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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 2h

Yes, @lynneguist.bsky.social tells the tale in The Prodigal Tongue. The word was borrowed from French "erbe", then the silent h was stuck in there to match the etymology (cf debt, doubt), then Brits started pronouncing the h.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 4h

Makes sense, but it just re-phrases the question to "why did this persist with historic and not hysteric?" as long as we're being fancy with Greco-Latin polysyllables?

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 5h

There's a good new book on that topic, and a review by yours truly coming in The Economist very soon.

Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 15h

I have never understood "an historic" rather than "a". The OED has citations for it from 1645 and 1763, but only offers the h-ful pronunciation—it's not like "hors d'oeuvre" or other words that have always/sometimes silent h's.

Do we have evidence (besides those cites) that it was silent once?

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 19h

Trump doesn't realize other countries have politics too. They notice when he tries his childish dominance games on their leader.

elDiario.es @eldiario.es · 20h

❗ El saludo de Trump a Sánchez tras las amenazas de EEUU a España por el gasto en defensa www.eldiario.es/internaciona...

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 21h

It's still quite possible that Matt Stoller (like nearly everyone alive) thought either "will ensue" or "resulting in" was passive, since they *are* agentless, and this is the near-universal confusion that makes people identify non-passives as passives.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 21h

The original was "don't know why it's surprising to hear that a massive amount of paperwork will ensue if you get rid of the de minimis exemption, resulting in chaos, confusion, and some packages being destroyed". There is in fact a passive here ("being destroyed"), unusually in such an exchange.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 23h

underrated part of this is that stoller very clearly has no idea what "the passive voice" is

Ghostin this Hell @hoovybaby.bsky.social · 1d

no quarter given lmao

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 3d

“Dextrous” of course goes back to a root meaning “right side” (cf droit, derecho etc). So “ambidextrous” means something like being right-handed on both sides — sorry, sinister lefties.

Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 3d

I have a question for any ambidextrous people who may be on this fine site!

do you do everything with whatever eg hand that's most convenient at that point in time, or do you have things you do with your right hand/on your right side and things you do with the other?

thanking you

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 3d

Oh wow, was wondering if there’d be any guitar-player replies. Do you play differently?

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 4d

And I agree that Trump is a partial exception. “Disinhibited” is his entire political brand and he’s used it all the way to the White House. Dishonest as he is, he sounds the most authentic when he cusses.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 4d

Agreed. And it’s a classic arms race too. Everyone sounding more and more ridiculous but gaining no advantage. You need to have earned Regular Joe cred a long time previous to even hope to pull this off, and it isn’t working for anyone in this piece.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 5d

Seriously, politicians need to cut the f'n swearing:
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Politicians Aren’t Cool Enough to Curse This Much

Political leaders once watched their language. Now they delight in using obscenity.

www.theatlantic.com

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 5d

This is a chilling and excellent piece about a rash of Chinese executives who have either committed suicide or been locked into a judicial black hole by the state.

The Economist @economist.com · 5d

Detentions, public shaming and suicides intensify the country’s corporate gloom

The sinister disppearances of China’s bosses

Detentions, public shaming and suicides intensify the country’s corporate gloom

econ.st

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 5d

Lovely piece, Brendan. It almost makes me feel guilty for living there, so I can only try to do things like shop at the local shops and go to those old man bars—long may they live—and integrate best I can, hoping Madrid changes me as much as I change Madrid.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 7d

In a normal world this is a career-ender. (This is not a normal world.)

Andy @andyoregon.bsky.social · 7d

Jess Waters recycling the same guy over and over to represent “former” different enemies

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 7d

Every day sees a new and devastating shock to the bedrock values of America. You can’t get used to it because they keep making it worse.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 7d

So unbelievable I had to check to see if it was legit. It is. This is a recruitment video: the appeal is “YOU will block globalists from ever entering our country.”

Does that mean some goon will question me on free trade or the UN before I can enter? Or my non-citizen wife?

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 7d

UPDATE: now DHS says "globalists" will be blocked "from ever entering our country."

Homeland Security
@DHSgov
RECAPTURE OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY!
This week, we arrested hundreds of criminal illegal aliens, terrorists, and terrorist sympathizers across our country in Portland in Chicago.
Now, we need your help. Block communists, terrorists, and globalists from ever entering our country. Go to USCIS.GOV/JOIN
@MicahBock

Screenshot from video: YOU'LL BLOCK COMMUNISTS, TERRORISTS, AND GLOBALISTS
1:03/3:09

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Reposted by Lane Greene

Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 7d

I'm tellin' ya: one of the best works of nonfiction I've ever worked on and/or read.

Dana Delibovi @danadelibovi.bsky.social · 7d

Reading at the Bluesky suggestion of @bcdreyer.social and wow—Ann Wroe can write! Have it with me in chapel today.❤️

Pontius Pilate history/biography by Ann Wroe, photographed in Immacute Conception chapel (1895) Dardenne Prairie, MO.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 7d

www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

Fall for Madrid: why Spain’s capital is city-break gold

The searing summer over, it’s back to business as usual in Madrid – which means dazzling blue skies and a bounty of cultural events

www.theguardian.com

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 8d

I’m struggling. The Two Sicilies? Is Bosnia and Herzegovina plural? Not really…

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 8d

His language (“a violent armed resistance”) is getting worse by the day. It either is or — giving him the benefit of the doubt he hasn’t earned — seems to be designed to give the president the right to unleash “violence” in response, on US citizens and even a Trump-appointed judge.

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 9d

WAIT how did you become a Dawgs fan, what is even happening right now (and also how are you watching?)

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 9d

"This is fake news!" followed immediately by confirmation that it's true ("follow the chain of command [and perp walk Comey] or get relieved.")

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Reposted by Lane Greene

New Scientist @newscientist.com · 10d

While most countries have seen a steady decline in suicide rates, the United States has witnessed the opposite, with suicides jumping almost 30 per cent since 2000

Global suicide rates fell 30 per cent since 1990 – but not in the US

While most countries have seen a steady decline in suicide rates, the United States has witnessed the opposite, with suicides jumping almost 30 per cent since 2000

www.newscientist.com

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Reposted by Lane Greene

EL PAÍS @elpais.com · 10d

El Café Central se aferra a un resquicio legal para seguir abierto hasta fin de año. La clausura del histórico establecimiento estaba prevista inicialmente para el próximo 12 de octubre social.elpais.com/qos6f4

El Café Central se aferra a un resquicio legal para seguir abierto hasta fin de año

La clausura del histórico establecimiento estaba prevista inicialmente para el próximo 12 de octubre

social.elpais.com

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Lane Greene @lanegreene.bsky.social · 10d

I don't disagree with you on anything underlying. Personnel really is policy. But is it politics? I'm not a messaging consultant; just have a hunch there's a shorter path, pinning people's pain on Trump in ad spots, not on the relatively unknown head of the relatively unknown OMB.

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