This The New York Times story makes us grammar nerds feel seen, maybe smug… definitely superior. Solid combo, 🧑‍🍳’s kiss.
Adam Aleksic (a.k.a. Etymology Nerd) is studying and giving a name to a common enemy, #algospeak. He’s unearthing why “seggs” and “leg booty” exist.
This is the linguistic archaeology we didn’t know we needed and it’s proof that language we love is locked into the evolutionary process. It’s adapting like a mutating virus, raptors testing the fences, or my daughter’s trying to figure out how to bypass the internet and content filters I so painstakingly set up.
I love it. The article (and its #MainCharacter) celebrate the tension between creativity and constraint. In an algorithmically driven world that acts as both grammar police and content watchdog patterns start to emerge. There’s a battle for saying what you mean and saying what you can. It’s censorship versus the joy of sidestepping it with creativity and clarity of message. And that’s a critical function of us #comms pros working in the trenches of #PR.
If you’re the kind of person who’s ever yelled at the TV because “they said it FIGURATIVELY not literally”, then read the article and perhaps even order the book. That or check out Aleksic’s socials, they’re totally 🔥.
Find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/style/algospeak-etymology-nerd-adam-aleksic-slang.htmlere: