Jack Shepherd – Medium

Jack Shepherd

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

OK, ok, O.K., okay, Ok! Which is it?

And what does it even mean?! A brief celebration of the most common word no one knows how to spell.

Jun 14

A text message reading “Cool, see you there!” with the response, “K”

Jun 14

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

Wordle Starter Words for Dangerous Troublemakers

Let’s see if we can make Wordlebot cry.

Apr 3

A Wordlebot grid with the words: SNASH / FEEZE / OUPHE

Apr 3

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

The Bewitching Magic of the “Ass” Intensifier

An ode to the anal emphatic.

Mar 14

The Bewitching Magic of the “Ass” Intensifier

Mar 14

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

What to Do When You’ve “Got the Morbs”

“Got the morbs” shows up to delight us every couple of years, but the dictionary where it comes from is a treasure trove.

Mar 6

What to Do When You’ve “Got the Morbs”

Mar 6

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

These Common Words Are the Result of a Hilarious Misunderstanding

I’m calling them “Splittybits.” Arrest me if you want to.

Feb 15

These Common Words Are the Result of a Hilarious Misunderstanding

Feb 15

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

These Lovely “Fossil Words” Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Wend, kith, vim … shebang!

Feb 5

These Lovely “Fossil Words” Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Feb 5

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

Taking Stock of The Oxford Comma Wars

The good, the bad and the grammatically ambiguous.

Jan 22

THE OXFORD COMMA WARS

Jan 22

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

The Surprising Animals Who Say Their Own Names

Or why the Kittiwake and the Zyzzyx won’t stop talking about themselves.

Jan 9

The Surprising Animals Who Say Their Own Names

Jan 9

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

The Astonishing Origins of 6 Common Compound Words

The “Cob” in “Cobweb,” the “Hodge” in “Hodgepodge,” and more lovely old oddities that still cling to life in compounds.

Dec 20, 2023

The Astonishing Origins of 6 Common Compound Words

Dec 20, 2023

Jack Shepherd
in
Cellar Door

In Search of the Perfect Garden Path Sentence

Making sense (and nonsense) out of the world’s most devious sentences.

Dec 8, 2023

In Search of the Perfect Garden Path Sentence

Dec 8, 2023

Jack Shepherd

Jack Shepherd

I have a newsletter about crossword puzzles and a podcast about rom-coms. Formerly editorial director @BuzzFeed. Email: JackAShepherd at gmail

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