I was thinking about this word today. I’m not sure what made me think about it. Perhaps, passing a mirror, I noted how nonchalant I was.
Nonchalant
language
Electricity
Today I was playing a quiz online. I like quizzes. I also like money, which I would have won, except that I got a question wrong. That question was:
Guys and Gals
Why is it that gal is the feminine equivalent of guy?
And what’s the story with guy, for that matter?
How do You Pronounce Often?
Is the T silent or not?
Sent to Coventry (with Captain Boycott and Peeping Tom)
I’ve often wondered about this expression: to send someone to Coventry. It’s a little old-fashioned, so you may not have heard of it. It means to deliberately ostracise someone, by ignoring them, refusing to talk to them. The obvious question about this phrase is: why Coventry?
Gravity
I was thinking about this word, and the related word grave, this morning. Like contract, it’s a curiously multi-purpose word.
Contract
If you start a new job, or agree to buy something, you might have to sign a contract.
The word contract was originally usually used to refer to marriage, and comes from the Latin com (with, together) and trahere (to draw). Which makes sense really: if you give marry someone, you’re agreeing to draw closer together, and if you sign a contract with a company, you’re agreeing to draw together with them.
Isn’t if funny though, when we use contract as a verb?
English-Language Thoughts 