Some Nursery Rhymes Not Exactly Kid Stuff

by Dictionary Scoop    We all have nursery rhymes etched in our memory, verses that take us straight back to our childhood.    But behind some of those catchy, cheerful tunes lie surprisingly dark and mysterious origins rooted in real-life history.     Join us to discover the hidden stories behind the most popular nursery rhymes. 1-The …

Bolster Your Vocabulary With Creative Insults!

by Kevin Burton    I know I shouldn’t be doing this. But here’s my excuse up front: The dictionary made me do it!    There is more than enough bad blood, ill manners, insincerity and name calling to go around these days. Nevertheless, Merriam-Webster dictionary provides you today with entirely new and creative ways to …

“You’re No Good” Singer Linda Ronstadt Is 79

by Kevin Burton    Gilbert Ronstadt was the owner of Ronstadt’s Hardware Store in Tucson, Arizona. He loved to play his guitar for this three children, two girls and a boy.    The kids formed a group called “The Three Ronstadts” and played at functions in the area.    One of the girls, you will …

Aging, Decay And Death: Part Of God’s Plan

by Dane Massey    (Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)         Growing old and the natural end of that, death, cannot be avoided. So how does one age properly?     What is the Lord trying to accomplish through this drawn-out process?  …

Life-Saving Drugs Made From Corn Husks

by Kevin Burton    We just bought a big box of corn from our favorite buy-local small farm. That makes us a candidate to help the young man from our first good-news story today.    But as you will see, he’s doing OK!    Hope you are having a good Saturday and have room for …

Common Phrases With Grim Word Origins

by Dictionary Scoop    We toss around old sayings without thinking twice. But have you ever wondered where these phrases actually came from?    You might be surprised (and a little unsettled) to find out that many of them have pretty grim backstories. Even if we’re keeping things light and curious, you’ll never look at …

Million-Dollar Slang: In Other Words, Money

by Dictionary Scoop    Money makes the world go round, and in the U.S., there are more ways to talk about it than you might expect.      Americans have come up with a colorful range of slang and idioms to refer to cash. We look into 11 of them today. 1-Cash    The first entry on …

In Praise Of Mexico, Lettuce And Billy Joel

by Kevin Burton    On a tip from a new friend, I knocked on the door of Interlingua language school one day, and asked the good people there to employ me.    Shockingly, they took me up on it.    This was in the Reagan 80s. I was in somebody else’s country, Mexico, and somebody …

Your Final Triumph Is Sure As Present Trials

by Kevin Burton    If you have no trials, no hard times today, enjoy it in the moment, and more power to you!  But they are coming, book it.    Country singer Lynn Anderson said it this way: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden!”    Now Anderson wasn’t necessarily a …

Researchers Developing “The Pill” For Men

by Kevin Burton    A birth control pill for men is one step closer to reality according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.    That choir you hear singing “hallelujah!” has both a bass and a soprano section. I dare say everybody is happy about this one.    But guys, don’t make space in …