Yesterday I wrote about how the word confessor can refer either to someone who hears or makes a confession. While the word might seem unusual in this regard, there are a surprising number of words in the English language which have contrary meanings. Consider the following sentences: Continue reading
Who?
Or what?
A lot of people were talking about Erskine May recently, mainly along the lines of those two questions above. So who, or what, is Erskine May? Continue reading
I learned recently about the existence of kangaroo words: words that contain the letters of a synonymous word (in the correct sequence) within themselves. Continue reading
I saw a video this morning entitled “Cute Dog Walks Themselves” (it’s a Sunday, I’m not busy). As is probably the case for you, the title seemed a little strange.
Dog, singular.
Themselves, plural.
The two shouldn’t really go together, should they? Continue reading
You might know the song “Yankee Doodle,” even if you’re not American. One line might sound a little strange to you:
Stuck a feather in his cap, and called it macaroni.
Why macaroni? Continue reading
When watching American TV and films, as a younger person, I’d consistently be amazed at how often characters would refer to a college class such as Biology 101 or History 101. Such lazy writing, I’d think. Why do they always say the classes are in Room 101? Why doesn’t even one writer decide to buck the trend and set their class in some other room? Even just Room 102! Continue reading
I come across the word morbido in my Italian comic-book reading now and then, and I can never remember what it means. The only thing I ever remember is that it’s quite different from morbid in English. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 