One of my post popular posts ever was 102 great words that aren’t in English but should be! and I’ve written lots on different aspects of both English language Words we still use from Shakespeare! and Tracing words back through time others Languages with no vowels I love words and the meaning of words and especially words that have… Continue reading A Gruntled look at Orphan Negatives.
Tag: English language
The oldest living English language
Today’s post isn’t one that I wrote. I’ve been on the internet way before there was a world-wide web. When it was all Gophers and FTPs in the early 1990’s and even in the late 1980’s on local Bulletin Boards or BBS. In some ways the internet of old was a bit better than today;… Continue reading The oldest living English language
To be on Tenterhooks in Spitalfields
Have you ever heard of the phrase “on tenterhooks”? It has come to mean being in a state of tension, uneasiness, anxiety, or suspense, and that is because tenterhooks were once very common sights indeed. Tenterhooks aren’t the big hooks you might see in a meat market or butches but are instead related to the cloth… Continue reading To be on Tenterhooks in Spitalfields
An example of how English has changed over 1200 years.
I found this poster earlier today and thought it was well worth sharing. The text contains a brief passage of one of the most famous Psalms and I think gives a wonderful insight to how language changes. I really don’t like the modern version, it sounds almost like it is written for people with learning… Continue reading An example of how English has changed over 1200 years.
Two choicest Idioms – Butter Up & As Mad As A Hatter
A few weeks ago my new book, Straight From The Horse’s Mouth was released in Paperback and Kindle formats and I have been waiting for it to work its way through onto Apple iBooks. As it is now live, I thought I would post up two of the 101 idioms that make up Straight… Continue reading Two choicest Idioms – Butter Up & As Mad As A Hatter
Stephen Liddell 