Strange Combinations Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 11, 2021
When two or more words are combined to form a new word with a different meaning, we get a compound word. There are three types of compound words. They can be closed compounds, joined into one word, like soundproof. Closed compounds are almost always the combination of only two words. They can be open compounds…
Rewriting the English Dictionary Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 4, 2021
As you probably know, every year new words are added to English dictionaries. English is, after all, an ever-evolving language. Although, the editors of all the various dictionaries seldom agree on what words merit consideration and inclusion. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for 2021, for instance, added the hyphenated word haggis-headed, which describes someone who…
Fall recipes: Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte Posted by carol on Oct 29, 2021
Hello, everyone! The weekend is coming up, have you made any plans? Either way, many people enjoy spending their free time trying out new recipes in the kitchen. The fall season is specially inviting for culinary adventures, with the weather cooling down and the colors outside being so inspiring. And one cannot think about the…
Graveyards and Cemeteries Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 28, 2021
In English, we often use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. The same is true of tombs, mausoleums, and crypts. But, there is a difference between them. It’s time that we buried the confusion and explore the proper use of terms for the resting places of the dead. Graveyards In the western world, burials were…
English Language Phrases with Straw Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 21, 2021
October always makes me think of scarecrows, those human-shaped figures usually made of straw placed on open fields to discourage birds from feeding on newly sown seeds. They make for popular Halloween costumes, and they often find their way into horror movies. Straw is really the dried remains of harvested crops, like wheat or oats…
The Shakers of October Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 14, 2021
THE OCTOBER COUNTRY …that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the…
The Highly Versatile Em Dash Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 7, 2021
I’ve often remarked on this page that punctuation is a very important and often neglected part of learning English. Of all the little squiggles and lines that make up the world of punctuation, perhaps the most versatile and popular is what we call the em dash. Let’s take a look at what it is, how…