Maybe you’re engrossed in a good book, or a film, or perhaps simply an interesting conversation.
Whatever it is, it’s something that’s got our full attention.
Engrossed
French
A Soupçon of Mustard
I don’t know if you know it, but I love the word soupçon. Long before I knew what it meant in French, I just loved the sound of it, and its general cheeky French air.
Que Sera Sera
… whatever will be, will be.
You might know the song. And you might know the language the title is in. Or you might think you might know…
Why are they Called Romance Languages?
For Crying Out Loud!
Usually, when people cry, they cry out loud. But of course you can cry silently, can’t you? That hasn’t always been the case though.
To Coin a Phrase
Without checking, I can safely say that I refer to words and phrases being coined a lot in these posts. I’ve long wondered why we use to coin as a verb in this way, so different, apparently, from how we use coin as a noun. So I decided to look into it.
Where does the Word News Come From?
Well, let’s start with where it doesn’t come from.
It’s not, as you might have heard, an acronym of North, East, West, and South. This is a popular misconception, usually claimed to be based on the idea that news comes from all directions.
While this sounds cute, it’s really not the way words are formed at all. As I’ve pointed out before.
Instead, the truth is a bit stranger.
English-Language Thoughts 