Charms & Magic

The most underrated figure of speech

Soldiers used it going into battle. I've used it going into a workout.

Jun 2 •

When the story goes against you...

...change the story.

Apr 10 •

What would George Orwell think of Tesla?

Calling bullshit isn’t just a rhetorical answer. It’s a cry for sanity.

Mar 24 •

Words that sit in a happy place between Woke and Maga.

Archaisms are antiques with a patina of neutrality.

Feb 20 •

Go ahead, drop the towel!

Impress your coworkers with these sexy new protoclichés.

Jan 23 •

The word that divides us all

It’s a code, and we should be very careful using it.

Jan 20 •

The addictive figure that sold us all on junk food

Advertisers rely on the paean, a candy-coated, highly addictive war cry. You can use it to stop eating junk!

Dec 19, 2024 •

The crashing magic of sound symbolism

Or, Things That Go Doink in the Night

Nov 25, 2024 •

Magic in the Great Green Room

You will find almost all of rhetoric's power in this one children’s book.

Nov 11, 2024 •

Tropes weaponize everything.

So why do I love them? And what exactly is a trope?

Oct 28, 2024 •

A punctuation mark landed this guy in prison

For most of the world, the period is a “full stop.” Maybe that’s why this one-character tweet earned the wrath of the supreme leader.

Sep 7, 2024 •

Magic word of the day: Weird

It started with a few scary, powerful, and possibly immortal women.

Aug 5, 2024 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts