Seven Hang-Ups in the Language of Gay Rights
The word “marriage,” as John P. Marquand might have said, is a damnably serious business—particularly when it comes to America’s cultural grapple over homosexuality.
Katy Steinmetz
Katy Steinmetz is a reporter in TIME's Washington bureau. In addition to working on features for TIME and TIME.com, she contributes to TIME's Swampland, Healthland and NewsFeed blogs. She pens a weekly column on language called Wednesday Words, and acts as impresario for political columnist Joe Klein's annual road trips.
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Q&A: Why Insults Exist–and Why One Man Wants to End Them
Yo mama’s so dumb, she doesn’t know that physically weaker humans can use insults to change their positions in dominance hierarchies. Zing!
Madam, I’m Adam: Palindrome Masters Go Head to Head in Championship
Celebrity judges include “Weird Al” Yanovic, who proved his love for palindromes in his song “Bob.”
Republicans Prefer Pancakes: What’s the Point of Goofy Polls?
Public Policy Polling is releasing their latest set of oddball polls, about political affiliation and food preferences. And they’re not just for your entertainment.
Kimmies Harpin’ Boontling: A Dying American Dialect?
Boontling, a home-grown American dialect, may soon go the way of dinosaurs and beepers.
Words of the Week: What to Call Same-Sex Spouses, the “Obamaquester” And More
In this week’s edition of Wednesday Words, NewsFeed highlights intriguing and controversial terms that have been in the news.
Words of the Week: Why We Call It A “State of the Union” Speech And More
Welcome to Wednesday Words, NewsFeed’s weekly column that delves into the way we wag our tongues and wield our pens.
Words of the Week: New Jersey ‘Jughandles,’ Oversharenting and More
In this week’s edition of Wednesday Words, NewsFeed explains catchy terms that have been in the news, ranging from the roads of New Jersey to the front lines.
Q&A: The Secrets to Not Being a Terrible Writer
How many exclamation points are enough? Should you ever write in ALL CAPS? English professor and author Ben Yagoda promises to answer these questions and make you a better writer.
Wednesday Words: Absolutism, Ombré and More
NewsFeed’s weekly highlight of our vocabulary: humans say the darnedest things.
WATCH: The Obamas Slow Dance to “Let’s Stay Together” at Inaugural Ball
At the end of a long Inauguration Day full of speeches and remarks, President Barack Obama let his body do the talking–with a little help from Al Green.
From Iffy to Mulligan: Words American Presidents Made Famous
Well, someone had to start calling them the Founding Fathers
