Yesterday, I learned that I’m mancino. I’d actually already known that for a long time. Just not in Italian. For mancino, you see, is the Italian for left-handed. Continue reading
etymology
Sawhorse
I passed a sawhorse on my run this evening. And of course I thought: why is it called a sawhorse?
And yes, I know you might be thinking What’s a sawhorse?, so let me show you: Continue reading
What’s the Longest Word in the English Language?
You’d imagine that’s an easy question, wouldn’t you? Which word has more letters than any other? Done!
Well, you’d think so, but this is a surprisingly debated question. Continue reading
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
If you want peace, prepare for war.
An ancient, but enduring adage, first found in the 5th century De re militari (Concerning Military Matters) by the Latin writer Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus.
I was thinking about this phrase recently, inspired by the subtitle of the latest John Wick film – Parabellum. Continue reading
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hitchhiking
I was in Italy for a few days recently, and near my hotel I noticed a sign indicating that autostop was not permitted. You might have figured out that autostop is the Italian word for hitchhiking. Continue reading
The B-Team
What’s so bad about being on the B-Team? I mean, sure, they’re obviously not as good as the A-Team, but they’re still better than the other 24 teams! Continue reading
So Many Clothes
Yes, but how many? Wait, that doesn’t make sense, does it…?
Obviously you can’t say four clothes or five clothes. But why? Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 