Author | Lightnews

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 1d

The new #Vancouver Art #Museum is a boondoggle that wasted $60 million to turn a #parkinglot into a worse #parking lot (they also removed temporary supportive housing)

I support the arts and some of this was outside of the project management's control but it feels like a waste of #taxpayer money

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 2d

We're two countries separated by a common language , a love of ketchup chips, the 49th parallel, and expectations for what "Smarties" are (candy-coated chocolate vs. compressed sugar)

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 2d

"Writing an exam" means different things in #Canadian and #American #English . In #Canada , the #STUDENT writes an exam but in the #USA it's the #TEACHER

#linguistics #language #dialect #semantics #sociolinguistics

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Reposted

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 3d

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY SORRY FOR OUR DELAY WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS A REAL DAY.

Cover of Merriam-Webster's All Caps dictionary, a red background with a white circle and text for people who are mad.

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 3d

#English speakers have a hidden preference for how we order #pronouns . It's not due to #grammar but rather to societal attitudes regarding #politeness . #Language IS a social phenomenon

But explaining it can make you sound like you're doing an Abbott and Costello routine

#linguistics #manners

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 4d

It's a very common phonetic phenomenon and you've probably said words which feature it without even noticing because in language, a "mistake" repeated enough times is just correct

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 4d

Epenthesis, adding extra sounds to #words , is a #PetPeeve for many #language speakers but it's just splitting hairs. Or, rather, splitting awkward sound clusters

#linguistics #phonetics #pronunciation

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 5d

a man in a car with the words i gotta figure out how to make money on this thing below him

ALT: a man in a car with the words i gotta figure out how to make money on this thing below him

media.tenor.com

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 5d

What started as me posting random jokes every couple days on a single platform turned into me posting daily linguistics lessons across four platforms! One year and a handful of million views later, I'm still learning and improving but I've had a handful of hits and some videos I'm really proud of

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 5d

I'm celebrating my #OneYear #ContentCreation #anniversary . It's a lot of work but I've loved learning about the topics I talk about and some of the conversations that have come out of it.

#SmallCreator #creativity #creation #dothething #motivation #accomplishment

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 6d

There are multiple explanations for why #Jack is a #nickname for #John but I choose to believe the funny one.

This was a really fun rabbit hole to go down and it's another example of how an #etymology can be interesting but not all that useful.

#linguistics #language #words #names #English #Dutch

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 7d

Often, when I look at a #constellation I can see what they were going for with the name. But #Virgo is a bridge too far!

And I thought being called a #Cancer was insulting!

#nightsky #stars #astrology #starsigns #zodiac #zodiacsigns #Leo

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 9d

The #PrintingPress is the claimed source of many common #English #words and #phrases . But while some are top shelf with good evidence to support the claim, others can be stamped out with little pressure (no matter how many listicles reproduce them like a #cliche )

#linguistics #etymology

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 10d

If you struggle to properly pronounce the name Nguyen, the problem is likely not the NG sound itself but rather that English phonotactics does not allow it in the syllable onset position. It's possible to overcome such things but can require conscious effort and consistent practice (at first)

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 10d

Phonotactics (combined with phonetic inventory) give a #language or #accent it's characteristic sound. These rules govern how sounds are combined or placed and are so ingrained that speakers may not realize they're using their native phonotactics in a #SecondLanguage

#linguistics #phonetics

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 11d

Exonyms are on my list of video ideas. Stay tuned!

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 11d

The stereotypical #Asian #accent isn't only offensive, it's factually incorrect. Many Asian languages have no problem differentiating R and L but even ones that do aren't saying "the wrong one" but rather pronouncing a third sound in-between them

#linguistics #language #Japanese #English

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 12d

Turkey might be the most culturally confused animal. It's native to North America but Turkish, French, and Dutch all have names saying it's from India. Hindi says it's from Peru. Arabic says it's Roman. Greek calls it French. And I'm seeing evidence that Japan at least used to say it was Chinese

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 12d

#Turkey (the #bird ) is not from Turkey (the country) but it's called that due to #misconceptions from #history and trade routes

#Thanksgiving #etymology #linguistics #poultry

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 13d

#CanadianThanksgiving is not only earlier than American #Thanksgiving , it's arguably the older #holiday

They share a name, purpose, and many traditions (such as #turkey dinners) but they have separate histories. And I think that's worth exploring.

#Canada #feast #harvest #autumn #fall

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 14d

Dear #America , you don't have to call it #CanadianThanksgiving when talking to Canadians. It's needlessly specific. We know your #Thanksgiving isn't for another month and half. No one is going to be confused.

#Canada #internationalrelations #culturalexchange #October #November

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 15d

It's that time of year again where we start milking chickens. And when it tastes this good, why not?

#eggnog #christmas #french #festiveseason #dairy

andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 16d

#LeapDay occurs every 4 years but there have been 27 leap #seconds since 1972

These are the result of inconsistencies between the Earth's rotation and the #atomicclock but scientists have recently decided these extra seconds may be more trouble than they're worth

#UTC #time #leapsecond #clock

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 16d

Lots of opportunities to catch me this spooky season in and around #VancouverBC . I'm always adding more so keep an eye on my stories. And if you're a producer and would like to book me, my DMs are open so feel free to drop me a message!

#comedian #upcomingevents

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andrewcgrant.bsky.social @andrewcgrant.bsky.social · 17d

The rules around which years get a #LeapDay are more complicated than you might realize but they help keep the #calendar and the #season aligned. Although they can cause problems for people born on #February 29th

I should have waited until 2028 when #LeapYear might be trending but I'm impatient