Language Commentator Geoffrey Nunberg discusses the logic behind the dictionary and thesaurus.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the sentence by Jane Austen most quoted, and most misunderstood.

The Kansas board of Education decided recently to leave evolution out if its required curriculum. Linguist Geoff Nunberg examines how the language of the controversy has changed over the century.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg on the word "cult."

Well, no, we're not going to tell you. No, no, no. Not even if you ask politely. But here's a hint: It's a "primordial one-word response" that perfectly encapsulates the aura -- no, make that the prevailing zeitgeist -- of 2010.

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, is designed to take advantage of "the wisdom of crowds," meaning anyone can edit (and re-edit) the entries. The open-source approach brings with it a unique set of strengths — and limitations.

When The Associated Press said it would no longer condemn the use of the adverb "hopefully" in its style guide, most people shrugged. But the announcement was a red flag to people who have made the adverb the biggest bugaboo of English usage over the past 50 years.

Language commentator Geoff Nunberg considers which phrases and slang from the 1960s endured, and which ones sound dated today.

Language Commentator Geoffrey Nunberg discusses the overuse of the superlatives "world-class" and "serious."

Linguist Geoff Nunberg says it's fitting that the Scripps National Spelling Bee is broadcast by ESPN. (And, by the way, a thamakau is a kind of canoe used in Fiji.)

Language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg addresses the lengths companies go to in order to come up with the right names for new products.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg considers whether the Internet is on the way to making English the official language of the world.

Language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg discusses the recent decision by Stanford University to amend its famed Western Culture requirement, and also the popularity of two recent books that critique educators for failing to emphasize the classic literature and ideas of western thought.

Language Commentator Geoffrey Nunberg examines the idioms of Berkeley, California, one of the most liberal and tolerant communities in America.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the words we use to describe "unsanctioned amorous relations" and the difficulty of using more straight forward language.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg examines one of the early rules of grammar we all have shoved down our throats,... the difference between can and may.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg has a commentary on the idea of community. A controversial recent book by Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam argues that community participation is in sharp decline in American life, but Nunberg says the word “community” is being used more frequently than ever.

"Great Britain and the United States are two nations separated by a common language." That's the stock witticism, but if you ask me, it gets things backwards. Great Britain and the U.S. are more like two nations united by a divided language — or more precisely, by their mutual obsession with their linguistic differences. For 200 years now, writers from each nation have been tirelessly picking over the language of the other, with a mix of amusement, condescension, derision and horror.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the new words that came out of the last decade.

The Senate version of the immigration bill includes a clause proclaiming English the national language and calling on the federal government to preserve and enhance the role of English. Our linguist, Geoff Nunberg, isn't sure this is a good idea.