Pragmatics

Said the Blind Man: The Lost Art of the Wellerism

Uncover the Wellerism, a quirky three-part joke format that owes its name to a character in Charles Dickens's *The Pickwick…

5 months ago

The Shaggy Dog’s Syntax: Deconstructing the Feghoot

A feghoot is a linguistic long con, a narrative bait-and-switch where the journey is an elaborate misdirection. It weaponizes the…

5 months ago

The Joke That Isn’t: The Pragmatics of Anti-Humor

Why do we laugh at jokes with painfully obvious punchlines? Anti-humor cleverly subverts our expectations by refusing to be clever,…

5 months ago

The Grammar of a Conspiracy Theory

Ever wonder why conspiracy theories can sound so persuasive, even when they lack evidence? This post unpacks the specific "grammar"…

5 months ago

The Grammar of ‘OK’ vs ‘Submit’

Ever wondered why one button invites you to "Join for Free" while another just says "Submit"? This choice is part…

5 months ago

Knock on Wood: The Grammar of Superstition

Why do we command actors to "break a leg" or whisper "speak of the devil"? These aren't just quaint expressions;…

5 months ago

The Grammar of a Recipe: A Linguistic Puzzle

Have you ever noticed the strange, clipped language of a recipe? This post decodes the unique grammar of the kitchen,…

5 months ago

The Art of the Goodbye: Closing a Conversation

Saying "goodbye" is more than just a single word; it's a complex linguistic dance governed by unwritten rules. This article…

5 months ago

The Sound of Sarcasm: Decoding Ironic Prosody

Ever wondered how your brain instantly knows "Oh, *great*" really means "This is terrible"? The secret lies in the 'sound'…

5 months ago

911, What’s Your Language?: Emergency Linguistics

In the chaotic first moments of an emergency, a 911 call is often a jumble of panicked shouts and fragmented…

5 months ago

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