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
Yesterday on Facebook, I wrote briefly about the French phrase tenir la chandelle (literally to hold the candle), which means to play gooseberry. This got me thinking a little about the French verb tenir, which then led me to think about how it relates to the French word maintenant.
And yes, this is all about French, but in honour of France qualifying for the World Cup Final tonight*, I thought it was time for a little change of pace, and some French-Language Thoughts!™ Continue reading
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
To writhe (verb): to twist, wring, or contort (a part of the body)
From the Proto-Germanic *wrīþaną, meaning twist or turn. Continue reading
This is a pretty common preposition, along with the slightly more formal in spite of. It’s not a word you might use every day, but it’s common enough, especially in written English.
Still, when you think about it, it’s a bit odd, isn’t it? Continue reading
It’s much too hot to write anything. Moving my fingers is simply too much effort, never mind how hard it is to get my brain working at full capacity.
And it is actually hot. It’s not the typical 20° in June in the west of Ireland which feels hot, until later when you go on holiday and realise it was actually merely warm back in June. No, it’s 8.40pm, and 26.6°. It was 29.5° earlier. It’s hot. Continue reading
This is a post. Like the the 706 others before it. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 