Ask a linguist!

Hey all! I'm adding a new feature to the blog called "Ask a Linguist"! Language is a big part of what makes us human. So, of course, people like to think and talk about talking--especially linguists! But most people haven't had the advantage of studying linguistics in school and aren't familiar with what linguists do. So I'm issuing an open invitation to anyone who is curious about language: send me your questions, thoughts and musings, and I'll do my best to respond with as little jargon as possible! If I'm not sure how to answer, I'll try to point you in the right direction. Also, if you overhear someone talking in an interesting way, or making an interesting slip of the tongue, tell me about it!

To send me a question: email me, tweet me, Facebook me, comment on a post, send me a smoke signal...whatever works! Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question!

 (Just one note: if you have a question like "Where did this (English) word come from?", check etymonline.com first--you'll probably find your answer.)

 I'll be archiving all my answers and language-related posts at the page linked right under my banner, if you want to browse. My blog's motto should be "ALIQUID: Come for the nail polish, stay for the linguistics!" Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...