Questions in the Writing & Language category.
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March 18
old phrase "send money for your society" in letter?
I found a number of letters from my grandmother to her brother who had moved away, encouraging him to "send money for his society" home to his mom. What does it mean? [more inside]
Looking for A Short Story about AI
I'm looking for a short story written in the last year or so, about a team of story generators (?) writing a YA novel in the latest iteration of AI, and is now so good would replace the last department with actual human writers. There was some weird sex or relationships. This was published in a literary magazine. Please help! [more inside]
March 14
the "undifferentiated mass of organic sensation" origin
In this text from 1966, Robert Smithson quotes Roland Barthes as saying the “undifferentiated mass of organic sensation.” But I can’t find the origin of the quote. A skewed translation? or possibly just made up by Smithson? Any ideas where it might come from appreciated.
March 11
"Punchy" to mean sleepy?
Growing up in '80s Southern California, we often used the word "punchy" used to mean not just silly but specifically silly due to sleepiness. My friend from another part of the state also grew up using it this way. But it seems like this is not universal. Did anyone else have the punchy = sleepy usage, and if so, where in the USA? And where could this usage have come from?
March 10
Might I say "luna" for a woman's period?
I'm writing a story that takes place nearabout 1900-1920. A female character visits an alchemist and refers to the start of her monthly period a few years before. [more inside]
March 4
What words or phrases are immediately recognized as Quebecois slang?
I'm looking for local words or phrases that I can use in relation to a family trip to Quebec province. A plus if it's kid-related (should be kid-friendly), but it doesn't have to be. [more inside]
Typewriter or word processor?
My eleven-year-old niece who wants to be a writer would like a typewriter for her birthday. What should I get? [more inside]
February 28
What was the name of this book about time travel?
I'm trying to help a friend find a book about a time traveling woman. Details (and possibly spoilers) inside the fold! [more inside]
February 25
Good reporting on individual communities
For a section on journalism, I would like to have my 12th grade English students read compelling, well-written portraits of communities. Ideally, they would combine on-the-ground reporting and factual background. They could be neighborhoods, religious communities, communities of interest, what have you. [more inside]
February 22
How can I ask a lawyer a QQ about trademark and fair use?
I know there are many sites where, for a fee, you can ask a lawyer a specific question. Are they any good? If so, what are they? [more inside]
February 17
What book was this?
I read a novel set in contemporary Brooklyn some years ago that was I think in the "women's fiction" genre (though I hate that term!) in which towards the end of the book, the wife, who is a sympathetic character, sets up her abusive husband to die by a stroke acquired as a result of diving without properly decompressing. I am hoping someone can help me remember the title of the book. [more inside]
February 16
Help me find a story about a housewife and the black hole in her kitchen
There’s a classic sci-fi short story—though it may have been written as late as the 70s—about a woman testing her domestic black hole for, I think, waste disposal? The story itself, a cautionary tale I think, was written by a woman. I can’t remember the name of the story or its author, though I found them online a few years back. Search engines are proving useless.
February 14
Why are the conjugated verbs in my Spanish textbook written like this?
I'm taking a Spanish class and we're using Barron's Learn Spanish the Fast and Fun Way. Question inside, for ease of formatting. [more inside]
February 12
Expansive gender vocabulary: words for someone both a woman and a man?
I have -- by gradually creating space for my persistent inner self to comfortably unfold -- slowly (glacially? as in, with the implacable and powerful inertia of a moving glacier) realized, then accepted, then started to embrace the fact that I'm bigender. I'm happy with being referred to as a woman, and also happy being called a man. But... what other words are out there that encompass both genders at the same time? [more inside]
February 7
Recommend well-written vampire fiction, preferably sexy
what it says on the tin, more details within [more inside]
February 6
French and Spanish Audio books?
I'm trying to learn some French and perform CPR on my high school Spanish.
Looking for audio books of specific books that I already have in translation (thanks Metafilter!) and in English, electronically.
Now hoping for help finding versions I can listen to and read along with. [more inside]
Como se dice "Podcast"?
It's a bit aspirational for me to learn another language, but I think podcasts could help [more inside]
February 4
Book ID: mid-century kids' historical fiction about the Hanseatic League
Can anyone help me identify a book I vaguely remember reading as a kid, probably by someone like Geoffrey Trease or Henry Treece, with a plot involving the Hanseatic League?
January 31
I can't put up with this anymore
Does anyone else use the phrase "put up" to describe a process in food preparation where a food item is hands-off for a while due to fermentation, or slow cooking? My wife mocks me whenever I say it. I'm tired of this mockery!! [more inside]
January 30
help a fellow out... or is that, help a sister out?
What are alternative terms to use instead of 'fellow". Seeking gender neutral and more feminine coded alternatives. The specific use cases are in the examples below. [more inside]