About Rob Kyff

Rob Kyff

Rob Kyff

Rob Kyff is the language columnist for the Hartford Courant, as well as a teacher, editor and writer. His column  appears regularly in several newspapers across the country.

A native of Armonk, N.Y., Kyff earned a BA at Amherst College and an MA in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. In Minneapolis, he served as director of public information for a social-service agency and edited the employee magazine for a national retail chain.

He has taught English and history at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford since 1977 and also served as the school's director of public affairs, editor of its alumni magazine and advisor to the student newspaper.

His essays have appeared in many newspapers, including the Washington Post,

Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Baltimore Sun, and his articles have appeared in Reader's Digest,American History and Northeast. He contributed to

Speaking Freely -- A guided Tour of American English from Plymouth Rock to Silicon Valley, published by Oxford University Press in 1997.

He has published two books: Word Up! - A Lively Look at English (Writers Club Press, 2000) and Once Upon a Word - True Tales of Word Origins (Tapestry Press, 2003).

He lives in West Hartford, Conn., with his family.

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'Soc' It to Me, World Cup! Jun 17, 2026

As the World Cup tournament got underway last week, a reader asked me why this sport is called "soccer" in the United States but "football" in Great Britain. Answer: "Football" first appeared in English during the 1400s as a general word for any game... Read More

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Word Fiends Have an 'Ax' To Grind Jun 10, 2026

I get by with a little help from my fiends — word fiends, that is. In a recent column about the phrase "having an ax to grind," I axed the popular notion that Ben Franklin coined it. An email from Sylvia Garstka explains how Franklin erroneousl... Read More

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Do You Have a Knack for Nicknames? Jun 03, 2026

For 15th-century Florentine artist Paolo di Dono, the bird was the word. He loved feathered creatures so much that he acquired the nickname "Uccello" ("bird"). The Italian painter Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, born in 1445, inherited his older brot... Read More

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A Useful Conjunction, Albeit an Old One May 27, 2026

Frank Resnick of New Britain, Conn., writes, "Can the antique-sounding conjunction 'albeit' still be used?" You betcha'! I'm happy to report that "albeit," despite its advanced age, is still alive and kicking. "Albeit" emerged during the 1300s as a c... Read More