Nancy Friedman
@fritinancy.bsky.social
Name developer, writer, lapsed journalist, bay swimmer. Born in Los Angeles, semi-rooted in Oakland, California. “Queen of retail rabbit holes.” https://fritinancy.substack.com/
Pinned
Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous. – Georgia O’Keeffe
TIL there's a whole new cookbook devoted to Kewpie, the Japanese mayonnaise brand. Publisher is the Kewpie Corporation.
share.google/NwFFgDqXzwfE...
share.google/NwFFgDqXzwfE...
For the Love of Kewpie: A Cookbook and... book by Kewpie Corporation
Buy a cheap copy of For the Love of Kewpie: A Cookbook and... book by Kewpie Corporation. THE OFFICIAL KEWPIE COOKBOOK Celebrate the cult-favorite mayonnaise with stories, history, and delicious recip...
share.google
November 30, 2025 at 1:27 AM
TIL there's a whole new cookbook devoted to Kewpie, the Japanese mayonnaise brand. Publisher is the Kewpie Corporation.
share.google/NwFFgDqXzwfE...
share.google/NwFFgDqXzwfE...
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
November 29, 2025 at 8:51 PM
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
[We don’t know why “based off” (often extended to “based off of”) is moving into territory “based on” has occupied since the mid-18th century, but we do know that its use is relatively new.]
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/base...
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/base...
Is it ‘based on’ or ‘based off’?
Based on the evidence, ‘based on’ is the preferred choice.
www.merriam-webster.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:58 PM
[We don’t know why “based off” (often extended to “based off of”) is moving into territory “based on” has occupied since the mid-18th century, but we do know that its use is relatively new.]
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/base...
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/base...
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
He keeps calling it a ballroom but a ballroom is a place for dancing. What he wants is a gilded Holiday Inn banquet room where businessmen can shmooze, grope the waitresses, see and be seen, and cut crooked deals.
“.. What started as a 500-seat ballroom connected to the East Wing grew to 650 seats. Next, he wanted a 999-seat ballroom, then room for 1,350.” 🤡
@nytimes.com @lukebroadwater.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
@nytimes.com @lukebroadwater.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...
November 29, 2025 at 3:21 PM
He keeps calling it a ballroom but a ballroom is a place for dancing. What he wants is a gilded Holiday Inn banquet room where businessmen can shmooze, grope the waitresses, see and be seen, and cut crooked deals.
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
Your latest Workplace Word Origins roundup, aka LinkedIn leftovers, on the blog hits 'Black Friday,' 'boutique,' and 'chef.'
mashedradish.com/2025/11/28/w...
Credit to @benzimmer.bsky.social and @btaylorblake.bsky.social for work on 'Black Friday,' coverage of which was I felt due for a reheat.
mashedradish.com/2025/11/28/w...
Credit to @benzimmer.bsky.social and @btaylorblake.bsky.social for work on 'Black Friday,' coverage of which was I felt due for a reheat.
Workplace Word Origins: Black Friday, chef, boutique
Philadelphia traffic jams, Greek storehouses, and Latin heads.
mashedradish.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Your latest Workplace Word Origins roundup, aka LinkedIn leftovers, on the blog hits 'Black Friday,' 'boutique,' and 'chef.'
mashedradish.com/2025/11/28/w...
Credit to @benzimmer.bsky.social and @btaylorblake.bsky.social for work on 'Black Friday,' coverage of which was I felt due for a reheat.
mashedradish.com/2025/11/28/w...
Credit to @benzimmer.bsky.social and @btaylorblake.bsky.social for work on 'Black Friday,' coverage of which was I felt due for a reheat.
November linkstack (linkducken?), stuffed with words of the year, wordy gifts, and more. | Ht @gretchenmcc.bsky.social @e-briannica.bsky.social @mikepope.com @grammargirl.bsky.social @stefanfatsis.bsky.social @babynames.bsky.social @kottke.org @nybooks.com fritinancy.substack.com/p/november-l...
November linkstack
My Black Friday gift to you: news about names, brands, language, and culture.
fritinancy.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 PM
November linkstack (linkducken?), stuffed with words of the year, wordy gifts, and more. | Ht @gretchenmcc.bsky.social @e-briannica.bsky.social @mikepope.com @grammargirl.bsky.social @stefanfatsis.bsky.social @babynames.bsky.social @kottke.org @nybooks.com fritinancy.substack.com/p/november-l...
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
I’m a ‘grumpy retiree’, but I’ve so far managed not to create a failed state and imperil the West
The fundamental thing to understand about this administration is the president is a grumpy retiree. He has no interest in working anymore. Which leads to him being pissed that he is getting asked a question, pissed he has to show up and work, the scheming viziers running the show, etc..
“You’re a stupid person” — Trump lashes out at a reporter who presses him on the fact that the suspected DC shooter was actually thoroughly vetted before he was let in the US from Afghanistan
November 28, 2025 at 8:22 AM
I’m a ‘grumpy retiree’, but I’ve so far managed not to create a failed state and imperil the West
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
When I was at NC state, I had lunch with a visiting scholar from Sweden who was visiting US universities for the first time. He described his experience as touring “hedge funds with football teams.”
That is so much money
5:45 pm on Thanksgiving Eve?
Now THIS is how you news dump.
Now THIS is how you news dump.
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 PM
When I was at NC state, I had lunch with a visiting scholar from Sweden who was visiting US universities for the first time. He described his experience as touring “hedge funds with football teams.”
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
Canadians! You can now vote for the Canadian Word of the Year!
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
November 27, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Canadians! You can now vote for the Canadian Word of the Year!
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
Where to see the Zodiac Killer Project documentary:
It's continuing to expand to select theaters from here nationwide! Full list of theatrical engagements is on our website: www.musicboxfilms.com/film/zodiac-...
Zodiac Killer Project - International Films - Independent Films | Music Box Films
A filmmaker describes his abandoned Zodiac Killer documentary and probes the inner workings of a genre at saturation point.
www.musicboxfilms.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Where to see the Zodiac Killer Project documentary:
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
“Device hoarding” un fucking real
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 25, 2025 at 6:24 PM
“Device hoarding” un fucking real
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
Both major political parties agree we have one job and it’s to buy shit
I caught this excellent, very clever and meta doc at a one-night-only screening at Berkeley's Elmwood Theatre, with a post-show Q&A w/ director Charlie Shackleton. No idea where it's headed next. Seek it out!
youtu.be/u0CIawoCtn4?...
youtu.be/u0CIawoCtn4?...
ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT | Official Trailer | In Select Theaters November 21
YouTube video by Music Box Films
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I caught this excellent, very clever and meta doc at a one-night-only screening at Berkeley's Elmwood Theatre, with a post-show Q&A w/ director Charlie Shackleton. No idea where it's headed next. Seek it out!
youtu.be/u0CIawoCtn4?...
youtu.be/u0CIawoCtn4?...
Fab thread!
Not that you asked, but here's a thread of intriguing (real!) food facts to amuse/bore your friends and family.
Great for gatherings when you need to change the subject!
Great for gatherings when you need to change the subject!
November 25, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Fab thread!
Testing: Does this Medium "friend link" work for you? One of my readers reports that she was cut off after a few grafs. wordworking.medium.com/the-year-of-...
The Year of the Turkey
A story about fear, aggression, threats, shaming, a public-space shutdown, a Change.org petition, and a three-foot-tall turkey named…
wordworking.medium.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Testing: Does this Medium "friend link" work for you? One of my readers reports that she was cut off after a few grafs. wordworking.medium.com/the-year-of-...
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
Please comment, historians of 50 years hence.
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Please comment, historians of 50 years hence.
Word of the week: Turkuterie. fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
Word of the week: Turkuterie
Playing with Thanksgiving traditions and words.
fritinancy.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Word of the week: Turkuterie. fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
Amid the ubiquitous AI ads in San Francisco I spotted an anti–AI ad for @sf.gazetteer.co on the flank of a Muni bus:
THE SLOP STOPS HERE.
(Hope to get a photo next time.)
THE SLOP STOPS HERE.
(Hope to get a photo next time.)
November 22, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Amid the ubiquitous AI ads in San Francisco I spotted an anti–AI ad for @sf.gazetteer.co on the flank of a Muni bus:
THE SLOP STOPS HERE.
(Hope to get a photo next time.)
THE SLOP STOPS HERE.
(Hope to get a photo next time.)
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
There’s a moment in the classic film “Paths of Glory” in which an artillery officer, told to commit a war crime, asks for the order in writing.
That is happening right now, in real life, among US troops in the Carribbean.
Except in the movie, the demand kept the crime from happening.
That is happening right now, in real life, among US troops in the Carribbean.
Except in the movie, the demand kept the crime from happening.
Gift link: wapo.st/43FXQfO
detailed WashPost account of how Trump and Stephen Miller sidelined serious lawyers so they could fabricate a justification for committing murder
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
November 22, 2025 at 2:46 PM
There’s a moment in the classic film “Paths of Glory” in which an artillery officer, told to commit a war crime, asks for the order in writing.
That is happening right now, in real life, among US troops in the Carribbean.
Except in the movie, the demand kept the crime from happening.
That is happening right now, in real life, among US troops in the Carribbean.
Except in the movie, the demand kept the crime from happening.
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
"Is it even possible, linguistically, to 'give an e.l.f.'? Or a fuck?" @fritinancy.bsky.social reports on a new, swear-adjacent marketing campaign:
stronglang.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/d...
stronglang.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/d...
“Don’t give a f#@&”
Note: This post was originally published in a slightly different form on Fritinancy, my Substack newsletter. * “DON’T GIVE A F#@&” shouts the headline on a two-page ad in a recent Sunday New Yo…
stronglang.wordpress.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:13 AM
"Is it even possible, linguistically, to 'give an e.l.f.'? Or a fuck?" @fritinancy.bsky.social reports on a new, swear-adjacent marketing campaign:
stronglang.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/d...
stronglang.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/d...
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
This will surely surprise most Americans today, but historians have recently discovered that before Donald Trump, it was actually incredibly rare for a president to demand the public execution of this political opponents and press critics.
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
This will surely surprise most Americans today, but historians have recently discovered that before Donald Trump, it was actually incredibly rare for a president to demand the public execution of this political opponents and press critics.
Please refrain from giving a f#@&.
ht @jessesword.com @mashedradish.bsky.social @schrisomalis.bsky.social
fritinancy.substack.com/p/give-an-elf
ht @jessesword.com @mashedradish.bsky.social @schrisomalis.bsky.social
fritinancy.substack.com/p/give-an-elf
"Give an e.l.f."
No short-statured Santa's helpers were donated in the making of a beauty brand's ad campaign, but some old lines were coyly crossed.
fritinancy.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Please refrain from giving a f#@&.
ht @jessesword.com @mashedradish.bsky.social @schrisomalis.bsky.social
fritinancy.substack.com/p/give-an-elf
ht @jessesword.com @mashedradish.bsky.social @schrisomalis.bsky.social
fritinancy.substack.com/p/give-an-elf
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
Definitely want my country run by a businessman www.barrons.com/articles/djt...
Truth Social Owner DJT Stock Craters, Erasing $5 Billion in Trump Family Wealth
Trump Media stock has traded at all-time lows in recent days.
www.barrons.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Definitely want my country run by a businessman www.barrons.com/articles/djt...
November 19, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Reposted by Nancy Friedman
The next of the Big English Dictionary #WotY2025 is Cambridge's 'parasocial'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Parasocial is named as Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year
Examples include the parasocial interest shown by fans to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement.
www.bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The next of the Big English Dictionary #WotY2025 is Cambridge's 'parasocial'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...