1/5/14 - immigrant
A person, plant or animal that moves by whatever means into a new territory, that migrates to a new locale.
View ArticleCartoon: Rising Floods and House Prices
BACKGROUND High tides and strong winds have brought flooding to Wales, Scotland and western England as officials warn of a continuing threat in parts of the UK. Read more >> THE CARTOON The...
View ArticleThe One Where Richard Dawkins Taught Me About Cooking And Learning Languages
Growing up, mother was tight-fisted like an immigrant. We never went out to eat. Not even ice-cream; it was always “I’ll get you a whole tub at home!”. Not even the movies; it was always: “man up,...
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Notes from ¿Qué tal? - Asking Questions
There is no Spanish equivalent to English do or does in questions. (e.g., Ud. trabaja acquí todos los dias. – You work here every day; ¿Ud. trabaja acquí...
View ArticleBecause syntax
Many people will be somewhat surprised that the American Dialect Society's "Word of the Year" choice was because in its use with a noun phrase (NP) complement (though the Megan Garber's Atlantic...
View ArticleThe Real History of the Word Redskin.
David Skinner has a fascinating article at Slate that begins: “As Washington mopes to the end of a losing NFL season, the controversy over the team’s name appears to have plenty of fight left. To the...
View Article1/6/14 - if
1. Conditional (unlikely) situation, should: 'If I were you, I'd apologize'. 2. Granting that, accepting that: 'If she blabs, we're all in deep trouble'. 3. On the condition that: 'I will go only if...
View ArticleWord of the day: Smallpox
Smallpox now is a thing of the past. But it was a very serious disease indeed, killing millions over the centuries. It was the huge transmission rates of approximately 20% which made it a real killer....
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A Language Epiphany - My New Orleans (blog)
My New Orleans (blog)A Language EpiphanyMy New Orleans (blog)Today, Twelfth Night, marks the beginning of the Carnival season – a time of the year that once gave New Orleanians a boost when it came to...
View ArticleLearn a language 10 minutes at a time.
The year has just started and our New Year’s resolutions are still ringing in our ears. For those of you who put improving their language skills on the list, here are three things you can do even when...
View ArticleAprende un idioma 10 minutos a la vez.
El año va empezando y los propósitos de Año Nuevo aún están zumbando en nuestros oídos. Para aquellos que se propusieron mejorar sus habilidades lingüísticas, aquí hay algunos consejos para aprender un...
View ArticleWords in the News: Blueprint
George Osborne will set out plans to cut taxes by extending the austerity programme and creating a permanently smaller State. The Chancellor will say in a speech in Birmingham that Britain must face up...
View ArticleReuters Video: Bad weather woes for Europe and U.S.
Severe snow storms in the U.S. and flooding in Britain is causing havoc for families and businesses, while Germany and France are enjoying exceptionally mild temperatures. Hayley Platt talks to...
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Study: Babies understand language differences - Philippine Star
MSN NZ NewsStudy: Babies understand language differencesPhilippine StarWELLINGTON, New Zealand (Xinhua) -- Infants who can't yet speak themselves are able to recognize that people who speak different...
View ArticleCartoon: Continued Floods ...
BACKGROUND This cartoon by Morland from The Times connects the England cricket team's disastrous 5-0 defeat in the Ashes Test Match series in Australia, and the floods which have been causing chaos...
View ArticleNew Old Spice TV Ad
Male grooming brand Old Spice has gained a reputation for creating smart, funny ads (it's Smell Like A Man, Man campaign was particularly successful), and this latest one looks set to continue the...
View Article5 Moves to Enhance Life and Learning This Year
I have found the following to emerge again and again as areas that need continual attention and reinforcement for the dedicated lifelong learner. I will be working on them myself, doing research, and...
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The Language of Life: New year, new (musical) dreams - TheNewsTribune.com
The Language of Life: New year, new (musical) dreamsTheNewsTribune.comI have found that when looking for inspiration to help children dream, you should use colorful and descriptive language. When was...
View ArticleWord of the Week: Bodgery
Bodgery: Bungling, botched work. Probably related to botch. The OED calls bodgery “obsolete,” and gives only one citation for the word, from the playwright Thomas Nashe, who used it in the late 16th...
View ArticleBecause (Prep).
I have little patience with “word of the year” hoopla; as I wrote to Paul T. (who agreed), it seems like pure marketing nonsense. (Needless to say, if people enjoy it, I don’t begrudge them their...
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