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English Words in the News: Infrastructure Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 29, 2021
Money, lots of money, has been approved by lawmakers in the United States to improve the country’s infrastructure. The plan calls for $1 trillion to be spent on many neglected necessities across the country. Yes, that’s trillion, with a T. That’s a 1 followed by twelve zeroes. In Europe, they would call that amount, “One…
The Great American Coupon Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 22, 2021
Few things are as American as the coupon. They are a marketing tool used to promote a product by offering discount savings, and they have existed for over 130 years. The first coupon offered a free Coca-Cola in 1888. By 1913, more than 8.5 million of those coupons had been honored. One hundred years later…
Watching Television in English Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 15, 2021
This morning I tried to watch television, but it wouldn’t turn on. I was using one of several remotes (or, as some people call them, clickers), the one that I use exclusively to start my television. Nothing. I was facing a blank screen. This was not a good start to my day. Fortunately, I eventually…
Talking About Weight in English Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 8, 2021
It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and, for many, that means going to the beach. It also means fitting into a swimsuit. Which usually means that it’s time to lose some weight. Personally, I am grateful that there has been a trend in recent years to be more accepting of the way you look. People…
The Many Problems with Tomatoes Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 24, 2021
There are several problems with tomatoes. I don’t mean that growing them is a problem (although they are susceptible to blights, worms, and pests of all kinds.) Rather, pronouncing, spelling, and even defining tomatoes in English are among the most irksome and debatable issues in our language. Songs have been written about this. The Supreme…
Juneteenth Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 17, 2021
The United States has two independence days. You are undoubtedly familiar with July 4th, commemorating the Continental Congress’ formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence. You would be forgiven for being less familiar with Juneteenth, marking the final, formal emancipation of slaves in this country. This is not a new holiday, nor is it a…
Silent Letters in English Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 10, 2021
Ask anyone what makes learning English so difficult, and many will tell you it’s because the words are very hard to spell. Many English words don’t sound anything at all like the way they are pronounced, mainly because English has so many silent letters. There are also many words with combined double consonants, such as…