-
Le Tour de France (Part 3)
Amuse-bouche: What do you call an elephant that doesn’t matter? An irrelephant. Today’s Wonderful Word: “nibling.” Nibling is a gender-neutral term used to refer to a child of one’s sibling as a replacement for “niece” or “nephew”. Règles et stratégies Comment la Grande Boucle marche-t-elle ? Nous allons analyser les chiffres clés de 2019 et le…
-
Le Tour de France (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Ain’t nothin’ to it but to do it.” – Ted Lasso Bien sûr, le TDF va beaucoup changer à travers les âges. Par exemple, la vitesse moyenne du premier Tour était 25,68 km/h. En 1919, la vitesse moyenne était 24,06 km/h, le Tour le plus lent. (Cette année-là marque aussi la date de…
-
Le Tour de France (Part 1)
Amuse-bouche: Cold hotdog. An oxymoron. Today’s Wonderful Word: “schlimazel.” Definition: a consistently unlucky or accident-prone person. Etymology: Yiddish shlimazel consistently unlucky person, bad luck, misfortune. For the remainder of the month of July, you will have the chance to read a paper that I wrote for my French capstone class. Here is it, Un aperçu…
-
Heads Up!
Amuse-bouche: “I joined the Messy’s Anonymous group only last week, but now I can’t find my membership book in all this clutter!” Today’s Wonderful Word: “alley-oop.” Definitions: Interjection – used as a shout of encouragement or exhortation, especially when coordinating efforts to lift a heavy object. Basketball – a quick-score play in which a high,…
-
Concision is key
Amuse-bouche: « Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte. » “I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” – Blaise Pascal Today’s Wonderful Word: “concision.” Definition: marked by brevity of expression or…
-
Our antcestors
Amuse-bouche: I saw a neon sign that said “Morrison’s,” but the middle 3 letters were burned out. Today’s Wonderful Word: “heiligenschein.” Definition: a bright ring, caused by diffraction of light rays, that appears around the shadow cast by a person’s head on wet grass. Etymology: Heiligenschein is from German, in which it means “halo” or,…
-
Origami
Amuse-bouche: Every “c” in “Pacific Ocean” is pronounced differently. Today’s Wonderful Word: “origami.” Definition: the Japanese art or process of folding squares of paper into representational shapes. Etymology: Japanese, from “ori” (fold) + “kami” (paper). The Crane The Shirt Life begins as a flat page. As we grow older, our pages wrinkle and roll and…
-
Bball Lingo (Part 3)
Today’s quote: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan Lane / paint: the rectangular area of the court that extends from underneath the goal to the free throw line. This area is sometimes painted a different color than the rest of the…
-
Climate change
Amuse-bouche: I used to be indecisive, but now I’m just not sure. Today’s Wonderful Words: “rubbernecking.” Rubbernecking is a derogatory term primarily used to refer to bystanders staring at accidents. It is often the cause of traffic jams, sometimes referred to as “gapers’ block” or “gapers’ delay”, as drivers slow down to see what happened…
-
Bball Lingo (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Students can’t be ‘taught’ – they can only be helped to learn.” – Leo Jones Crossover: a dribbling move / technique where someone dribbles from the right hand to the left hand or vice versa, crossing the ball over to the other hand and changing the body’s direction to get around an opponent…
-
Bball Lingo (Part 1)
Today’s expression: “To be in the same boat.” Meaning: In the same situation, experiencing similar circumstances Court: the rectangular playing area with one goal at each end Goal / hoop / basket / basketball goal: the place where the basketball goes in order for a team to score points To hoop / to ball /…
-
Misc.
Today’s quote: “It’s always impossible until it’s done.” -A quote on the wall of an office building somewhere. Does today’s quote actually make any sense? It’s confusing as all get-out. Just like the phrasal verb “get-out.” Or is that a phrasal noun? Anyway. You know when you pack a bag with a few changes of…
-
Jeopardy!
Amuse-bouche: Down With Capitalism! Today’s Wonderful Word: “jeopardy.” Definition: peril or danger, hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury. Etymology: From 1200–1250, Middle English j(e)uparti, joupardi(e), j(e)upardi(e). From Anglo-French, Old French: literally, “divided game or play,” hence, “uncertain chance,” “problem” (in chess or love), equivalent to j(e)u: “play,” “game” +…
-
Treasure chess
Today’s quote: “Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell.” – Bill Copeland Worried that you aren’t good at chess? Blame pollution. According to an article on Engoo.com, air pollution may cause more chess mistakes. Take a look at this link to check out the article. Engoo.com is a treasure…
-
Cut it out!
Amuse-bouche: Making a living is the same as making a killing. Today’s Wonderful Words: “phrasal verbs.” Definition: a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or adverb or both and that functions as a verb whose meaning is different from the combined meanings of the individual words. Here are some phrasal verbs that use…
-
Wingspan
Today’s quote: “Open your mind before your mouth.” May I introduce you to my favorite board game? Wingspan is a one- to five-player engine building game. On your turn, you may play a bird, gain food, lay eggs, or draw bird cards. You have 26 turns to score as many points as possible. Here’s an…
-
A bathroom sign
Amuse-bouche: Obvious is something easy to notice. Oblivious is one who doesn’t notice. Today’s Wonderful Word: “gallinipper.” Definition: insects that sting or bite, such as the Large American Mosquito. Etymology: “Gallinipper” was first recorded in English around 1680. “Gallinipper” previously appeared as “gal-knipper” and “gurnipper.” The second half of “gallinipper” looks as it does because…
-
Knick Knacks
Today’s quote: “Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse Here’s a little art project I did. Some notes: Two items are removed each time. The snake rotates slightly each time. The bronze Ace of spades in the top-left is a lighter. It’s ready to light the firework. Between the 4th and 5th photos, the dice are replaced with…
-
A man named Odd
Amuse-bouche: You don’t have to talk fast to fast talk. Today’s Wonderful Word: “apricity.” Definition: the warmth of the sun in winter. There once was a man whose name was Odd. He wasn’t sure why his parents gave him that name. It caused him problems all his life, and he never liked it. One day,…
-
Achilles
Today’s quote: Below are the lyrics from one of my favorite songs. The bold text highlights my favorite part. You can listen to the song on Spotify here. Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths [Verse 1] Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down Won’t you get up off, get up off the roof? You’re scaring us and…
-
Cheerios
Today’s expression: “Through thick and thin.” Meaning: under all circumstances, no matter how difficult. In good times and in bad times. Despite all obstacles or adversities. Cheerios have been with me through thick and thin. A bowl a day keeps the doctor away. This heart-healthy cereal is made with 100% whole grain oats. Cheerios’s motto:…
-
Wanderwort
Amuse-bouche: To ignore someone is to give yourself ignorance. If you ignore someone, you are choosing ignorance. Today’s Wonderful Word: “Wanderwort.” Definition: a loanword borrowed from one language and established in many unrelated languages, usually in a chain of adoption determined by established trade routes, and sometimes undergoing changes caused by contact with the native…
-
Dumb luck
Today’s quote: “There’s a spider on your head April Fools.” I worked as a student technician during the summer of 2014. My colleagues and I were tasked with visiting all schools in our school district to clean out computers, take inventory, update hardware and software, test equipment, etc. We traveled via school van. Inside said…
-
Tongue Twisters
Amuse-bouche: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? Today’s Wonderful Words: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he…
-
Leave the door a jar.
Today’s expression: “Leave the door ajar.” *places a jar next to the door and whispers, “I’m leaving this for you.” Explanation: You could leave a door ajar by leaving it open, or you could leave a door a jar by giving it a wide-mouthed cylindrical container made of glass or pottery and typically having a…
-
My first million dollars
Amuse-bouche: My first million dollars Today’s Wonderful Words: Coins and bills from my collection: Silver dollars $2 bills Wheat penny from 1906 Pennies National Parks quarters Foreign currencies Nickel from 1943 Dollar and half-dollar coins Buffalo nickels from the 1930s Misc Answer to Saturday’s riddle: A+
-
Typewriter
Today’s quote: “Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.” This is my typewriter. It’s an Olympus Traveller de Luxe S probably from the 70s. I’ve had it for a couple years now. It shipped to me from the UK, tightly wrapped and sufficiently padded in a sturdy box packed by an Etsy seller. Learning the ins and…
-
Idioms
Amuse-bouche: “Head down?” (to the basement) I nodded and opened the door. “(Keep your) Head down. We have to duck here for the duct work.” Today’s Wonderful Words: Ever find yourself searching for the meaning or origin of an expression? Eager to learn a new idiom every day? Visit the Free Dictionary at https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com. The Free…
-
Puzzling
Today’s expression: “under the weather.” Meaning: Sick. Example: I’ve had a temperature since last night, I didn’t sleep well, and I’m still feeling under the weather this morning. “Another piece!” I placed the edge piece on the table and clicked it home. The border was done; now on to filling it in. I had never…
-
Igpay Atinlay
Amuse-bouche: “…a German shepherd puppy.” “A German WHAT her puppy?” Today’s Wonderful Words: “eunoia, adoulie, douleia, eucosia, eulogia, eunomia, eutopia, miaoued, moineau, sequoia, suoidea, education, unequivocally, unquestionably.” These words each contain all 5 vowels. “Pig Latin” in Pig Latin is Igpay Atinlay. Example sentence written in Igpay Atinlay: Aketay outay ethay ashtray. = Take out…
-
You got questions? We got ants, sirs.
Today’s expression: “Give it a rest.” Meaning: If you tell someone to give it a rest, you want them to stop doing something or stop talking about something because it’s annoying you. One time, I was backpacking with a group from school. And I had a few granola bars in my pack. There were some…
-
Bare burdens
Amuse-bouche: I had a little bird. Its name was Enza. I opened up the window, And in flew Enza. Today’s Wonderful Word: “ornithology.” Definition: a branch of zoology that concerns the methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them. I see it. There it is. I can swoop. I can…
-
Watch your ****ing language!
Today’s expression: “Watch your language.” Meaning: To speak politely, without using profane, obscene, or rude words or phrases. Overheard conversation “Hey, Sam, how the **** are ya?” “Oh, I’m pretty ****ing fantastic, Cat. How ‘bout yourself?” “Never better. Listen, I’m calling to **** about the **** from last Friday.” “What the **** are you ****ing…
-
Top 10 Nonfiction Books I’ve Read
Amuse-bouche: Nobody eats here anymore because it’s too crowded. Today’s Wonderful Words: “valuable” and “invaluable.” “Valuable” and “invaluable” are synonyms. Without further ado, here are the top 10 nonfiction books I’ve read: Answer to Saturday’s riddle: The traveler asks the villager, “Which path leads to your village?” The traveler will choose to walk down the…
-
Travelers
Today’s quote: “None of us is as strong as all of us.” Source: A sign in the high school study hall that we always made fun of because we couldn’t (and still can’t quite) understand it. Travelers: A game invented by two young boys The object of the game is to travel and go on…
-
We all have superpowers.
Amuse-bouche: How to use “and” 5 times in a row grammatically: A woman owned a store called “This And That.” She hired someone to make a sign for her store. When the sign was finished, the owner inspected the work. She discovered that the spacing was not to her liking, so she said, “The space…
-
An urban art structure
Today’s expression: “icing on the cake.” Meaning: An additional benefit or positive aspect to something that is already considered positive or beneficial. This is my favorite urban art structure. Of the many pictures I took of the tower, this one turned out best. The colors in the sky are magnificent. And the icing on the…
-
Radio Garden
Amuse-bouche: Roses are grey, violets are grey, I am a dog. Today’s Wonderful Word: “Afghanistan.” Afghanistan is the only country that has three letters in alphabetic sequence (F, G, H). Radio Garden is a little gem of a website. When you visit Radio Garden, you will see a globe full of lights. Each light represents…
-
I’m color blind.
Today’s quote: “No, I’m not color blind. I know the world is black and white.” – John Mayer, Stop This Train I’m color blind. The photo below looks like only a bunch of dots to me. Don’t get me wrong. I know the dots are different colors. Duh. Some are black and others are grey. Just…
-
Homonyms
Amuse-bouche: Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay, they would be bagels! Today’s Wonderful Word: “homonym.” Definition: each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins. Examples: “pole” and “pole,” “mean” and “mean.” I’m addressing you to tell you my…
-
Aliens
Today’s expression: “To be on the fence.” Meaning: To be unable to make up one’s mind. Example: “Are you going to eat your fries?” “I don’t know. I keep picking up one to eat and then setting it back down. I’m on the fence about whether I’ll finish them.” What would you do if you…
-
Homophones
Amuse-bouche: You’re up here. You’re a peer. You’re a pee-er. You’re a pier. Your up ear. Europe here. You, rapier. Yewr, appear. Ewe Rup here. Today’s Wonderful Word: “homophone.” Definition: each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling. Examples: “new” and “knew,” “compliment” and “complement.” Don’t forget…
-
Slow children at play
Today’s expression: « Quand le vin est tiré il faut le boire. » Literal translation: “When the wine is drawn, you have to drink it.” Or “When the wine is drawn, it must be drunk.” Meaning: “When you start something, finish it.” Okay class, today we’re going to talk about a sign we’ve all seen…
-
Metalanguage
Amuse-bouche: Don’t drive recklessly. Drive wrecklessly. Today’s Wonderful Words: “Janus word.” Definition: a word that has opposite or nearly opposite meanings. Etymology: Janus is the literally two-faced Roman god of beginnings, doorways, and the movement of the sun. The name Janus is also the source of January (Latin Jānuārius) and related to jānus, “doorway, covered…
-
Birdlike
Amuse-bouche: “What if humans are just birds with their heads on backward?” – Anonymous Source Today’s Wonderful Word: “inauspicious.” Definition: showing or suggesting that future success is unlikely. Etymology: The term “inauspicious” is related to the Latin word for “divination from flight of birds,” or “birdwatching.” “What do you want to be when you grow…
-
Bird’s Eye View
Today’s expression: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Explanation: it’s better to hold onto something you have rather than take the risk of getting something better which may come to nothing. It’s like the idea of betting double or nothing. Expressions The early bird gets the worm. = Those who…
-
Acrostics
Amuse-bouche: The raisin wined about how he couldn’t achieve grapeness. Today’s Wonderful Word: “esoteric.” Definition: intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. François Villon was a sneaky little devil. Pardon the interruPTIon. Villon wrote Le Testament, in which he carefully placed a special…
-
Solving a cube
Today’s expression: « on ne peut avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre. » Definition: « on ne peut pas tout avoir ; il faut choisir dans la vie » Literal translation: You can’t have butter and the money from butter. Equivalent expression in English: You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Follow…
-
Keyboard Shortcuts for PC
Amuse-bouche: Life without music would b flat. Today’s Wonderful Word: “petrichor.” Definition: a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground. Etymology: Petrichor is based on two Ancient Greek words: pétros, meaning “stone,” and īchṓr, the name of an ethereal fluid that the gods of Greek mythology…
-
High School English Class
Amuse-bouche: “What’s upstairs?” “Uh, sorry, but the stairs don’t talk.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “stravage.” Definition: to wander aimlessly; to saunter or stroll. Etymology: From the late 18th century, when “stravage” likely developed by shortening and alteration from the now-archaic word “extravagate,” a synonym for “stray” and “roam” that can also mean “to go beyond proper…
-
Tenet
Today’s expression: « Prendre des vessies pour des lanternes » Definition: « se faire des illusions grossières sur des choses ou des gens ; se tromper lourdement dans ses appréciations ; être naïf ; se faire des illusions ; faire une confusion absurde et naïve ; se tromper grossièrement » For more information, click here.…
-
Palindromes
Amuse-bouche: Rats live on no evil star. – A palindrome Today’s Wonderful Word: “borborygmi” Definition: rumbling or gurgling sounds caused by the movement of gas in the intestines. A palindrome is a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as [wow]. Spaces and punctuation don’t usually count. Thus, [lion oil]…
-
Peregrines
Today’s quote: “With the birds I’ll share this lonely view.” Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scar Tissue According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a peregrine is “a powerful falcon found on most continents, breeding chiefly on mountains and coastal cliffs.” I love that they used the word “powerful,” even though they aren’t all that large. The peregrine…
-
The dummy of Zeery
Amuse-bouche: Only Handle It Once (OHIO). Ohio is also the close pronunciation of “good morning” in Japanese. Make it a good morning by only handling it once. A job done well is a job well done. Today’s Wonderful Word: “selcouth.” Definition: strange, uncommon. Etymology: From Old English seldcūth, which is equivalent to seldan, meaning “seldom,”…
-
Jehu v Baal
Today’s quote: Haste makes waste. Here’s a little something I wrote. Brain teaser: Place eight queens on an empty chess board (8 X 8 grid) so that no queen is threatening another. That means no two queens can share the same row, column, or diagonal. A+
-
Anagrams
Amuse-bouche: Six Word Stories: Basement elevator attendant seeks a raise. – Philip Kingsley, UK You’re so sweet, but I’m diabetic. – Bradley Sancken, Japan Today’s Wonderful Word: casarse. From Spanish, casarse means “to get married.” Casa means “house.” The reflexive se is often used when an action verb is done to or related to oneself. The verb casarse shows that marriage is an…
-
Walk Beneath the Walking Tree
Today’s expression: « faire la grasse matinée. » Literal translation: to do / make the fat morning. Figurative translation: to sleep late, to sleep later than usual, to stay in bed after waking up. Take a walk with me beneath the arches of the walking tree. Banyans are native to India and only grow in…
-
Thanks Giving
Amuse-bouche: A frog hopped into a bank to ask for a loan. As the frog approached the teller’s counter, he noticed her nametag read, “Patricia Whack.” “Hello, Ms. Whack,” the frog said. “My name is Kermit Jagger, son of Mick Jagger, and I’m interested in taking out a loan for $50,000 to buy a boat.” …
-
Nature vs. Nurture (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Father, is a person’s destiny a thing like a cloud flowing with an inescapable flow? Or can a person choose the flow he wishes? I still don’t know the answer to this. Either way, the destination may be the same in the end. However, by choosing to live like the latter, a person…
-
Learning French as a Beginner
Amuse-bouche: One bright day in the middle of the night, Two dead men stood up to fight. Back-to-back they faced each other, Drew their swords and shot one another. If you don’t believe my story is true, Ask the blind man – he saw it, too. Today’s Wonderful Word: « vendredi. » « Vendredi »…
-
Nature vs. Nurture (Part 1)
Today’s quote: “Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recaptured at will.” – Charles Baudelaire Nature is what we think of as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. Psychological researchers who take an extreme nature position publish articles on “nativism.” Nurture is generally understood as the influence of external…
-
15 Acronyms and Abbreviations
Amuse-bouche: The word “typewriter” uses only letters on the top row of keys on a standard QWERTY keyboard. Today’s Wonderful Word: “photi.” Photi is pronounced like fish. Think phonetically. In “Joseph,” the “ph” makes the same sound as the “f” in “fish.” In “women,” the “o” makes the same sound as the “i” in “fish.”…
-
Pleonasms
Amuse-bouche: Tuna fish Today’s Wonderful Word: “pleonasm.” Definition: the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning, either as a fault of style or for emphasis. Etymology: from Greek pleonazein meaning “to be superfluous.” Pleonasms are the enemies of concision. And concision is key. Enough said. Once upon a time, a long time ago in…
-
Climb Time (Part 2)
Today’s quote: Sometimes the greatest treasures are found in the spaces in between. Before reading further, check out Part 1 here if you haven’t read it yet. Whether it’s riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers; mysteries, stories, and series; systems, techniques, and processes; or history, current events, and future predictions, I enjoy understanding. I feel at…
-
Why I started learning French
Amuse-bouche: What do you call someone who knows more than 3 languages? A polyglot. What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks only one language? American. Today’s Wonderful Word: “polyglot.” Definition: Someone who can use several languages at advanced, or fluent, levels. Etymology: Mid-17th century, from…
-
Climb Time (Part 1)
Today’s quote: A jack of all trades is a master of none, but a jack of all trades beats a master of one. Climbing vocab Bouldering: These are short climbing routes, usually less than 20 feet in height. Climbers who complete bouldering routes do not use harnesses, ropes, carabiners, or other gear typically associated with…
-
I’m a morpheme addict.
I have a confession to make. For many years now – for as long as I can remember – I’ve had an addiction. Sometimes it’s all I think about. It’s been weighing on my heart to share this with someone. I hope I can trust you to make the best of what I’m about to…
-
Mighty Maito Gai (Part 2)
Spoiler alert! I am about to reveal information from Naruto: Shippuden. If you have not seen Naruto: Shippuden (or if you have not heard of it before), please do not read below this paragraph (and please watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden). If you skip this post and would still like to see today’s brain teaser, send me an email at samediqqch@gmail.com.…
-
Typos are teh wurst
Amuse-bouche: It’s called a garbage disposal because it disposes all. Maybe it should be called “disposalexceptpotatoskins.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “monopoly.” One of only a handful of one-word oxymorons in existence. “Mono-” means single or one. The suffix (or prefix) “-poly” means many. Typos are teh worst Typos are tipe-oh-grafikal errurs. Teh wurst parte about seeeing…
-
Mighty Maito Gai (Part 1)
Spoiler alert! I am about to reveal information from Naruto: Shippuden. If you have not seen Naruto: Shippuden (or if you have not heard of it before), please do not read below this paragraph (and please watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden). If you skip this post and would still like to see today’s brain teaser, send me an email at samediqqch@gmail.com.…
-
20 Texting Acronyms and Abbreviations
Amuse-bouche: An Englishman, a Frenchman, a Spaniard, and a German are all watching a dolphin do some marvelous tricks. The dolphin notices that the four guys have a very poor view, so it jumps higher out of the water and asks, “Can you all see me now?” And they respond: Yes. Oui. Sí. Ja. Today’s…
-
Wendell Walker was a friend of mine
Today’s expression: « À chacun son goût. » Variations: « Chacun son gout. » « À chacun ses goûts. » « Chacun ses goûts. » Literal meaning: “To each his/her/their own.” Figurative meaning: Everyone has different tastes. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Lyricism is high on my list of what makes a song worth listening to. Wendell Walker by Andy Shauf has the strongest storytelling lyricism…
-
The balloon artist
The balloon artist In the great state of Tennessee, there once was a balloon artist named Willow who set up her stand at the corner of the street for the town’s weekly market. Willow had wonderful skill. She was especially skilled at making bird, raccoon, and giraffe balloon animals. Parents would often bring their children…
-
How media is social(?)
Today’s quote/proverb: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Origin: Thomas Reid’s Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man (1786) included this line: “In every chain of reasoning, the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than that of the weakest link of the chain, whatever may be the strength…
-
An Army of Ants
Amuse-bouche: “It smells like updog in here.” “What’s updog?” “Nothing much, what’s up with you?” Today’s Wonderful Words: an army of ants, a herd of antelopes, a flutter of butterflies… Our old apartment complex featured engravings on the sidewalk showing names for groups of animals and corresponding pictures. Along the scenic walk from our apartment…
-
How social is media(?)
Today’s expression: “To beat around the bush.” Meaning: To stall, waste time, and/or avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable. Origin: In medieval times, hunters hired men to beat the area around bushes with sticks in order to flush out game taking cover underneath. They avoided hitting the bushes directly because this…
-
The Storm Flees When You’re Having Fun
Amuse-bouche: Eat fast. An oxymoron. Today’s Wonderful Words: “TEMPUS FUGIT.” Maybe they were going for “TEMPUS FUGIT,” one letter off. Close, but no cigar. Maybe the engraver was distracted, having a good time. Maybe they lost track of time and spent too long on the other engravings, enjoying the work of their trade. When they…
-
Oxymoronic
Amuse-bouche: Deafening silence Today’s Wonderful Word: “oxymoron.” Definition: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction Etymology: mid 17th century, from Greek “oxumōros” meaning “pointedly foolish,” from “oxus” meaning “sharp” and “mōros” meaning “foolish.” Sure, the Greek word for “sharp” may have been used most often to describe objects such as swords…
-
Journaling
Today’s quote: In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mina Murray comments on journaling and says, “It is like whispering to one’s self and listening at the same time.” There is something profound about putting pen to paper and crafting a place of refuge for personal thoughts, deep emotions, and subjective retellings of daily occurrences. Words envelop our souls…
-
Etymology etymology
Amuse-bouche: Underground is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with “und.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “etymology.” Definition: the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. Etymology of “etymology”: Late Middle English, from Old French « ethimologie, » via Latin from Greek…
-
Un petit jeu de mots
Amuse-bouche: I once entered ten puns into a contest, hoping one of them would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did. Today’s Wonderful Word(s): « jeu de mots » (m) Literal translation: “game of words” Figurative translation: “pun” (m) = masculine. The word « jeu » is a masculine noun in French. “Pun” can also be a verb meaning to make a joke…
-
L’Oiseaulivre
Amuse-bouche: « À plus tard / À plus / A+ » « À plus tard » means “see you later” in French. « À plus » is closer to “see ya.” « A+ » is the texting abbreviation. Today’s Wonderful Word: « l’oiseaulivre » Oiseau = bird Livre = book The bookbird. Or the birdbook. Native to samediqqch. Classification…
-
Navigating samediqqch.com
Today’s expression: « se mélanger les pinceaux » Literal translation: to mix up paintbrushes Figurative translation: To get confused / to get muddled up / to make a mistake Origin: « Se mélanger les pinceaux » was first used to describe the phenomenon of one’s legs getting twisted up, causing them to lose their balance.…
-
Welcome
Today’s Wonderful Word: « samediqqch » I’m sure you’re wondering what samediqqch means. Let me take you to its origin. « …parce que tu commences à te mélanger les pinceaux. » I caught the end of the first guy’s sentence as I passed on the sidewalk en route to the Boulangerie Aux Délices de Saint…
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Ça vous dit quelque chose ? 