The American Heritage Dictionary, in a usage note below the definition of the word shall, uses more words than I’ve ever used to describe anything. I’m reprinting them here because I find this fascinating, in an odd mystery‐solving sort of way. I’m a linguistic Jessica Fletcher. The traditional rules for…
Happy new year, folks. It’s been a while since I spoke in my own voice on this blog with any regularity; mostly it’s just quotations and links and such, with the occasional post about JavaScript. I will stop short of saying it’s a resolution of mine to reverse that trend. (Here’s a tip for resolutions: pick something small, sustainable, and quotidian. Don’t resolve to lose weight; resolve to drink one fewer soda per day, and start on January 1.)