iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

WOTD “that’s not funny” edition. Hysterical vs. Hilarious. “Hysterical” does not mean “funny,” and only people can be gripped by hysteria. If the book or movie made you laugh, it was “hilarious.”

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

WOTD “fancy a fancy word?” edition. Fancy. It’s an adjective, of course. But it’s also a verb. And a noun. Don’t get too cute with it - just get fancy! (Thanks to @lesleyest.bsky.social for the great suggestion!)

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I once had a PhD-holding person thank me for my patients. I am not a medical doctor.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

WOTD “look both ways” edition. Ahead of the Curve. I’m shocked I have to clarify this one, but the misusage was spotted in the wild, so here you go. It’s “curve.” Not “curb.” It comes from statistics. Bell charts, specifically. 1/2

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

WOTD “did you miss us?” edition. Caesura. The sticks and I have been on a prolonged sabbatical, but we’re back! I’m incredible grateful for the many kindnesses great and small that have poured out on and around me as my family and I have dealt with my father’s final days and beyond. Deepest thanks.

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Christa Pike’s attorneys say the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay of execution. News spreading now outside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where the execution is scheduled for 10am.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Hi, friends. With deep sorrow combined with relief that he is no longer suffering, I must share that my father, Dennis Whittlesey, passed away on Sept. 10. I will have more to share later, but for now, here's his obituary. www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/w...

dignitymemorial.com

Dennis Whittlesey Obituary - Washington, DC

Celebrate the life of Dennis Whittlesey, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of DeVol Funeral Home.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

WOTD “you deserve a break” edition. Ramfeezled. The Scots have better words than we do. If you’ve had a long summer and you’re feeling a touch ramfeezled, I hope you have wonderful plans for the long Labor Day weekend!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I enjoyed it with fava beans and a nice chianti.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Y'all can have your pumpkin-spiced coffees and candles and toilet paper and whatnot. The *really* exciting news is that peppermint ice cream is back at Kroger!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

WOTD “all the words” edition. Lexiconophilist. I didn’t mean to start collecting dictionaries. I swear I didn’t. And if a dictionary is a collection of words, then I have become a collector of collections. How meta of me.

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 31/08/2026

macabre = “muh-KAHB” Worcestershire = “WOOSS-ter-sheer” omnipotent = “ahm-NI-puh-tunt” reticent = “RET-uh-sunt” epitome = “ih-PIT-uh-mee” myriad = "MEER-ee-ud" Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

WOTD “what would Dolly do?” edition. Inimitable. The sticks join the rest of the world in mourning the passing of the legendary Dolly Parton. By placing books directly in children’s hands, she did more for literacy than anyone else we can imagine. 1/2

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I seem to have become a person who collects dictionaries. This was not intentional, and has snuck up on me almost completely unawares. It is an unfortunately bulky thing to amass multiples of.

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

NPR @npr.org · 27/08/2026

E.U. is an OG of go-go music, a heavily syncopated funk that features a slow and steady groove. Naturally, we celebrate 50 years of the native D.C. music with an office party. n.pr/4zH0pMM

n.pr

E.U.: Tiny Desk Concert

E.U. is an OG of go-go music, a heavily syncopated funk that features a slow and steady groove. Naturally, we celebrate 50 years of the native D.C. music with an office party.

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Flag at half staff for Dolly

US Capitol dome with its flag half lowered

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 25/08/2026

[Exit Queen.]

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

FT @fucktheory.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Imagine being talented and beautiful and rich and famous and still the most noteworthy thing about you is how good a person you are.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I'm sick of media outlets referring to stars' teen and adult kids as being their "lookalikes," "clones" and "doppelgangers." Mostly because, most of the time, it's just not true.

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Reposted by Kristin Whittlesey

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 19/08/2026

People who don’t know the difference between ‘entomology’ and ‘etymology’ bug us in ways we cannot put into words.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

WOTD “not yet” edition. Presently vs. Currently. “Presently” does not mean the same thing as “at present.” This confuses a lot of people, and rightly so. Nonetheless, if it’s happening right now, the word you want is “currently.”

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

WOTD “making it up” edition. Compose vs. Comprise. People like to use “comprise” when they’re trying to sound erudite, and yet they so often do it wrong. The whole comprises its parts. The parts compose the whole. 1/2

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

WOTD “not up for debate” edition. Home in vs. Hone. You cannot “hone in” in something. Fun fact: “Home in” comes from homing pigeons. If you’re trying to find and/or move toward something, you are “homing in.” “Honing” is sharpening, not seeking.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

WOTD “back to school for the big kids” edition. Matriculate. Somehow, a number of our readers seem to have children who are starting college this year. We’re not sure how that happened, but we wish them - and their parents - all the best!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

WOTD “so close!” edition. Apart vs. A Part. One little space makes a huge difference. If somebody writes that they’re “apart of the group,” they’re wrong and/or alone.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The algorithm has decided that what I really need is to look at lots and lots of slideshows of people's $$$$ decorator-designed freshman dorm rooms. What is WRONG with parents? In my day, we tacked a bunch of $5 Monet waterlily posters to our cinderblock walls with gum adhesive, and we liked it!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Dammit. Knew it was coming; entirely hate to see it.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Behind the scenes at WOTD. When drawing the board uses All The Colors, this is the result. (Yes, that is a chopstick. I use it as an eraser.) Please send help. And more markers.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

WOTD “back to the grind” edition. Pedagogy. Back-to-school is a rolling situation, and some of my readers’ kiddos won’t be headed back for several weeks, but in Nashville today’s the day! Best of luck, kids AND teachers!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The Nazarene church at the corner of 5th and Woodland has been planting new baby trees along its right-of-way, and somebody keeps coming through and snapping them in half. Whoever you are, you are a horrible human being.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

WOTD “opinions vary, but grammar doesn’t” edition. “Biased.” “Now, I may be bias, but…..” Nope. You are not. If you have strong opinions on a particular topic, you may be “biased.” “Bias” as an adjective is reserved strictly for the textile arts.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Dammit, William Orbit. Spending the day listening to "Pieces in a Modern Style" in his honor.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

WOTD “haven’t peaked yet” edition. Peaked. As a verb, it’s great! As an adjective, you should take a nap and maybe call your doctor. I hope Peak Week has piqued your linguistic interest!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

WOTD “make a choice” edition. Caucus. It’s primary election season everywhere, and in Tennessee, today’s the day. (The sticks didn’t want to miss out, so they’re voting people off the mountain. No offense, @kmaustinyoung.bsky.social. That’s just how the votes turned out….)

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

No wait to vote at Shelby Park, and poll workers report a steady trickle of voters so far.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I want to be Monica Hesse, because if I were she, I would have been the one to describe Ted Lasso (the character) as an "affable, ambulatory bottle of ranch."

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

WOTD “piquing your interest” edition. Pique. Because I didn’t cover ALL of its connotations yesterday. @kmaustinyoung.bsky.social suggested “snique pique” as another wrong way to write “sneak peek,” so we’re considering tossing her off a mountain. Tune in tomorrow….

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

WOTD “have I piqued your interest?” edition. Peek vs. Peak vs. Pique. If you’re in a fit of pique, go peek at a peak. (Yes, we’ll get into other meanings of “pique” tomorrow.)

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

You guys? I have hit the big time! Come on, @merriam-webster.com - you're next!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

WOTD “head for the hills” edition. Sneak Peek. A “peak” is the height of something. A “peek” is a look at something. A “sneak peak” is a surreptitious mountain. If you’re looking at something before you’re supposed to, that’s a “sneak peek.”

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Today's WOTD is much long for this platform. Panegyric. I wrote about the bestest boy that ever lived and meowed. open.substack.com/pub/sticklan...

open.substack.com

WOTD - July 29

Panegyric

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

"Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote the droghte of March hath perced to the roote....."

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

This recipe is stupendous. I make it whenever there’s a reason for cheesecake. Do it now with the berries, and again at Christmas with candied rosemary and cranberries.

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

WOTD “multiplicity” edition. Forming plurals. If you find yourself addressing wedding invites, ordering holiday cards or sending graduation announcements, this one’s for you. 1/2

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

WOTD “bumper crop” edition. Foist vs. Hoist. If all this rain has made your garden go berserk and you’re looking to offload your surplus produce, this one’s for you. Remember to lift from your knees when you’re hoisting. Thanks to @mollybrooks.bsky.social for the excellent suggestion!

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

WOTD “don’t keep this between us!” edition. Between You and Me. There is no “between you and I.” It’s a mistake. It is, per James Cochrane, bad English. Look to your keyboard for the mnemonic. There is nothing between U and I. 1/2

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Kristin Whittlesey @kawhittlesey.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Day 1 of the new car. My phone knows how much gas is in my car, and my car knows how much battery is left on my phone. My devices should not know that much about each other. Are they colluding with my laptop? Will the television tell me I need an oil change before it’ll let me watch The Bear?

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