Total Recall

Recall is an interesting word by virtue of how simple its etymology is.

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Kind Regards

A lot of us write a lot more than we used to. If you work in a office, or even from home, there’s a good chance that your job requires you to send at least a few emails a day. I sent 34 work emails on Wednesday, for example (I also sent a lot on Thursday and Friday, but as the school I work in was closed because of the severe weather, I won’t count those). And this is still a relatively quiet period. Even if a lot of us are used to sending emails though, there’s something of an art to writing one.

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Super! Smashing! Great!

Writing a post inspired by a Smashing Pumpkins song recently got me thinking about that word smashing.

Specifically, how in British English it’s used to mean great or fantastic. What’s the link between the most common meaning of the word (crushing/breaking), and this use?

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Why is Peggy Short for Margaret?

What do these four women have in common?

Why, the fact that they all have the same name of course!

OK, they don’t really, but it’s not entirely inaccurate to say so. Why not? Read on…

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Tonight, Tonight

Why do we say tonight in English? When you think about it, it’s fairly unusual. Last night makes sense, and so does tomorrow night. But tonight? Where does that come from?

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Engrossed

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.

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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.

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