English language: History
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd Ed., from 1765.
This entry introduces the "Johnson 1765" section of this website, describing the third edition dictionary I bought recently.
The myth of German nearly becoming the official language of the United States.
There is an old wive's tale about how only one congressional vote in the late 1700s managed to prevent German from becoming the official language of the US.
English language: usage
History of -ize and -ise spellings
Just how did Britain end up with a system of using both -ise and -ize spellings? How did -ize become the default spelling in American English? Why do some people argue that the only -ize spellings in British English are correct yet -ise is used by the BBC, every national newspaper in Britain like the Times and the Guardian, as well as being the spelling of choice of the board of education? Find out in this article.
whilst or while?
Despite what many may try to convince you of, whilst is not a formal or 'more correct' alternative of while. In fact, the insistence of using it is often viewed as a mark of amateurism.
Australian English
Australians wear thongs on their feet.
This article is the first article written for macmillandictionaryblog website as part of Australian English month in September 2010.
Strine – it’s a class thing.
This article is the second article written for macmillandictionaryblog website as part of Australian English month in September 2010.
English language: writing skills
How to Improve Your Written English – Part One.
Good writing is all a matter of personal taste, but there is a difference between good writing and a good book. One way of instantly improving your written English is to avoid making some of the common mistakes that many writers make.
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