etymology

Beware the Ides of March!

Niall O'Donnell 10 Comments

What is an Ide anyway, and why should I be scared of it? Continue reading →

Toe the Line

Niall O'Donnell 5 Comments

Did you know that the phrase is toe the line, and not tow the line? It’s a very common mistake, largely because to toe isn’t commonly used a verb in English, whereas to tow can be found more frequently. Plus, you can tow a line, but what does toeing a line even mean? Continue reading →

One for the Road

Niall O'Donnell 8 Comments

After looking at the differences between the English words for animals and the meat we get from them, I was curious about the words we use for alcoholic drinks, and whether they display a similar Germanic/Latin divide. Continue reading →

Chicken – The People’s Food

Niall O'Donnell 16 Comments

Cow – Beef

Calf – Veal

Pig – Pork

Deer – Venison

Sheep – Mutton

Chicken – Chicken

Not hard to spot the odd one out, eh? Forgetting about chicken for a moment, have you ever noticed that in English, we have special names for the most-commonly consumed meats, separate from the names of the animals themselves? Continue reading →

Kiwi

Niall O'Donnell 3 Comments

It’s that age-old question which has long puzzled philosophers – which came first: the kiwifruit or the kiwi bird? Continue reading →

Basil!

Niall O'Donnell 6 Comments

Basil isn’t a name you hear much nowadays. Not in English at least, though it’s a little more popular in its French form. Perhaps it would be more popular if people knew what it meant. Continue reading →

Carnival

Niall O'Donnell 10 Comments

Carnival! Continue reading →