Story of English

What have the Normans ever done for us?

Jumping on the Bayeux bandwagon to talk about Norman French

Sep 23 • Colin Gorrie

When will Modern English end?

Or is it already over?

Jun 10 • Colin Gorrie

There’s no such thing as g-droppin’

That apostrophe is a lie

Jun 3 • Colin Gorrie

English has no future

Will, shall, and other mysteries

May 20 • Colin Gorrie

Why you’re not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition

And why you do it anyway

May 6 • Colin Gorrie

A bluffer’s guide to etymology

How to guess the age and origin of any English word

Apr 8 • Colin Gorrie

1066 didn't change English (but 1250 did)

How all those French words actually got into English

Feb 11 • Colin Gorrie

Scots, English, and the linguistic uncanny valley

English’s fascination with its closest cousin

Jan 21 • Colin Gorrie

Were Old Norse and Old English a single language?

I say hām, you say heimr, let's call the whole thing off.

Jan 17 • Colin Gorrie

The wild world of grammatical gender

Beyond masculine, feminine, and neuter

Dec 6, 2025 • Colin Gorrie

Why people feel entitled to correct your grammar online

A natural history of the language police

Nov 26, 2025 • Colin Gorrie

The English language’s wild century

And those who tried to resist it

Nov 22, 2025 • Colin Gorrie

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