Springfield is a particularly common toponym in the English language, especially in the United States. Continue reading
Springfield
etymology
No One Will Believe This of Vast Import to the Nation
This line, the final one of William Carlos William’s poem “Pastoral,” has always been fixed in mind.
It’s an effective and arresting line, poetically speaking, which is the main reason. But it was also the first time I’d seen the word import used in that way. Continue reading
The Horn of Plenty
Lots of animals have horns. Cows have horns. Rhinoceroses, goats, antelopes, all have horns.
Buildings though, generally don’t have horns. Continue reading
L’Uomo Pipistrello (Italian-Language Thoughts)
A quick update: you’ve probably been on the edge of your seat the last week or so, wondering if I’d find out if there’s an Italian equivalent of calling Batman The Bat or The Batman.
Well, I’ve been slowly making my through Batman: Anno Uno, and finally, close to the end, I’ve discovered the answer. Continue reading
Mocking
It’s strange that we live in a world in which I can write that the President of the United States mocked an alleged sexual-assault victim, and that’s not a lie. Continue reading
Flotsam and Jetsam
These two always go together, don’t they? Whether used literally or figuratively, they basically form a binomial pair, an expression made up of two words commonly joined by and or or. But what exactly is the difference between flotsam and jetsam? Continue reading
When Life Gives You Lemons…
…make lime juice.
Wait… no… what!? Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 