Until recently, I would probably have told you that easier is the only correct version. Now though, I’m not sure it’s quite so simple. Continue reading
Easier or More Easy?
thoughts on the English language
Creepypasta
What type of pasta!?
Creepypasta!
If you’re relatively internet savvy, you might currently be nodding and stroking your chin wisely, saying, Ah yes, creepypasta!
The rest of you though, might well be asking yourselves, well, What type of pasta!? Continue reading
Assassination or Murder?
If I asked you to define the word assassination, you probably wouldn’t have much difficulty. You’d probably say something like the killing of a famous or important person.
And that would be perfectly fine.
But recently I wondered if there’s a specific distinction between murder and assassination. Continue reading
Gingerly
I was reading this afternoon, when the word gingerly made me pause. It’s a word I’ve come across countless times before, but today was the first time I asked myself – What does it have to do with ginger? Continue reading
What’s the Difference Between a Language and a Dialect?
You might have noticed yesterday that when I mentioned the word bairn, I referred to its use in both Scots and Scottish English. And you might have asked yourself: what’s the difference?
I’m not an expert, and not going to go into all the details, but suffice it to say that they’re quite distinct. Continue reading
Vikings
I was reading about a Viking hoard discovered in York in England this morning, and learned something quite interesting. Continue reading
Come and See. Or Watch…
A common question that comes up in the English-language classroom is, what’s the difference between seeing and looking? And sometimes watching is thrown in there for good measure.
Explaining them is pretty straightforward. Continue reading
English-Language Thoughts 