About a day before the time of writing, President Donald Trump, of the United States of America, said the following, in relation to meddling in the 2016 election:
Wouldn’t it Be Nice?
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Aaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!
You may have said this today, in frustration perhaps, or in anger. Maybe it wasn’t quite as long as that. Maybe it was just a quick, cathartic Argh! I’m sure it’s something we’ve all said at least a few times in our lives. Did you ever wonder why it’s spelled in such a strange way though? Continue reading
Sense and Sensibility
I was enjoying some French conversation last night, on Bastille Day, when someone tried to think of the French translation for sensible. This is a tricky one because there is a French word sensibilité, but it’s a common false friend for French speakers, as it actually means sensitive in English.
That might seem odd to you, because sensible and sensitive are quite different in meaning in English. However, if we take a little trip into the past, we can see that the difference wasn’t always so marked. Continue reading
Caught Red-Handed
I heard this phrase this afternoon, and thought, Well, there’s no great mystery with this one. Red-handed refers to having blood on one’s hands from an act of murder or some other violence. No complicated, confusing web of etymology here.
But then I thought, I always think that, and then I look something up and there’s a fascinating, unexpected origin of the expression that I’ll be excited to share with you, dear reader. Continue reading
ise or ize?
I know this one! I hear you say. -ise is British English, and -ize is American English. That’s it, isn’t it?
Basically yes, but also no, not really. Continue reading
We are not Amused
The word we is a pretty simple one, isn’t it? You’re not going to get confused about what it means, or how to spell it, are you? Probably not, but what about how it’s used in the title there? Continue reading
Usernames: Or, a Romance of a Brave Knight
Sit down, and let me tell you a tale. A tale of knights and sorcerors, of demons and monsters, in a strange and lonely land, far, far from here. A tale of one knight in particular, who stood apart from all the others, distinguished by his valour and selflessness. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 