‘Springbok, Cleared for Landing’: More on the Language of the Skies
[See update* below.] On our recent flight home in our small plane from Eastport ME, to Washington DC, we were listening, as we often do, to the air traffic controllers (ATC). They…
Posts by author
Deborah Fallows
161 posts
Deborah Fallows is a writer, linguist and fellow at New America. She has written extensively on language, education, families and work, China, and travel for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, The LA Times, and The Washington Monthly.
‘Tis the L.L.Bean Season for Pinball Wizards and Wicked Good Wieners
I always associate the word “wicked” with the Maine icon L.L.Bean. For good reason: do you know that if you search on the L.L.Bean website for “wicked” that you will…
Do You Speak Eastport?
A town teaches itself to talk positive.
Report From Rural Maine: What It Takes to Make a School
Shead High School, home of the Tigers, sits on a hill in Eastport, Maine, just a short walk from everything else in town. I went to visit, curious about what…
Down East Down Under
When ships sailing downwind are sailing east
Flying Up Down East
Travel to Eastport
ITAWT ITAWA PUDYE TTATT: The Secret Language of the Skies
Aviation has a lot of special language, like sailing or gymnastics. Its brief, even curt efficiency and orderly templates keep planes on course and out of each other’s way. For…
Vermont Report: Shaping the Soul of a School
Shaping the Soul of a School
Magical Roundabouts and the Language of Signs
Exploring the sociocultural landscape of Burlington
From Burma to Burlington: The Story of ‘Brings Luck’
A refugee finding a new life.
‘Say Souls On Board,’ and Other Secrets of the Skies
When I fly on commercial airlines, I always try to listen to the air traffic controllers (ATC) on my headset. On United Airlines, that would be channel 9. After 9/11,…
Everyone’s a Linguist: More on ‘Coming With’
Many readers wrote in about my recent post on how so many South Dakotans end a sentence with with. As in, “Are you coming with?” instead of “Are you coming with us?” And…
‘When’s your birthday? January 1st’ Report from Sioux Falls
A school district of 60 different languages and cultures.
How to Make Nice With the Call Center
The language of Sioux Falls
Rapid City Report: What Does ‘Green’ Mean?
In late 2009, my husband and I returned from more than 3 years of living in China. I quickly realized that we had missed some shifts in American culture, language,…
Life on the Road: Beef Jerky, Swimming, and a Search for Spiritual Relief
Beef Jerky, Swimming, and a Search for Spiritual Relief