You were always crazy, Red Dog tells you. But didn’t it have to originate some time? Red Dog says maybe not. Was it maybe like we didn’t always think alike? Red Dog doesn’t know what that means. Like, maybe before we thought we were crazy but had a different word for it? Red Dog thinks […]
Always sometimes never
Posted by Ben on December 21, 2007
https://www.swordbilled.com/always-sometimes-never/
Less surprised to learn I’m some sort of giant robot, more surprised I’m from the Great Lakes
I AM81%JAZZTake the Transformers Quiz I am: Kurt Vonnegut For years, this unique creator of absurd and haunting tales denied that he had anything to do with science fiction. Which science fiction writer are you? What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak “Standard English straight […]
Posted by Ben on October 28, 2007
https://www.swordbilled.com/less-surprised-to-learn-im-some-sort-of-giant-robot-more-surprised-im-from-the-great-lakes/
Relatively Mild
Outside there’s a whorl of green, leaves being ripped from trees and carried in the wind. It’s relatively mild, all things considered; if this is what someone had told me the End of the World would be like, I wouldn’t have believed it. Where’s the chaos? Where are the looters? I still don’t believe it, […]
Posted by Ben on January 4, 2007
https://www.swordbilled.com/relatively-mild/
Language maps
Create all sorts of fun maps thanks to the folks at the MLA: map language-speakers by county, by zip code, and all sorts of other good stuff. Pull-down menus and such let you re-draw the map according to your curiosity. (The above map, FYI, is of Hungarian speakers by county. I think. Of course, handily, […]
Posted by Ben on October 31, 2006
https://www.swordbilled.com/language-maps/
Pronounce it like you mean it
A handy list of how to pronounce difficult-to-pronounce author’s names. (via The Millions: “Hard to Pronounce Literary Names Redux.” 26 Aug 2006.)
Posted by Ben on September 12, 2006
https://www.swordbilled.com/pronounce-it-like-you-mean-it/
This is literally world-ending
Haha! Of course it’s not. But it is, well, interesting: now there’s a blog dedicated to rooting out (or at least pointing out) abuses of the word “literally.” It’s about time.
Posted by Ben on March 9, 2006
https://www.swordbilled.com/this-is-literally-world-ending/
Cheekiness gets you… bananas
Not particularly current or important, but curious and fun nonetheless: In 1986, Silo (a chain of home electronics stores) ran a television commercial in 23 markets nationwide, offering stereos for “299 bananas.” They never thought anyone would take them at their word; after all, “banana” is a widely accepted, if playful, term for greenbacks. Who […]
Posted by Ben on March 1, 2006
https://www.swordbilled.com/cheekiness-gets-you-bananas/
2006
…will be a crazily discordant year. Ancient prophecies will allegedly be fulfilled, and new ones will be made, daily, in the papers and magazines and things the kids are reading these days. Fish will fall from the sky, but only where they feel like it. Meaningless statistics will litter television commercials, and commercialism will creep […]
Posted by Ben on January 5, 2006
https://www.swordbilled.com/2006/
British Council’s list of favo(u)rite words
1 Mother 2 Passion 3 Smile 4 Love 5 Eternity 6 Fantastic 7 Destiny 8 Freedom 9 Liberty 10 Tranquillity 11 Peace 12 Blossom 13 Sunshine 14 Sweetheart 15 Gorgeous 16 Cherish 17 Enthusiasm 18 Hope 19 Grace 20 Rainbow 21 Blue 22 Sunflower 23 Twinkle 24 Serendipity 25 Bliss 26 Lullaby 27 Sophisticated 28 […]
Posted by Ben on December 9, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/british-councils-list-of-favorite-words/
Rundown, In Brief
Prisons are America’s “primary supplier of mental-health services.”1 Make a face. Change it. Craft your new identity. Morphases.2 Dolphins and humans are fairly similar, brain-wise.3 Struwwelpeter/Shockheaded Peter, online.4 Tired of original speech? Cliche Finder to the rescue.5 “I think that it could be done.”6 Send me your brains. Sterling Courier Systems, please.7 They have a […]
Posted by Ben on December 4, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown-in-brief/