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
Morbido
thoughts about English
Third-World Problems
I was reminded today of the term Third World. It was quite commonly used when I was a child, basically synonymous with developing world. I remember occasionally wondering as a child why we used the term (there’s only one world!), but it also feeling like it made sense. I think I was somewhen in my teens when I learned the answer.
Might I Trouble You…
I saw the word mighty today (not a word you see all the time these days), and immediately wondered if it were linked to the modal verb might (as in I might be mighty, but might I be the mightiest?) Continue reading
To Boot
I used this expression recently, and wondered where it comes from. Is it related to boots, the footwear? If not, is it related to any other words?
It’s not actually related to the boots that one wears at all, but still has an interesting story to tell. Continue reading
Stop Teasing Me!
I read something online recently about the Star Wars UK Twitter account teasing an announcement about the next Star Wars film.
Using the verb to tease in this way is fairly new, and always interesting to me. Continue reading
It’s Treason Then
Without getting too political, I’ll just say that this word has been in the news quite a bit today. After seeing it a few times, I began to wonder if there perhaps were an interesting story behind it.
And of course there is! Continue reading
Canteen
Writing about the word magazine yesterday made me think of another word with a similar range of meanings: canteen. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 