Author: Niall O'Donnell

Kind Regards

Niall O'Donnell 12 Comments

A lot of us write a lot more than we used to. If you work in a office, or even from home, there’s a good chance that your job requires you to send at least a few emails a day. I sent 34 work emails on Wednesday, for example (I also sent a lot on Thursday and Friday, but as the school I work in was closed because of the severe weather, I won’t count those). And this is still a relatively quiet period. Even if a lot of us are used to sending emails though, there’s something of an art to writing one.

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On the Street Where You Live

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

Time for a look at another golden oldie: what’s the difference between a road and a street?

Niall O'Donnell's avatarEnglish-Language Thoughts

If you live in an English-speaking country, there’s a strong possibility that your address contains one of the following words: road, street, boulevard, avenue. We use these words all the time without thinking about them, but what do they actually mean?

Well, first of all, they’re not always going to be used according to their strict dictionary definitions. Most housing developments are named according to how pleasant they sound, not to directly replicate the exact bit of city planning they embody.

The first two you can probably guess:

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Cryptocurrency

Niall O'Donnell 1 Comment

You’ve probably heard this term a lot recently, referring to digital currencies such as Bitcoin. What does that prefix crypto- mean though?

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Super! Smashing! Great!

Niall O'Donnell 14 Comments

Writing a post inspired by a Smashing Pumpkins song recently got me thinking about that word smashing.

Specifically, how in British English it’s used to mean great or fantastic. What’s the link between the most common meaning of the word (crushing/breaking), and this use?

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Why is Peggy Short for Margaret?

Niall O'Donnell 24 Comments

What do these four women have in common?

Why, the fact that they all have the same name of course!

OK, they don’t really, but it’s not entirely inaccurate to say so. Why not? Read on…

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Tonight, Tonight

Niall O'Donnell 11 Comments

Why do we say tonight in English? When you think about it, it’s fairly unusual. Last night makes sense, and so does tomorrow night. But tonight? Where does that come from?

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Engrossed

Niall O'Donnell 9 Comments

Maybe you’re engrossed in a good book, or a film, or perhaps simply an interesting conversation.

Whatever it is, it’s something that’s got our full attention.

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