So you’ve long dreamed of writing fiction, but don’t know where to begin? There are lots of ways to get started — creative writing classes, local writing groups, and books with prompts to get you going. The key is to get started, and...
It’s cats and dogs, and a few other critters, too. Animals prowl around inside several English words, including sleuth, which was originally sleuth-hound, a synonym for bloodhound. Plus, the language we use with our pets and the ways they...
A savory Sicilian sausage roll is always a hit for the holidays. This dish goes by a long list of names that are equally delicious to say. Plus, why are those promotional quotes you see on the back of a book called blurbs? The guy who coined the...
In the United States, playing hooky from school is often called skipping school. Lots of other terms for truancy throughout the English-speaking world. In South Africa and India, it’s bunking. In England, you might describe that activity as...
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
In South Africa, a jocular rhyme that means “Thank you” is Dankie op ‘n plankie — literally, “Thank you on a board” or “Thank you on a plank.” This is part of a complete episode.