Archive for August, 2021
When English Words Become Obsolete Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 25, 2021
An old friend used to say that social media was, “Just a lot of old twaddle.” From the context of his sentence, I knew that twaddle meant “useless gossip’. But it was years before I knew that twaddle was a real, though nearly obsolete, word. It still appears in some dictionaries, but you will almost…
Feeling Lucky in English Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 19, 2021
I often describe myself as a lucky person. In my personal and professional life, good things have happened to me because of chance and unplanned circumstances. I certainly work hard and take pride in my education and the abilities and skills that I have acquired and used over the years. But, the fact is, some…
All About the Penny Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 12, 2021
The penny is the lowest valued unit of U.S. currency, one cent, equaling one one-hundredth of the U.S. dollar. It is also the subject of many idioms and phrases, some memorable songs, and a long-standing debate about its future. Some hate it, many ignore it, but the penny is as much a part of American…