Remarkable.

I am creating this page about the ümlaut because every single time I attempt to write the word "über" I need to go and find one. Well, no more. From now on I'll come here.

ü
97 (hex)
151 (dec)

Ü
9A (hex)
154 (dec)

It's a page for ümlauts.

effulgent

PRONUNCIATION:

(i-FUHL-juhnt, i-fool-)

MEANING:

adjective: Shining brilliantly; radiant.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin effulgere (to shine out), from ex- (out) + fulgere (to shine). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhel- (to shine or burn), which is also the source of blaze, blank, blond, bleach, blanket, and flame. Earliest documented use: 1737.

USAGE:

"No other ballet so remorselessly exposes the gulf between effulgent grandeur and mere competence."

Hat tip to Lauren for the link.

In fact, “I hate to be the one to tell you this” (like its cousin, “I hate to say it”) is one of them. Think back: How many times have you seen barely suppressed glee in someone who — ostensibly — couldn’t be more reluctant to be the bearer of bad news? A lack of respect from someone who starts off “With all due respect”? A stunning dearth of comprehension from someone who prefaces their cluelessness with “I hear what you’re saying”? And has “I’m not a racist, but...” ever introduced an unbiased statement?

These contrary-to-fact phrases have been dubbed (by the Twitter user GrammarHulk and others) “but-heads,” because they’re at the head of the sentence, and usually followed by but. They’ve also been dubbed “false fronts,” “wishwashers,” and, less cutely, “lying qualifiers.”

I don't quite agree with the piece, as I think the use of rhetorical tools doesn't accurately indicate that someone is lying. Many times they're just mimicking others.

Brilliant.

Incidentally, the author doesn’t comment on US Southern prestige accents that were non-rhotic almost from the start. The reason for that? They were raised by their black nannies and African languages are non-rhotic. Southerners hate to hear this, but their prestige non-rhotic plantation accents are the product of slave speech! A lovely topic for the 4th of July as we contemplate liberty...

Too weird.

In 1776, both American accents and British accents were largely rhotic.

It was around this time that non-rhotic speech took off in southern England, especially among the upper class; this “prestige” non-rhotic speech was standardized, and has been spreading in Britain ever since.

Most American accents, however, remained rhotic.

There are a few fascinating exceptions: New York and New England accents became non-rhotic, perhaps because of the region’s British connections. Irish and Scottish accents are still rhotic.

Fascinating.