Author: Nelson Rosario

A certain type of word poses as the thing it describes. The sound a heavy book makes when dropped on a wooden floor is almost exactly what the word “thud” refers to: a dull, slightly embarrassed sound. When people discuss onomatopoeia, they are referring to that tiny coincidence that appears in thousands of words across numerous languages. On the surface, the definition is fairly straightforward: a word that mimics or resembles the sound it refers to. However, the closer you look, the stranger and more fascinating it becomes. The word itself is derived from Ancient Greek and is a combination…

The volume of the pre-K discussion in 2021 is easily forgotten. Publicly funded preschool is an economic necessity, not a luxury, according to Joe Biden, who was speaking at a podium. Two hundred billion dollars was also attached, along with the assurance that five million children who are currently excluded from all public options would at last have a seat somewhere. That money did not move after four and a half years. As Manchin moved, the bill shattered and the portion that everyone believed to be secure slipped under. The second Trump administration followed. There wasn’t much debate over universal…

A crossword clue like “swift center-hulled boat” can cause a certain amount of minor annoyance. After reading it twice or even three times, there’s that moment when you question whether the setter is being cunning or just obstinate. Last week, the clue appeared in a syndicated grid. Based on the comments on the puzzle forum I frequent, many solvers looked at it for longer than they would like to acknowledge. In the end, trimaran is nearly always the solution. Three hulls, eight letters, and a word that sounds quicker than it appears on paper. The difficulty of the clue is…

The fact that one of the most colorful terms in English for a fight originates from a location that was once a church is almost comical. Donnybrook, a now-quiet suburb on Dublin’s south side, once hosted a fair so infamous that its name completely disappeared from Ireland and ended up in dictionaries of unrelated nations. The word endured for over 170 years after the fair. That in and of itself says something. According to most accounts, the Donnybrook Fair took place between 1204 and the middle of the 19th century, which is an incredibly long period of time for any…

On those sunny spring days in April 2024, the lecture hall at Kristianstad University didn’t appear to be the kind of location where a global movement is advanced. Coffee cups were shuffled in by researchers. A few delegates compared notes regarding jet lag from as far away as Oman, the Congo, and New Zealand. Poster boards, the slightly squeaky carpet of a Scandinavian campus, and the serene assurance that Swedish preschools typically evoke in guests were all present. The air outside had that distinct chill of northern Europe that never quite goes away in April. Nevertheless, it was difficult to…

A piece of apparel intended for discipline and order may end up acting as a silent barrier to children’s health, which is somewhat ironic. A recent study from the University of Cambridge, which examined how almost 1.1 million young people in 135 countries go about their daily lives, has that unsettling suggestion at its core. Fewer children meet the World Health Organization’s recommended daily activity level in areas where the majority of schools mandate uniforms. There is a gap, but it’s not very big. It’s also broader for girls. The research’s leader, Dr. Mairead Ryan, takes care to avoid going…

The water around Corfu behaves differently from other Mediterranean regions for some reason. It changes color more quickly than you might think; in the course of an afternoon, it goes from a deep navy off the Albanian straits to that unlikely glassy turquoise close to Paxos. It has to do with the limestone seabed and the way the Adriatic currents fold in, according to sailors who have worked these waters for decades. The effect is evident whether or not that is the complete explanation. Compared to other places, this sea has a stronger sense of history. According to Thucydides, Korkyra…

Around the eighth week of the quarter, Hyde Park starts to experience a specific type of stress. It’s evident in the Registrar’s office, in the lengthy pauses at 57th Street coffee lines, and in the way students begin checking the Registrar’s website in the same manner that others check the weather. Technically a dry administrative document, the final exam schedule takes on the characteristics of a contract, one that students believe both parties will uphold. They do most of the time. But not every time. A quiet pattern has been present in some UChicago classrooms for years. Often with good…

It doesn’t sound dramatic when you first read OMEP’s 2026 theme. Decades of diplomatic rooms in Geneva and Paris have shaped the language, which is cautious. But when you take a moment to consider what 2025 really looked like for kids, the weight starts to fall. After 75 years, the organization that emerged from the wreckage of post-war Europe is facing a year that could rival the one that gave rise to it. The speed at which the ground changed is difficult to ignore. Billions of dollars in pledged support vanished virtually overnight when the US froze foreign aid in…

You don’t give it much thought the first time you scroll past one. It’s endearing to see a young woman in a cardigan dancing between desks and captioning her video with something like, “When your 4th period finally understands quadratics.” It’s even humorous. After the third or fourth one of the same evening, a more subdued question begins to emerge: who owns those desks, and are the children out of frame aware that they are props in someone’s content schedule? In a sense, teaching has always been performative. You’re half teacher, half stand-up comedian, as anyone who has stood in…