Archive for 'Culture'
Take Me Out Posted by Gary Locke on May 7, 2020
For those of us who have been social distancing for the better part of two months, it’s not unusual to spend some time imagining where we would like to go when this is all over. I commonly see the question, “Where will you go first?” on social media posts. But, as I let my fantasies…
Missing the Daily Routine Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 16, 2020
There’s a great English idiom, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” It conveys a feeling that life goes on even as we all have to adjust to the inevitable surprises that come our way. But this time is very different, isn’t it? We all find ourselves facing a very new routine…
English Words of Support Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 2, 2020
For the last several weeks I have been hearing a common phrase on television and radio, in teleconferences, and among friends – “We’re all in this together.” This is meant to encourage people to feel better about the situation we’re all in. It’s a way of saying that, as difficult as this may be, you…
English Words in the News: Coronavirus Edition Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 19, 2020
How’s your week going? The world, it seems, is having a singular experience. That is to say, we’ve never seen anything like this before. Before anyone argues that the so-called Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, or the events surrounding 9/11, were similar, let me stop you right there. The world is far more interconnected than…
English Songs to Sing While Washing Your Hands Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 12, 2020
Suddenly everybody is becoming very conscious of properly washing your hands. You’d think that, until very recently, handwashing was an afterthought. Did people think those signs in public washrooms that read, “Employees MUST wash hands before returning to work!” did not apply to the rest of us? Folks are also hoarding toilet paper like they’ve…
Love Songs in English Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 13, 2020
Many of the greatest songs of all time are love songs. If you’ve ever been in love, or wanted to be, you’ve probably been touched by a love song. Oh, yes, you might say, that’s exactly how I feel! This is why couples often say, “They’re playing our song!” They found a song that perfectly…
English Words in the News: Primary Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 6, 2020
I live in New Hampshire, which means that every four years, media from all over the world stumble over each other in an effort to learn what my neighbors are thinking about. This is not an exaggeration. I was once interviewed on Danish television! The reason for this quadrennial (meaning every four years) fascination with…