

#English speakers have a hidden preference for how we order #pronouns . It's not due to #grammar but rather to societal attitudes regarding #politeness . #Language IS a social phenomenon

But explaining it can make you sound like you're doing an Abbott and Costello routine

#linguistics #manners

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 7d

It's a very common phonetic phenomenon and you've probably said words which feature it without even noticing because in language, a "mistake" repeated enough times is just correct

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 7d

Epenthesis, adding extra sounds to #words , is a #PetPeeve for many #language speakers but it's just splitting hairs. Or, rather, splitting awkward sound clusters

#linguistics #phonetics #pronunciation

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 8d

a man in a car with the words i gotta figure out how to make money on this thing below him

ALT: a man in a car with the words i gotta figure out how to make money on this thing below him

media.tenor.com

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 8d

What started as me posting random jokes every couple days on a single platform turned into me posting daily linguistics lessons across four platforms! One year and a handful of million views later, I'm still learning and improving but I've had a handful of hits and some videos I'm really proud of

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 8d

I'm celebrating my #OneYear #ContentCreation #anniversary . It's a lot of work but I've loved learning about the topics I talk about and some of the conversations that have come out of it.

#SmallCreator #creativity #creation #dothething #motivation #accomplishment

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 9d

There are multiple explanations for why #Jack is a #nickname for #John but I choose to believe the funny one.

This was a really fun rabbit hole to go down and it's another example of how an #etymology can be interesting but not all that useful.

#linguistics #language #words #names #English #Dutch

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 10d

Often, when I look at a #constellation I can see what they were going for with the name. But #Virgo is a bridge too far!

And I thought being called a #Cancer was insulting!

#nightsky #stars #astrology #starsigns #zodiac #zodiacsigns #Leo

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 12d

The #PrintingPress is the claimed source of many common #English #words and #phrases . But while some are top shelf with good evidence to support the claim, others can be stamped out with little pressure (no matter how many listicles reproduce them like a #cliche )

#linguistics #etymology

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 13d

If you struggle to properly pronounce the name Nguyen, the problem is likely not the NG sound itself but rather that English phonotactics does not allow it in the syllable onset position. It's possible to overcome such things but can require conscious effort and consistent practice (at first)

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 13d

Phonotactics (combined with phonetic inventory) give a #language or #accent it's characteristic sound. These rules govern how sounds are combined or placed and are so ingrained that speakers may not realize they're using their native phonotactics in a #SecondLanguage

#linguistics #phonetics

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 14d

Exonyms are on my list of video ideas. Stay tuned!

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 14d

The stereotypical #Asian #accent isn't only offensive, it's factually incorrect. Many Asian languages have no problem differentiating R and L but even ones that do aren't saying "the wrong one" but rather pronouncing a third sound in-between them

#linguistics #language #Japanese #English

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