In about the 13th century, we first get “like” in our language and it is a verb. Then around the 15th and 16th centuries, we start to use it in similes. And then around the 16th century, you start using it as a conjunction, where instead of just being between two objects, you’re expressing similarity between an object and a whole sentence: “He rode... See more
But it was serving a function for you because that is one form of “like.” It’s what we call in linguistic speak a “quotative like,” and that “like” substitutes for the verb “to say.” What you are doing is saying, “I’m not telling you verbatim what the teacher said. I’m giving you sort of my subjective recall of what she said.” It’s a really useful ... See more
But to Nadal, any admission of superiority would have been a sign of weakness, not strength. As he once explained it to me, “If we have no doubts, it means that we are the arrogance ... So for me, living in constant doubt is good, because it means that we have to ask things of ourselves. We have to wonder, is this right? Is this wrong? What I'm hea... See more
Even for a sport that traffics heavily in phenoms and next-big-things, that throws around the anvil of expectation as if it were weightless, Nadal was a next-level prospect. It didn’t hurt that Nadal was more like a fantastical creation than a sports prodigy. Yes, he was torrentially talented. But his game and his backstory were both sui generis , ... See more
Part of what makes fall so accessible to Gen Z is that you can create content about it from inside your bedroom, with a string of orange LEDs, a hot beverage, and a few pumpkin throw pillows. Summer doesn’t offer the same accessibility: Conjuring summer on the feed means vacations (costly) or bathing-suit content (not everyone’s thing). Fall is a g... See more
“One of the most satisfying feelings I know — and also one of the most growth-promoting experiences for the other person — comes from my appreciating this individual in the same way that I appreciate a sunset. People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be. In fact, perhaps the reason we can truly appreciate a sunset is that we cannot... See more
Nostalgia and scatological humor can be eye-catching, but to build up the kind of sustained interest and devotion Gerasimov has, there needs to be a story in its own right. The narrative of Skibidi Toilet isn’t communicated directly, but that only adds to its intrigue for many viewers, especially younger ones who are used to having to put in extra ... See more