My last post featured the popular phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” I was surprised to find it was written in 1839 by English author Edward … [Read more...]
The pen is mightier than the sword, so keep your pen sharp!
Written words inform us, entertain, and even change history. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln described Harriett Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, as, … [Read more...]
Collective Nouns—charming delights for word lovers
This post began when I saw a delightful bird in Scotland and asked its name. “It’s a Chaffinch, in the Finch family,” my friend said. “A group is called a charm … [Read more...]
If ‘Home is where the heart is’, mine keeps growing.
“There’s a Tibetan saying: “Wherever you have friends, that’s your country, and wherever you receive love, that’s your home.” In my life, many valued ongoing … [Read more...]
How things get their names, Part 2 (and what does twine have to do with cars?)
This is my second post about car brands, often named for inventors or developers. "Automobile" is a French-coined word adopted by manufacturers. In 1909, when it … [Read more...]
How do things get their names? Part 1
For this post, I’ll focus on the origination of some American auto brands. Their names are often linked to their inventor or developer. Henry Ford may be the … [Read more...]
Antique or Classic? What makes the difference?
The word antique, from the Latin antiquus meaning old or ancient, describes collectible items usually at least 100 years old. They are desirable because of age, … [Read more...]
There are fascinating origins behind most nursery rhymes.
I love discovering the history and origins behind most common nursery rhymes that bring added details on the life and times of real people and events. Children may … [Read more...]
Funny Things Happen on our way to Written English – “Though the written word may stay you, the spoken word can slay you.”
If the above words aren’t already a famous quotation, they should be, since correct word pronunciation often trips us up. I remember being a dreamy sixth grader who … [Read more...]
Southern Exposure
Today I finish three months of great Southern living 860 miles south of Minnesota where when temperatures dropped to -26 northern Mississippi dipped to 23 above but … [Read more...]
