Although some people assume that bumbershoot is a Briticism for “umbrella,” this term actually originated in the U.S. It’s likely a combination of umbrella and parachute. A parachute, like an umbrella, is a canopy of silk or silk-like material. This...
Marta, who studies English in Kyiv, Ukraine, says she was reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (Bookshop|Amazon) when she encountered the word parasol, noting its similarity to a Ukrainian word for “umbrella,” парасоля. Both stem from the same...
A man from Fort Smith, Arkansas, says his Canadian wife is baffled by his pronouncing the word cement as CEE-ment. Stressing the first syllable of such words as police, insurance, umbrella, and vehicle is an occasional feature of Southerners’ speech...
Don’t worry, be happy — or, as a quote attributed to Montaigne goes, “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Montaigne Quote” Here’s a quotation I like from...
The Pope has several Twitter feeds — and one of them’s entirely in Latin! But how do you adapt an ancient language to the modern world of selfies and hashtags? Plus, pit bull lovers are giving their dogs a linguistic makeover; they’re calling their...
Take umbrage means to take offense, irritation, or annoyance at something. Umbrage traces back to Latin umbra, “shadow,” and earlier English used it for literal shade, the kind found under orchard trees. It’s a cousin of umbrella. The figurative...
