Janus Words Most of us have experienced the rewards and challenges of learning a second language. To hasten the learning, we take courses, watch movies in the new language, and engage native speakers when possible. Both consciously and subconsciously these exercises expand our comprehension and confidence with our developing language. But even advanced learners from …
Trivia and Other Useful Information You’ve Pondered Too Long Did you know . . . A SHOT OF WHISKEY – In the Old West, a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents; so did a glass of whiskey. If a cowhand was low on cash, he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange …
Say what??? Back in the days when state welfare was relied upon by the needy, and long before the days of digital communication, the rapidly fading system of letter writing kept all involved informed of the status of their accounts. We can only hope that letters from welfare recipients kept the government workers in stitches …
Mexico on the World Stage Mexico holds more world records than any other Latin American country, and it shows no signs of slowing down. When it comes to world records, most of us turn to Guinness World Records, the acknowledged record keeper of the superlatives—biggest, best, worst, smallest, smartest, etc.—of just about any and every …
April Fools and Jokesters April is the month of the prankster. We all recall playing pranks on our friends, siblings, even our favorite teachers on April 1st. Harmless tricking was great fun when we were kids. Oh, how clever we were. And quick! We’d get the joke in a nanosecond. Like it or not, for …
It’s Hard to Top a Good Cliché “Let’s have some new clichés.”—movie mogul (and humorist) Samuel Goldwyn “One of the ironies of language is that striking figures of speech and vivid comparisons soon become clichés precisely because they initially express an idea so well,” says linguist Richard Lederer. Is there any doubt a person was …
Spanglish, anyone? Just as the United States is referred to as a melting pot of nationalities, the English language has adopted many words and phrases from other languages, and over time they have found their way into English dictionaries. Sometimes we put an English spin on them, but they are inarguably products of other mother …
We all know someone who insists on getting the last word, particularly in a disagreement. Or perhaps you are that someone. We say our piece and then move on. But there are folks who take the need for having the final word to a whole new level. In advance of their death they arrange for …
In 1907, to bring attention to The New York Times’s new headquarters in Times Square, the paper’s owner, Adolph Ochs, came up with the idea of drawing a crowd to watch a giant ball drop at the stroke of midnight. Thus began a spectacle that attracts millions of television viewers and tens of thousands—not infrequently …
Play Ball! The union of word nerds and sports fanatics is not quite as unlikely as one might think. Listen up. For baseball fans, summer isn’t officially over until the best teams of the National and American leagues clash in the World Series. The Fall Classic was won this year—most impressively—by the Houston Astros. Were …
