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:
Electricity
word history
Guys and Gals
Why is it that gal is the feminine equivalent of guy?
And what’s the story with guy, for that matter?
Wheel of Misfortune
A little earlier, I came across the following video:
April Fool!
Yes, as usual, I’m a day late. I know, but it’s because I’m writing this on April Fool’s Day, and publishing it tomorrow. Which is today for you. Anyway, April Fool’s Day. What’s the story with that?
What does Easter Mean?
Dawn. It means dawn.
It comes, via a few steps, from the Proto-Germanic *austron-, meaning dawn, and also used as the name of a a goddess of fertility and the spring. The link between the spring and the dawn is clear enough: the beginning of life and activity after a period of darkness and inactivity.
Why is Good Friday Called Good Friday?
Today was Good Friday for Christians, the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified and died. What’s so good about it then?
What does Shakespeare Mean?
It’s funny. I’ve thought a lot about what words mean, particularly names. Even more particularly, names which are clearly interesting or unusual. And I’ve thought a lot about William Shakespeare. But I’ve never thought about his surname before.
English-Language Thoughts 