Watching Roland Garros this summer, I learned a new French term: Le Grand Chelem. Not that it was very new, as it’s not different from an English term I was already aware of.
Le Grand Chelem
English language
Harvey Weinstein: Doesn’t Sound Right to Me
Obviously there’s been a lot of reports of sexual harassment lately, largely because of the initial reports about Harvey Weinstein.
I don’t really have anything to add to everything that’s already been said and written. I am curious about that name Weinstein though.
An Historic Occasion or A Historic Occasion?
I’ll tell you before the end, I promise (I bet he just says that both are correct, he always does). But you can see already, can’t you, how the letter H isn’t so simple even for native speakers.
In fact, it can be quite a controversial letter, sparking more arguments than perhaps any other.
H is for Honesty
Does Alcohol Make you Better at Speaking a Second Language?
Absolutely.
Racking my Brain
Writing yesterday’s post, I came to a point where I wanted to use the phrase racking their brain. A few words before I got to the point where I had to type it though, I paused: was it wracking their brain?
I’ve never been sure how to spell it, and it’s not something I often have to write, so I never had to look it up. At least until yesterday anyway, so to satisfy all our curiosity, here’s the answer…
Literal Translation
The above photo is of a box I came across recently in a shop in Liège, and is a classic example of how literal translation will usually lead you astray.
English-Language Thoughts 