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Let’s Talk About a Stick Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 6, 2022
Stick is an English word that can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it can be, as the image above implies, a dog’s toy that was once a part of a tree. It can also be another name for a billiard cue, a golf club, a baseball bat, a car’s gear…
The English Language Blogs of 2021, Part 2 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 30, 2021
We’re going to continue our wander through memory lane, reviewing the ten most engaging and popular English language blogs of 2021. The list is based on your response to them. These were the blogs that were opened the most, clicked on, and commented upon. Today, we’re counting down the top five. You can find the…
Looking Back on the Blogs of 2021, Part 1 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 23, 2021
I’m sure that I don’t have to spend any time describing the past year. We’ve all lived it. Congratulations on that, by the way. Just surviving this year has been an accomplishment, as it was for 2020. But, I’m not here to talk about politics, science, or economics. The purpose of this blog is to…
The Holiday Song That Isn’t Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 16, 2021
The best holiday songs have the ability to evoke a time, place, and feel. They are also often nostalgic, making you yearn for something you may only wish that you had experienced but never did. This is the case with Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson’s upbeat orchestral tune heard everywhere this time of year. Few of…
What’s Wrong With Nowadays? Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 9, 2021
There are English words that, the moment I see them, I want to scream my head off. We have adopted some words from everyday conversation and made them such common expressions that many have forgotten how unsophisticated they sound. One such word is nowadays, and I have begun to see it in writing a lot…
Books for English Learners Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 2, 2021
For many of us, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for the holidays – either for a loved one or for yourself. There is nothing like a book as a gift. I have a very large library at home, but I can always remember who gave me a particular book. Just the idea that…
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…