Making words work better
The Age of Dictatorship refers to the mid-twentieth century, marked by despotic leaders like Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin. The term originates from Old English, linked to Roman history, where "dictator" denoted a temporary, absolute ruler. Today, the term persists, with numerous countries still under dictatorial regimes.
I bet you’ll never guess from which language English borrowed penguin. Could it be from those adventurous mariners the Dutch, as their word is pinguïn? Or perhaps from a Polynesian language? Nope, neither of those. It’s most probably from… ... ... ... ... Meanwhile, English being so footloose – nay, cavalier – with parts of speech, it was inevitable that Penguin books should hatch a verb.
During the final rallies of her election campaign, US presidential candidate Kamala Harris drew on one metaphor time and time again. She said she was determined, or she saw a nation determined, ‘to turn the page on hatred and division’.