Lane Greene
@lanegreene.bsky.social
Editor and language guy at The Economist.
Author of Writing With Style: The Economist Guide (2023).
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Style-Economist-Guide-Books/dp/1639364374
Author of Writing With Style: The Economist Guide (2023).
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Style-Economist-Guide-Books/dp/1639364374
I should have mentioned that they'll offer an annual pass to the National Parks for $250 to non-residents. (For residents, $80.) Here's the release, including a charming juxtaposition of Washington and Trump.
www.doi.gov/pressrelease...
www.doi.gov/pressrelease...
November 26, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I should have mentioned that they'll offer an annual pass to the National Parks for $250 to non-residents. (For residents, $80.) Here's the release, including a charming juxtaposition of Washington and Trump.
www.doi.gov/pressrelease...
www.doi.gov/pressrelease...
John Bolton: “Trump believes that the world is what he says it is. It’s not that he lies; it’s not that he knows the difference between truth and falsehood and consciously chooses falsehood. He just makes things up.” 1/
www.economist.com/insider/insi...
www.economist.com/insider/insi...
Is the world at “peak Trump”? John Bolton on American foreign policy | The Economist Insider
There is no love lost between Donald Trump and John Bolton, his former national security adviser. Mr Bolton made a dramatic exit from the first Trump administration after months of tension. Since then...
www.economist.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:52 AM
John Bolton: “Trump believes that the world is what he says it is. It’s not that he lies; it’s not that he knows the difference between truth and falsehood and consciously chooses falsehood. He just makes things up.” 1/
www.economist.com/insider/insi...
www.economist.com/insider/insi...
The Interior Department has announced it will charge $100 per head for non-US residents to visit the most popular 11 national parks.
Stupid and self-defeating. Millions have visited those parks and left with with affection for America. No more, except those who can afford $400 per family per park.
Stupid and self-defeating. Millions have visited those parks and left with with affection for America. No more, except those who can afford $400 per family per park.
November 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The Interior Department has announced it will charge $100 per head for non-US residents to visit the most popular 11 national parks.
Stupid and self-defeating. Millions have visited those parks and left with with affection for America. No more, except those who can afford $400 per family per park.
Stupid and self-defeating. Millions have visited those parks and left with with affection for America. No more, except those who can afford $400 per family per park.
It would be great if our politicians, especially in America, would hear, heed and repeat this message: "Our enemies are trying to divide us to weaken us, and if you take part you are helping them. We refuse to do so."
Sigh. In a better world, with grown-up leaders.
www.ft.com/content/b9ab...
Sigh. In a better world, with grown-up leaders.
www.ft.com/content/b9ab...
Russia exploits western polarisation to ‘split us up’, warns top general
Sweden’s chief of defence staff claims Moscow is combining attacks on infrastructure with disinformation campaigns
www.ft.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:31 AM
It would be great if our politicians, especially in America, would hear, heed and repeat this message: "Our enemies are trying to divide us to weaken us, and if you take part you are helping them. We refuse to do so."
Sigh. In a better world, with grown-up leaders.
www.ft.com/content/b9ab...
Sigh. In a better world, with grown-up leaders.
www.ft.com/content/b9ab...
A young student from my alma mater, Tulane, interviewed me about breaking into journalism, and then specialising, & my career path since.
Maybe it'll be useful to someone you know; I did not grow up around media and so my flailing may be instructive.
www.thepathwayblogkc.com/blog/lane-gr...
Maybe it'll be useful to someone you know; I did not grow up around media and so my flailing may be instructive.
www.thepathwayblogkc.com/blog/lane-gr...
Lane Greene on Breaking Into Journalism, Becoming “the Language Guy,” and Writing Clearly
Lane Greene is a senior digital editor and style chief at The Economist , and one of the few journalists writing regularly about language with a grounding in linguistics. A Tulane graduate and...
www.thepathwayblogkc.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:18 PM
A young student from my alma mater, Tulane, interviewed me about breaking into journalism, and then specialising, & my career path since.
Maybe it'll be useful to someone you know; I did not grow up around media and so my flailing may be instructive.
www.thepathwayblogkc.com/blog/lane-gr...
Maybe it'll be useful to someone you know; I did not grow up around media and so my flailing may be instructive.
www.thepathwayblogkc.com/blog/lane-gr...
Indeed. Trump practically fawns over others he perceives as strong or charismatic. They can be literal communists (Xi) or former communists (Putin) or people he thinks are communists (Mamdani) but if they project what he thinks he has in big-man energy, he can't get enough.
An really important thing a lot of people don't realize about Trump is that he doesn't bully people he doesn't think he can bully.
Let’s be clear.
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social got Trump so charmed that Trump posted two photos of the two of them with Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait behind them AND one of just Mamdani and FDR’s portrait.
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social got Trump so charmed that Trump posted two photos of the two of them with Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait behind them AND one of just Mamdani and FDR’s portrait.
November 22, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Indeed. Trump practically fawns over others he perceives as strong or charismatic. They can be literal communists (Xi) or former communists (Putin) or people he thinks are communists (Mamdani) but if they project what he thinks he has in big-man energy, he can't get enough.
Can I write the reply piece? Being a night person is great right now, at 8pm with my brain humming and good to go for a few hours yet. I pay for it, with interest, for hours every morning, when school and work schedules force me to be awake at my very worst.
Productivity culture celebrates early rising—but the practice can come with a cost. Liz Krieger on the trade-offs of being a morning person:
The Social Cost of Being a Morning Person
Rising early is great for my productivity—and hard on my relationships.
bit.ly
November 19, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Can I write the reply piece? Being a night person is great right now, at 8pm with my brain humming and good to go for a few hours yet. I pay for it, with interest, for hours every morning, when school and work schedules force me to be awake at my very worst.
Reposted by Lane Greene
“The transition to democracy is not hypothetical; it has already begun,” argues the opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel peace prize. “The fear inside the regime is palpable” econ.st/4r9KvWX
Illustration: Dan Williams
Illustration: Dan Williams
November 19, 2025 at 2:01 PM
“The transition to democracy is not hypothetical; it has already begun,” argues the opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel peace prize. “The fear inside the regime is palpable” econ.st/4r9KvWX
Illustration: Dan Williams
Illustration: Dan Williams
Indeed. Two of mine are in there. Claim filed.
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Indeed. Two of mine are in there. Claim filed.
Distilled podcast version of my review of @dannybate.bsky.social 's WHY Q NEEDS U : shows.acast.com/theintellige...
After Sheikh: what next for Bangladesh? | The Intelligence from The Economist
shows.acast.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Distilled podcast version of my review of @dannybate.bsky.social 's WHY Q NEEDS U : shows.acast.com/theintellige...
The former president of the Valencia region on whether he left lunch (yes, lunch) at 6:33pm or 7:07pm the day of the horrible floods last year.
There are big mistakes to point to, but the amazing part for us guiris is that leaving lunch at 6:30 or even 7:00 is not all that extraordinary.
There are big mistakes to point to, but the amazing part for us guiris is that leaving lunch at 6:30 or even 7:00 is not all that extraordinary.
📺TV EN DIRECTO | Mazón vuelve a dudar sobre la hora a la que salió de El Ventoro: "Es muy difícil para mí. Si me dice un notario que salí a las 18.33, pues podría ser. No, fue a las 19.07, pues también podría ser. No sabría decirle" tinyurl.com/mtadnete
November 17, 2025 at 10:44 AM
The former president of the Valencia region on whether he left lunch (yes, lunch) at 6:33pm or 7:07pm the day of the horrible floods last year.
There are big mistakes to point to, but the amazing part for us guiris is that leaving lunch at 6:30 or even 7:00 is not all that extraordinary.
There are big mistakes to point to, but the amazing part for us guiris is that leaving lunch at 6:30 or even 7:00 is not all that extraordinary.
A friend grading college papers is telling me that an essay in hand is so adorably incompetent in places it is making him like the author, who clearly didn't use AI.
I wonder if this is the future: flaws as proof of humanity? Hopefully flaws no AI could fake (as kids are already attempting...)
I wonder if this is the future: flaws as proof of humanity? Hopefully flaws no AI could fake (as kids are already attempting...)
November 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM
A friend grading college papers is telling me that an essay in hand is so adorably incompetent in places it is making him like the author, who clearly didn't use AI.
I wonder if this is the future: flaws as proof of humanity? Hopefully flaws no AI could fake (as kids are already attempting...)
I wonder if this is the future: flaws as proof of humanity? Hopefully flaws no AI could fake (as kids are already attempting...)
I am by inclination leery of animal-language claims, but I found this one elegant and cool enough to write this about it.
www.economist.com/science-and-...
www.economist.com/science-and-...
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
www.economist.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I am by inclination leery of animal-language claims, but I found this one elegant and cool enough to write this about it.
www.economist.com/science-and-...
www.economist.com/science-and-...
Doing Old English gives you a jillion stories like this, but I love that "churlish" comes from an innocent word, ceorl, meaning "free man". Its association with the lowest class of freemen led to a later taint of "boorish". But its base meaning of "free" links it to "Karl", & hence "Charles".
a man is standing in front of a chalkboard in a classroom with a skeleton in the background .
ALT: a man is standing in front of a chalkboard in a classroom with a skeleton in the background .
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Doing Old English gives you a jillion stories like this, but I love that "churlish" comes from an innocent word, ceorl, meaning "free man". Its association with the lowest class of freemen led to a later taint of "boorish". But its base meaning of "free" links it to "Karl", & hence "Charles".
Reposted by Lane Greene
The McRib is back, so I am required to link my (now-ancient) McRib story:
The McRib: Enjoy Your Symptom
How McDonald’s strange, seasonal sandwich explains the rest of its menu
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
The McRib is back, so I am required to link my (now-ancient) McRib story:
Reposted by Lane Greene
The Economist’s Britain section is looking for a new political correspondent. We prize independent thought, a spirit of inquiry and initiative, and for this role in particular: gutsiness. Apply by November 17th
The Economist is hiring a Britain political correspondent
Join The Economist’s Britain team
econ.st
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
The Economist’s Britain section is looking for a new political correspondent. We prize independent thought, a spirit of inquiry and initiative, and for this role in particular: gutsiness. Apply by November 17th
Reposted by Lane Greene
Yes! Oxford commas can often avoid ambiguity, but applying them across the board can create as many problems as it solves, usually by setting up a false parenthesis. They are certainly not always a good idea:
Also at the event were Cher, the president of Kazakhstan, and three sumo wrestlers.
Also at the event were Cher, the president of Kazakhstan, and three sumo wrestlers.
November 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Yes! Oxford commas can often avoid ambiguity, but applying them across the board can create as many problems as it solves, usually by setting up a false parenthesis. They are certainly not always a good idea:
Also at the event were Cher, the president of Kazakhstan, and three sumo wrestlers.
Also at the event were Cher, the president of Kazakhstan, and three sumo wrestlers.
Among many small things you learn in colloquial Spanish: a "colega" is a friend and "compañero" is a colleague, despite looking like they should be the other way around.
November 10, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Among many small things you learn in colloquial Spanish: a "colega" is a friend and "compañero" is a colleague, despite looking like they should be the other way around.
Amusing but misguided! An Oxford comma here would still leave open the interpretation that “Frankenstein” is a lavish legal drama starring Kim Kardashian.
November 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Amusing but misguided! An Oxford comma here would still leave open the interpretation that “Frankenstein” is a lavish legal drama starring Kim Kardashian.
I was delighted to review @dannybate.bsky.social's excellent "Why Q Needs U" in this week's Economist.
www.economist.com/culture/2025...
www.economist.com/culture/2025...
November 7, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I was delighted to review @dannybate.bsky.social's excellent "Why Q Needs U" in this week's Economist.
www.economist.com/culture/2025...
www.economist.com/culture/2025...
In case anyone was wondering “how nasty is Chega in Portugal?” the answer is below. The original poster is a member of parliament.
Este post da deputada Rita Maria é ilegal violando várias disposições legais portuguesas:
A imagem propaga mensagens xenófobas e islamofóbicas, associando uma religião específica a violência extrema e retratando mulheres muçulmanas de forma profundamente desumanizante.
Queixa feita ao X e ao MP.
A imagem propaga mensagens xenófobas e islamofóbicas, associando uma religião específica a violência extrema e retratando mulheres muçulmanas de forma profundamente desumanizante.
Queixa feita ao X e ao MP.
November 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM
In case anyone was wondering “how nasty is Chega in Portugal?” the answer is below. The original poster is a member of parliament.
Glad to see that "it's an invasion" is not the only available take.
The Guardian has a more measured take on this. (I will note that the first time I heard the word "ginger" used for a redhead was when The Spice Girls became famous, but now my kids use it all the time.)
Trash talk: why are UK kids using so many Americanisms?
British teachers report hearing more and more schoolchildren using US terms such as ‘candy’ and ‘diaper’ – and even speaking in an American accent. What’s going on?
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Glad to see that "it's an invasion" is not the only available take.
It's moral panic time! I'm glad The Times had the sense to contact and quote @lynneguist.bsky.social but this (paywalled, sorry) piece nonetheless lets parents fret that Americanisms are "creeping in" and need to be "corrected" etc.
www.thetimes.com/uk/education...
www.thetimes.com/uk/education...
Trash-talking children are sounding like Americans, say teachers
Garbage, candy and apartment are Americanisms that are growing more popular among younger pupils
www.thetimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
It's moral panic time! I'm glad The Times had the sense to contact and quote @lynneguist.bsky.social but this (paywalled, sorry) piece nonetheless lets parents fret that Americanisms are "creeping in" and need to be "corrected" etc.
www.thetimes.com/uk/education...
www.thetimes.com/uk/education...
People also don't understand what an economic catastrophe *deflation* is.
A lot of voters seem to have thought that Trump wouldn’t merely slow the rate of inflation, but that he would bring prices down, maybe back to where they were before the COVID spike.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
November 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM
People also don't understand what an economic catastrophe *deflation* is.
This was a great column, but I want to add a footnote: the description of “hygge” was as *other people* adopted it—“turning every day into Christmas”—and not as Danes understand it. I wrote about Danes and real hygge here:
Hygge, but not as we know it
economist.com/1843/2016/12...
Hygge, but not as we know it
economist.com/1843/2016/12...
October 31, 2025 at 1:40 PM
This was a great column, but I want to add a footnote: the description of “hygge” was as *other people* adopted it—“turning every day into Christmas”—and not as Danes understand it. I wrote about Danes and real hygge here:
Hygge, but not as we know it
economist.com/1843/2016/12...
Hygge, but not as we know it
economist.com/1843/2016/12...