Oh, hi there.
It’s been a while, I know. I’ve been busy, and I think I wanted a little break from writing.
But then an idea comes, and here we are! Continue reading
You, of All People
language learning
Good Night
Hi. Hello. How are you?
All perfectly good ways to greet someone. As are…
Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. And good ni…
Oh wait. No.
Good morning, afternoon, and evening all mean hello, but good night only means goodbye. Why is that? Continue reading
Mancino
Yesterday, I learned that I’m mancino. I’d actually already known that for a long time. Just not in Italian. For mancino, you see, is the Italian for left-handed. Continue reading
Sawhorse
I passed a sawhorse on my run this evening. And of course I thought: why is it called a sawhorse?
And yes, I know you might be thinking What’s a sawhorse?, so let me show you: Continue reading
Nasty
Today, Donald Trump called actress Meghan Markle nasty (for justifiably calling him misogynistic), just days before he’s due to meet her husband and in-laws. Which is why I found it strange when I came across a tweet from “Official Trump War Room” (which has a blue tick) denying that he called her nasty.
Even stranger was that they used a recording of him calling her nasty to prove that he didn’t. Continue reading
What’s the Longest Word in the English Language?
You’d imagine that’s an easy question, wouldn’t you? Which word has more letters than any other? Done!
Well, you’d think so, but this is a surprisingly debated question. Continue reading
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
If you want peace, prepare for war.
An ancient, but enduring adage, first found in the 5th century De re militari (Concerning Military Matters) by the Latin writer Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus.
I was thinking about this phrase recently, inspired by the subtitle of the latest John Wick film – Parabellum. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 