If you’re the sort of person who would be interested to know that there are three acceptable plurals of octopus (octopi, octopuses, and octopodes), the commercial use of inflammable is illegal (flammable is the word to use), and the Oxford English Dictionary has 645 definitions for run (it holds the record), the all-new Joys of Language is a course for you. Join us in January for an enjoyable romp through the English language and some occasional side trips to some foreign tongues. Never forget Ludwig Wittgenstein’s observation, “All I know is what I have words for.” No tests to take, no papers to write, and no grades to fear—everyone gets an A.

Skip Eisiminger is retired from the Clemson University English Department, where he taught History of the Language, Word Study, American Literature, interdisciplinary humanities, and creative writing for 42 years. He continues to publish in the South Carolina Review, Weekly Hubris, and KYSO Flash. He is the author of Anecdotes and Antidotes (Serving House Press, 2019).