I’m Having Coffee with Someone in a Coffee Shop

Well, obviously you are.

I overheard that sentence yesterday while writing my last post and enjoying a coffee (and I don’t normally eavesdrop, but it was difficult not to overhear the lady who said the above). It seemed strange for a few reasons. Continue reading →

Straightforward

While writing yesterday, I paused to think of le mot juste, and it turned out that straightforward was juste the mot I needed. I paused again, then, to think a little more about that word, straightforward.

It’s quite a straightforward word, isn’t it? Continue reading →

Aaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!

You may have said this today, in frustration perhaps, or in anger. Maybe it wasn’t quite as long as that. Maybe it was just a quick, cathartic Argh! I’m sure it’s something we’ve all said at least a few times in our lives. Did you ever wonder why it’s spelled in such a strange way though? Continue reading →

Carolin Gallego

Today, I came across a letter written to New York magazine in 1992. Normally I wouldn’t expect such a thing to be particularly interesting, but this letter was written by someone called Carolin Gallego about her apparent boss, Donald Trump. Continue reading →

Indiana

I was reading the blurb on the book I’ve just started reading, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, when I got a little surprise.

Continue reading →

Blurb

You may know that a blurb is any text on the back cover (or occasionally inside the dust jacket) of a book. The word is generally associated with quotes from authors or reviewers praising the book, but it can also refer to any text, like a plot summary, author biography, or information about the series the book belongs to. Continue reading →

What do you Call a French Muggle?

Un non-magique, apparently.

Before I go any farther, I should explain that I’m talking about Harry Potter.

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