linguistics
The Government Campaign to Get Rid of Singapore's Unofficial Language
Singlish, a creole, is spoken all over the country, but politicians want citizens to "speak good English."
Articles by Dan Nosowitz
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Stories
Stories shared by this traveler.
linguistics
Where the 'No Ending a Sentence With a Preposition' Rule Comes From
It all goes back to 17th-century England and a fusspot named John Dryden.
food
Where Did the Prohibition on Combining Seafood and Cheese Come From?
Fish and dairy can make for a delicious mix, despite popular belief.
food
Why Are Bananas, Nuts, and Crackers the Only Foods That Say 'Crazy'?
An investigation into how three snacks became associated with madness.
sacred spaces
The Long Linguistic Journey to 'Dagnabbit'
This piece of pseudo-profanity is what's known as a taboo deformation—a word we say when we don't want to say the word.
aviation
Decoding the Design of In-Flight Seat Belts
Why we buckle up differently in cars and planes.
linguistics
How Australian Nicknaming Conventions Turn an Afternoon Into an 'Arvo'
A thorough explanation for why Dazza ate a sammie at the servo.
plants
Meet the Most Toxic Plant in North America
"Those who eat it will die in two hours."
features
Some Delightful Alternatives to the Post-Sneeze ‘Bless You’
To sneeze is human, to respond "Go away, kitten" is divine.
linguistics
Why Does the Season Before Winter Have Two Names?
A look at the history of fall and autumn.
food
Why Are So Dang Many Potato Chip Brands From Pennsylvania?
It’s snack time. All the time.
fashion
Oxford Bags, the Ridiculously Wide-Legged Trousers of the 1920s
Many decades before JNCOs, British rowers took their pants to extreme dimensions.
food
Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Is From the Bronx—So What's With the Name?
Examining the phenomenon of the faux-foreign product.
linguistics
The Unsolvable Mystery of the Word 'Hoosier'
No one seems to know how we got this nickname for people from Indiana.
sleep
Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights?
There's great comfort in being covered.
linguistics
Why People From Manchester Are Mancunians, Not Manchesterians
Demonyms are vital to our conceptions of ourselves, but the rules behind them can be pretty messy.
coffee
Why Maine Is Mad for This Coffee-Flavored Liqueur
Allen's Coffee Brandy is more popular than vodka or whiskey.
bookstores
How the Owner of the Greatest Mystery Bookstore Pulled the Genre Out of the Muck
"This is literature. It's not just puzzles, it's not just telling a nice story."
water
Germans Are the World's Most Discerning Seltzer Connoisseurs
Don't mess with mineralwasser.
cars
Cracking the Secret Code of Car Names
How a jumble of numbers and letters came to convey fanciness, while cute names came to mean value.
language
'Miami English' and the Linguistic Oddness of South Florida
South Beach speech is like no other.
linguistics
Why 40% of Vietnamese People Have the Same Last Name
Everyone knows a Nguyen, but how did that come to be?
design
What Makes This Special-Edition VW From the '90s Look So Cool?
According to the fashion industry, it's all about colorblocking and maximal minimalism.
linguistics
'Da Kine,' Hawaii's Fantastically Flexible All-Purpose Noun
It means everything and nothing at the same time.
