Category Archives: language

There’s a fascinating article in today’s New York Times Magazine on connections between language and space, geographic and otherwise. If you like these ideas, also check out the works of Stephen Pinker. I’ve been reading his The Stuff of Thought this summer and makes references to these ideas throughout.

Reading this reminds me of how much I enjoy cognitive studies, from an armchair perspective. Understanding how we think and learn is fascinating stuff.

>11-year-old Eric: Uh, Mom, what’s the name of this thing here in the bathroom that you use to wash your butt? A beignet*?

Mom: Uh, no, Eric. That’s a bidet. And stop spraying the water everywhere!

* The only reason my son knows the word beignet is that I brought him and his sisters a box of the mix for these French doughnuts after I visited New Orleans last year.

>When we were walking around earlier this week I saw a sign in a window that said “Busco Ovejero Alemán.” I stumbled over ovejero. From ovo (egg)? “Looking for German Eggmaker”? “Looking for German Stud”? Nah, too many World War II connotations. Ah, from ovejo. Sheep. “Looking for German Sheeper.” Or, perhaps German Shepherd makes more sense. This is the land of dogs. Got house? Got dog. Or two, or three. Even more so since the economic collapse 5 1/2 years ago, and people are feeling less secure than ever so everyone has a dog. Not the tiny yappy ones popular around Southern California, but large barky ones who excel at intimidating. A siren last night tipped off a chorus of guard dogs from all directions. Made me miss my two quiet cats, who would be lousy guards.