Press sayings part of everyday language
Ever wonder where we got terms such as “lower case,” “upper case,” “fit to print,” “get the lead out,” “make a good impression,” et cetera? Local columnist T.J. Ray writes about where they came from – the old days of real printing presses. (February 5, 2013, Page 4)
Go meet your neighbors
Local columnist T.J. Ray writes about the origin of words and how they change through the years, and then relates change to one of the words he’s writing about. (November 30, 2012, Page 4A)
Letters to the Editor
Syl Moorhead writes about how the digital revolution has created a new language with abbreviations, contractions and coded symbols. (November 21, 2012, Page 4)
Jersey help may be dealing with accent issues
Some 200 state troopers, including several from Mississippi and Louisiana, are in New Jersey helping with security and traffic control. Editor Don Whitten wonders about communication issues with those three states furnishing some of the most unusual – and different – accents. (November 7, 2012, Page 4)
Peace and quiet
Local columnist T.J. Ray, who spent four decades teaching English, looks at changes in language over the years as well as the amount of noise that enters into our lives, probably without us realizing it. (October 18, 2011, Page 4)
Taking a look at ‘beautiful,’ ‘ugly’ words
Did you know there are “beautiful” words, words that sound nice and leave us smiling? Just as there are “ugly” words, words that don’t sound nice and might make you cringe. Editor Don Whitten looks closer at an annual survey by Mississippi State professor Robert E. Wolverton Sr. that lists words in both categories. (August 19, 2011, Page 4A)
Language crucial, but do we need all these new words?
Local columnist T.J. Ray has always stressed the importance of language, but he’s getting a little bothered by some of the words that are working their way into everyday use. He points to words like “modality,” “incent,” “analyzation,” “athleticism” and “physicality” as examples with most seeming to owe their popularity to TV announcers. (October 1, 2010, Page 4A)
