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The "F" word is not a word that was used in literature during the early 20th century. It was considered outside the pale. Was this kind of prohibition an anomaly in the history of literature? Were there words in e.g. Shakespeare's time that he would not have included in his plays?
posted by storybored at 5:44 PM - 4 answers

We need to hire one, quick. Where should we be looking? Surely there must be some writers dedicated to work in this industry... or are we totally wrong and just try to go it ourselves? [more inside]
posted by abuckamoon at 7:29 PM - 4 answers

English majors, help me out. Which is grammatically correct: 1) Good beer should always be drunk room temperature. 2) Good beer should always be drank room temperature. I’m stumped. Thanks in advance.
posted by ratherbethedevil at 5:29 PM - 15 answers

I'm reading "A Poem for Every Night of the Year", edited by Allie Esiri with my kids. What are some other similarly-constructed daily devotional readings that I could add to my habit. I'm athe-agnostic, so secular-ish would be preferred.
posted by po822000 at 8:30 AM - 10 answers

There's a story rattling around in my head that I really want to write, but I'm having trouble with the protagonist's motivations. [more inside]
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:06 AM - 26 answers

Bureau au premier. This is a sign on the poor hotel door. Why isn't there an article before 'Bureau'? And 'au premier 'means 'a le premier etage',right? Isn't 'etage' necessary here?
posted by mizukko at 1:10 AM - 5 answers

I realize this is very little to go on and thus a long shot, but I remember some kind of personal essay or radio piece that used the phrase "a term of lack" (or possibly "an expression of lack.") That phrase stuck in my head and in context it was referring to/examining the idea that sometimes you can describe (or view) a situation as an absence/lack or as a presence of something else. I don't remember what the writer was describing, but I'm interested in this concept lately and would love to find the essay. [more inside]
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:41 PM - 7 answers

At about 17s in this video, the girl seems to pronounce 'comment vous appelez-vous' as 'comment vous appelez-vouphh'. I've noticed this type of thing with other words in French -- Is there a name for this phenomenon and is there anything I can read to learn more about it?
posted by iamsuper at 2:41 AM - 9 answers

Please give me your best non-fiction audiobooks on politics, social history or space exploration! [more inside]
posted by knapah at 1:57 PM - 15 answers

In my last Ask, I requested coping strategies to deal with a bully-boss (owner). Well, I now expect to be terminated on Wednesday. Should I resign for resume optics? [more inside]
posted by shocks connery at 8:17 PM - 29 answers

My sister is having a baby, and it will be my parents first grandchild. My dad isn't sure what he wants to be called, but he isn't keen on Grandad/Grandpa, anything that ages him really. He is Scottish but lives in England. I've looked online but I'm hoping for some better suggestions I can give him (he has requested my input). Thanks in advance!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:35 AM - 63 answers

I'm learning basic Spanish and I've also been fascinated by the Handmade series on Eater. This video is ticking all of my boxes. Can you help me find similar videos? [more inside]
posted by charcoals at 9:08 AM - 4 answers

I'm interested in reading gossip about famous people. It's something I know nothing about and I'd love your guidance. [more inside]
posted by cheapskatebay at 8:15 AM - 19 answers

I'd like to learn to speak in clear paragraphs, or at least in sentences that have complete syntax and don't end with just a silence or an "hmmmmm". How can I do this? [more inside]
posted by chappell, ambrose at 10:15 AM - 13 answers

Can you help me identify this tea from the packaging? Small, single serving tea in foil pouch, almost no english script. [more inside]
posted by Concordia at 7:28 AM - 8 answers

I need to make pins that say "I Speak [Language]" in said language, for multilingual staff to wear at events, without any access to the staff who speak the languages. I am wary of relying on Google Translate, so Mefites, I turn to you! Details and languages below the jump. [more inside]
posted by JuliaIglesias at 2:28 PM - 9 answers

Though it seems orderly enough, all online Japanese OCR resources are coming up short with the brief description that accompanies this lovely illustration of a kinugasatake, the Phallus indusiatus, drawn in 1800 by Kamei Kyodo. Help, please?
posted by progosk at 2:45 AM - 36 answers

I work with people whose first language is Spanish. They speak English well, but their writing is... not great. Part of my job is to help them with their business writing so that it is in clear and precise English. They go to the thesaurus a lot, which ends up making their writing worse, not better. I want to give them an example sentence in Spanish of what they're doing. [more inside]
posted by tzikeh at 9:40 AM - 10 answers

In the 1990s I read a short story that consisted of a single sentence. It was a very long sentence -- I think it spanned about 1.5 pages -- but it was just one sentence. And it was a real story, as well, with characters, unexpected turns, and a climax. I believe it ended in a driveway. [more inside]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 7:50 PM - 8 answers

I made a necklace with handmade clay beads in the theme of Alice in Wonderland. I would like to make more themed necklaces but I am really struggling to find stories with representative 'elements' I can depict.. [more inside]
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 2:25 PM - 35 answers