Hands up! Gun idioms in English Posted by carol on Nov 30, 2021
Hi, everyone! How is it going? The other day I was talking to an American co-worker of mine and couldn’t help but joking about his country’s obsession with firearms, with its purchase and possession even being legal in some states. All jokes aside, gun control is a hot topic in the public debate. Regardless of…
Understanding the Word Pilgrim Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 18, 2021
Discussing the history of the Pilgrims who established the first New England colony in 1620 can open up a complex set of questions and arguments. Were they heroic trailblazers or foolish zealots? Were they rescued by the local natives, or did they exploit them? There are no easy answers. The Pilgrims of our first Thanksgiving…
Strange Combinations Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 11, 2021
When two or more words are combined to form a new word with a different meaning, we get a compound word. There are three types of compound words. They can be closed compounds, joined into one word, like soundproof. Closed compounds are almost always the combination of only two words. They can be open compounds…
Rewriting the English Dictionary Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 4, 2021
As you probably know, every year new words are added to English dictionaries. English is, after all, an ever-evolving language. Although, the editors of all the various dictionaries seldom agree on what words merit consideration and inclusion. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for 2021, for instance, added the hyphenated word haggis-headed, which describes someone who…
Fall recipes: Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte Posted by carol on Oct 29, 2021
Hello, everyone! The weekend is coming up, have you made any plans? Either way, many people enjoy spending their free time trying out new recipes in the kitchen. The fall season is specially inviting for culinary adventures, with the weather cooling down and the colors outside being so inspiring. And one cannot think about the…
Graveyards and Cemeteries Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 28, 2021
In English, we often use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. The same is true of tombs, mausoleums, and crypts. But, there is a difference between them. It’s time that we buried the confusion and explore the proper use of terms for the resting places of the dead. Graveyards In the western world, burials were…
English Language Phrases with Straw Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 21, 2021
October always makes me think of scarecrows, those human-shaped figures usually made of straw placed on open fields to discourage birds from feeding on newly sown seeds. They make for popular Halloween costumes, and they often find their way into horror movies. Straw is really the dried remains of harvested crops, like wheat or oats…