etymology

X Marks the Spot

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Yes, but why? Continue reading →

Dead Right!

Niall O'Donnell 1 Comment

I had another of my common hmmm, I wonder why… moments while writing yesterday’s post, specifically when mentioning the meaning of dead ringer. I understand that dead meant precise in that context, but I wondered why we use it with that meaning? Continue reading →

Cemetery Man

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

Who would’ve thought this Monday evening that we’d all be reading and talking so much about a cemetery? But these days you just never know what’s going to happen, and now I’m thinking about the word cemetery. Continue reading →

Out, Damn’d Spot!

Niall O'Donnell 3 Comments

I was thinking this morning that the word spot is one of those simple unassuming words that actually has a lot of quite different meanings, and can be used as verb and a noun.

I find it particularly interesting in that it began with a more abstract, poetic meaning, and later on came to be used in more mundane ways. Continue reading →

Dilettante

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I was thinking yesterday about how I’m a bit of a dilettante when it comes to music. I like a lot of acts and genres, but I couldn’t narrow my preferences down to anything very particular. Continue reading →

Dear John…

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…, why are you so expensive?

HA!

Terrible, I know, but sometimes bad jokes can be quite illuminating. Like when they help us to realise that we use the word dear in quite different ways. Continue reading →

Capital or Capitol?

Niall O'Donnell 3 Comments

Usually, it’s capital that you need. But sometimes, and specifically right now if you’re in the United States, capitol’s the word you’re looking for. Continue reading →