English spelling is a hot mess, even for native speakers. But as a new book shows, would-be spelling reformers, including Benjamin Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, eventually just gave up. Also, what do you call your fellow parent in front of the children? Do you use the same word when the kids aren’t around? And: baseball announcers may refer to a fastball as high cheese, but the reason has nothing to do with dairy products. Plus, “Mairzy Doats,” straight and narrow vs. straightened arrow, a puzzle about sound switcheroos, cuando la rana crie pelos, a cute kid coinage, geehaw, quid, teknonomy, books with great opening lines, and lots more.

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