Archive for 'Culture'
Mars and English Literature Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 25, 2021
Mars is back in the news. Not that it was ever really out of the news, but Mars has lately become the go-to place in our solar system. A probe launched by the United Arab Emirates, Hope, began orbiting the planet in early February to study the Martian atmosphere. China’s Tianwen-1 landed on Mars a…
English Idioms and Expressions about Art Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 28, 2021
In English, we have many idioms and expressions that reference art. Perhaps because art is such a personal thing, producing emotional responses, we strive to find ways to express how it makes us feel and how to define it. I’m sure that the very word art means something different to everyone. “Life is sometimes hard…
The Hill We Climb Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 21, 2021
If you are studying the English language, you could not find a better example of its power than Amanda Gorman’s poem performed at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden. The Hill We Climb is filled with rich imagery and figurative allusions from culture, history, and the Bible. Gorman was writing her poem for the…
The Story of Scrabble Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 18, 2021
Chances are, you’ve played Scrabble. You know the 15×15 square board, with its 225 squares designed to accommodate 100 wooden tile pieces. 98 of the tiles are marked with a letter and the value of that letter in the lower-left corner. The remaining two wooden tiles are blank on both sides. The value of each…
Top Ten for ’20 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 23, 2020
We are just about at the end of 2020 and, yes, I can hear many of you saying, “Thank goodness!” We will none of us soon forget this year. There’s never been anything like it. The hardships that have affected all of us in one way or another will carry an impact for probably the…
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 17, 2020
Sometimes a song comes along that everyone learns the words to just because the song is so much fun to sing. Even when the song is about the meanest, worst being on the planet. One of the most enduring tales of Christmas is the book and cartoon film, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas…
Talking About Age in English Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 3, 2020
I have a birthday coming up soon, and it’s a big one. You know, one of those birthdays where you get lots of mail trying to sell you things you thought were just for old people. How did that happen? Words and Phrases for Old Age I am what is known as a baby boomer…