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Jesse Sheidlower is a lexicographer and former president of the American Dialect Society. 

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We've Hit Peak Badass. It's Gotta Stop.

Words, Words, Words…

“Badass” is everywhere. It’s taken over the idea of “cool” as the desired social posture. And it doesn’t mean what you think it does.

Jesse Sheidlower | Published May 09, 2015

What Does ‘Biweekly’ Mean Again?

Wordplay

The news that ‘New York’ will publish biweekly is a sad day for publishing. It’s also a sad day for English—‘biweekly’ means two very different things, and the confusion isn’t new.

Jesse Sheidlower | Published Dec 02, 2013

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