Football’s not coming home after all then. In fact, it’s probably going to France. Plucky England did very well to get to the semi-final of the World Cup, and they can be proud of getting so far, and working so hard, with a fairly limited team.
Well done England, but also, commiserations. 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
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
This is a post. Like the the 706 others before it. Continue reading
Yesterday I promised you I’d explain why we’re so, well, free with how we use the word free in English. I’m sure you’ve been on tenterhooks since then, so let’s investigate. Continue reading
When writing about Melania Trump in yesterday’s post, I realised that I’d written a few times in the initial paragraphs that she’d been wearing a controversial coat.
No, that can’t be right, I thought.
You see, it’s June, so surely she was wearing a jacket. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 