Archive for 'Culture'
The US Interstate System Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 11, 2019
“Are we there yet?” The United States is vast. The distance to drive from Portland, Maine to San Francisco, California is about 2725 miles or nearly 4400 kilometers. While the US has many different highway systems, including state, county, territorial, and secondary roads, the country is linked by one massive grid of highways known as…
What is Up With Pumpkin Spice? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 29, 2019
If you are learning English and trying to gain knowledge of American culture, then you need to be aware of something which appears throughout the country every year around the beginning of September and lingers into December. That thing is called pumpkin spice. Its popularity, indeed, its hold on much of the American public, may…
3 Days of Peace and Music Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 8, 2019
For three days in August 1969, a small community about 100 miles north and west of New York City became the world’s most popular destination for music fans. A hastily organized, some might say disorganized, music festival ultimately resulted in probably the most historic concert in the history of popular music. It was advertised as…
Casual Greetings in English Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 1, 2019
We are all familiar with the standard, more formal expressions upon meeting someone. Hello Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Good morning/afternoon/evening. I’m pleased to meet you. However, what do you say when you know someone well but you’re seeing them for the first time after a day or so? I pass coworkers in the…
The Advertising Jingle Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 11, 2019
You’ve heard them. They are the combination of a catchy tune and advertising copy. Most of them last only a few seconds. Which is, ideally, all the time you need to absorb the message and get that song stuck in your head. Today, we might call it an earworm. But, for many years it was…
Star Trek and the Split Infinitive Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 27, 2019
Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission – To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before! These are the very famous opening lines to the credit sequence for Star Trek. This speech, dating back…
Farm Stands and Farmer’s Markets Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 13, 2019
A sure sign of summer, and one of the best things about the season, is a farm stand. Like everything else which goes dark and quiet during the cold months, the reemergence of a local farm stand is greeted with smiles and excitement by many. Fresh vegetables, fruit, plants, and flowers appear near the side…