Archive for April, 2019
Words to use instead of ‘very’ – Part II Posted by carol on Apr 30, 2019
Good afternoon to all readers! How have you been? In the previous post we went over some words in English that can be used instead of ‘very’ to avoid its excessive use, in addition to diversifying and boosting your vocabulary. So here are a couple of more suggestions for you. Enjoy: eager or thrilled instead…
Begging for a Question Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 25, 2019
We hear it, or read it, all the time in English. A statement is made, followed by “…Which begs the question…” Does it? Does it really? I am about to get up on my grammatical soapbox, which is to say that I am about to rant. Forgive me, but it’s time to stop the annoying…
Code-Switching in the US Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 18, 2019
The very controversial New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was recently accused of mimicking African Americans during a speech. She tossed in a few words from black urban culture and phrased some of her language in a manner unlike her common way of speaking. Many thought that she was misappropriating Black English and that it was…
What is Country Music? Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 11, 2019
If you are a music fan in the United States, or many other places in the world, you have likely heard of the Billboard charts. This is a weekly tabulation of the popularity of songs in a variety of genres, or styles. These lists are compiled by Billboard Magazine and its online presence, Billboard Biz…
Roadside Attractions Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 4, 2019
The dictionary defines Americana as “artifacts related to the history, geography, folklore and culture of the United States”. If you really want to see Americana, you really need to take a road trip. Get in your car, stay off the highways, take a real map, and look at the signs along the road. Those signs…