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Standards
Jan Freeman has an especially good column today that resonates a lot with me. As a professional language maven, she's often begged by readers to Uphold the Standards, or scolded for not Upholding them enough. Some Standards are distinctly worth Upholding, of course, but not all of them are, and Ms. Freeman--like me--is often more interested in the questions of where the Standards came from in the first place.
Really, go read. Everything she says about language, its evolution, and the proper role of a "language writer" (for distinct lack of a better term) sums up my own feelings about etiquette and social customs.
About Miss Conduct Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine.
contributor
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
