Language is very important to all of us, which ever one it is that we speak. Over 20,000 people a year read my old post on 102 Words That Aren’t In English But Should Be 102 Words That Aren’t In English But Should Be. A few weeks ago however a report appeared that put the cat… Continue reading There’s English and there’s English.
Tag: English
Tracing words back through time
Back in the mid 1990’s when I was studying at SOAS, one of the classes that I most enjoyed were those given by Professor Alexander Piatagorsky. He is said to have been the greatest Russian philospher of all time and one of the lesser known but greatest thinkers of the modern world. Sasha was… Continue reading Tracing words back through time
I’ve just had my DNA tested
I’ve always wanted to have my DNA tested and short of getting myself arrested, it seemed the best way to do this was to pay for one of those home-delivery kits. It must be said that I know quite a lot about my likely heritage and have written before about being related to various Anglo-Saxon… Continue reading I’ve just had my DNA tested
Predicting the weather with Old Wives Tales
Most of us are familiar with Old Wives Tales, traditional pearls of wisdom from sources lost through the ages but seemingly tapping into an eternal truth that is only revealed to older married women whose only qualification is a lifetime of experience. They cover all areas of life but not least the weather. Despite being… Continue reading Predicting the weather with Old Wives Tales
Do Accents Hold You Back?
As George Bernhard Shaw commented, ‘It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.Hello madam, how do you do? or alternatively Aye up Hello madam, how do you do? or alternatively Aye up pet, how’s it ganning like? If you were to meet someone on… Continue reading Do Accents Hold You Back?
All About Cockneys & The 150 Top Cockney Rhyming Slang Phrases
Almost everyone knows what a Cockney is or at least they think they do. Famously they are the original Londoners known for their cheeky banter, no nonsense approach to life and perhaps being a bit rough. Actually a lot rough. The amount of London gangster films has given to a film genre in… Continue reading All About Cockneys & The 150 Top Cockney Rhyming Slang Phrases
Apricity – The Warmth of Winter Sun
It’s freezing cold outside this morning. At 8.30am the garden is still minus 10C or 10F, the garden is covered in frost and ice and a pale blue stretches across the horizon with a very weak and watery like pale yellow sun is poking up above the horizon. Funnily enough the weather in NW Scotland… Continue reading Apricity – The Warmth of Winter Sun
Overusing the word ‘Like’
Last Sunday I had a trip on the Tube to old London town. It started off relatively quiet until after two stops, a young and seemingly well dressed and respectable lady sat down on the seat behind me. You could not hope for a seemingly more peaceful traveller until one stop down the line and… Continue reading Overusing the word ‘Like’
Portmanteaus from Brangelina to Brexit
Admittedly there isn’t much of a journey to along the alphabet from Brangelina to Brexit but these two events, which seem to have defined the summer illustrate just how much we use Portmanteaus from the important things in life to the whimsical. For those who are not sure what exactly is a Portmanteau, it is… Continue reading Portmanteaus from Brangelina to Brexit
The Epic of Beowulf
Last week saw the premiere of a new ITV show in the vein of Game of Thrones, The Vikings and The Last Kingdom, Beowulf. Whilst less intense and made to appeal to a wider audience than the other shows, many may be unaware that Beowulf isn’t just based on a classic work of literature but… Continue reading The Epic of Beowulf
Stephen Liddell 