Category: Psychology

Categories
Psychology Psycholinguistics Neurolinguistics

Freudian Slips or Brain Glitches? What Slips of the Tongue Reveal About How We Organize Language

Estimated read time 6 min read

When you accidentally say “a lack of pies” instead of “a pack of lies,” what’s really happening? While Freud saw hidden desires, modern linguists see a “brain glitch” that offers a fascinating window into how our minds organize language. These common errors reveal that our brains build sentences on the fly, storing words and sounds in complex networks that sometimes get their wires crossed.

Categories
History Mental Health Linguistics English

The Surgeon and the Lexicographer: The Unlikely Genius Who Built the OED From an Asylum

Estimated read time 6 min read

The creation of the Oxford English Dictionary relied on thousands of volunteers, but none were as brilliant or enigmatic as Dr. W.C. Minor. From his cell in the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane, this American Civil War surgeon became one of the OED’s most important contributors. His tragic and fascinating story reveals how a man tormented by madness found solace and purpose by helping to define the English language.