Dennis Baron
@drgrammar.bsky.social
I write about language and … language and law (free speech and regulation); gender (pronouns!); tech (how tech affects readers and writers); language reform; and language policing. All from a historical perspective.
Facebook really knows how to deliver an ad...
December 9, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Facebook really knows how to deliver an ad...
The Red State Model of higher education: The faculty have "commandeered" campuses for decades. It's time for administrators to have a turn.
December 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The Red State Model of higher education: The faculty have "commandeered" campuses for decades. It's time for administrators to have a turn.
Posted without comment...
December 6, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Posted without comment...
Clip from the Speaker Request Form that she received and posted on scribd. Utah's HB 261 guarantees free speech to invited speakers, but fearing legislative backlash, the school is imposing these bans on speakers. Thus HB 261 chills free speech without actually violating First Amendment protections!
December 4, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Clip from the Speaker Request Form that she received and posted on scribd. Utah's HB 261 guarantees free speech to invited speakers, but fearing legislative backlash, the school is imposing these bans on speakers. Thus HB 261 chills free speech without actually violating First Amendment protections!
The color of the year is white? Pantone going full MAGA.
December 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The color of the year is white? Pantone going full MAGA.
It turns out that when copy editing is optional, you can forget about both accuracy and quality.
December 2, 2025 at 9:26 PM
It turns out that when copy editing is optional, you can forget about both accuracy and quality.
Of course there's an AI rebbe, but there's also a disclaimer.
December 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Of course there's an AI rebbe, but there's also a disclaimer.
"An Eurasian..."?
November 29, 2025 at 7:19 PM
"An Eurasian..."?
Snow day means snow globe back yard.
November 29, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Snow day means snow globe back yard.
To lose the crown jewels may be regarded as a misfortune. But to lose a year's worth of snails ...
November 28, 2025 at 4:27 AM
To lose the crown jewels may be regarded as a misfortune. But to lose a year's worth of snails ...
Celebrating the publication of Merriam-Webster's 12th Collegiate, I am reminded of this important First Amendment hypothetiical:
Can a baker refuse to bake a dictionary cake on religious grounds if they have a deeply-held belief that dictionaries are woke tools of the devil?
Can a baker refuse to bake a dictionary cake on religious grounds if they have a deeply-held belief that dictionaries are woke tools of the devil?
November 18, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Celebrating the publication of Merriam-Webster's 12th Collegiate, I am reminded of this important First Amendment hypothetiical:
Can a baker refuse to bake a dictionary cake on religious grounds if they have a deeply-held belief that dictionaries are woke tools of the devil?
Can a baker refuse to bake a dictionary cake on religious grounds if they have a deeply-held belief that dictionaries are woke tools of the devil?
So bankbooks are obsolete, 🐝?
November 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
So bankbooks are obsolete, 🐝?
The question is moot.
November 6, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The question is moot.
Cry the spilt milk. Le Figaro quiz testing the equivalence of English and French idioms, great but maybe first get the English right?
November 5, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Cry the spilt milk. Le Figaro quiz testing the equivalence of English and French idioms, great but maybe first get the English right?
Two views of the University of Chicago . . .
November 4, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Two views of the University of Chicago . . .
It's the stuff concrete poems are made from.
November 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
It's the stuff concrete poems are made from.
Video capture of the Böcker Agilo descending with two thieves and the loot.
October 23, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Video capture of the Böcker Agilo descending with two thieves and the loot.
The Böcker Agilo is the perfect gift for the jewel thieves on your list.
October 22, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The Böcker Agilo is the perfect gift for the jewel thieves on your list.
Now that I've had time to check here's what I wrote back in 1990. BTW, in a conference talk I gave about this in the 1980s, session chair John Algeo, who was then editor of American Speech, changed my title from "A historic..." to "An historic." Which only goes to show how entrenched this was.
October 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Now that I've had time to check here's what I wrote back in 1990. BTW, in a conference talk I gave about this in the 1980s, session chair John Algeo, who was then editor of American Speech, changed my title from "A historic..." to "An historic." Which only goes to show how entrenched this was.
The euro sausage strikes again...
October 7, 2025 at 9:47 PM
The euro sausage strikes again...
5 across No visa for you, Paul.
October 1, 2025 at 2:30 AM
5 across No visa for you, Paul.
Waiting to see if last night's rain means fish might be back ....
September 24, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Waiting to see if last night's rain means fish might be back ....
That's ok, 🐝, I can wait.
September 22, 2025 at 1:52 PM
That's ok, 🐝, I can wait.
Xword first ran in the New York Times on July 23, 1951, p. 15. h/t Ben Zimmer.
September 17, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Xword first ran in the New York Times on July 23, 1951, p. 15. h/t Ben Zimmer.