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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Prepare Yourself For International Kissing Day
by Kevin Burton OK, now I’ve got you covered, now I’ve got the goods. Here’s news you can use for sure. Now this is something worth celebrating. Sunday is International Kissing Day, according to Nationaltoday.com. And see, I didn’t do something lame, like posting about it the day of International Kissing Day. …
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Avoid Confusion With These Tricky Word Pairs
by Dictionary Scoop Some words seem interchangeable at first glance, but if you dig a little deeper, you’ll notice they have completely different meanings. So in the interest of clarity in communication, let’s clear up some of the most commonly confused word pairs. 1-Anticipate vs. Expect Both words involve thinking about the future, …
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My Ohio Roots And “Hang On Sloopy”
by Kevin Burton The shirt I had just bought said “Sweet Home Kansas’ or “Down Home in Kansas,” something like that, and it was supposed to make a statement. With decidedly mixed emotions I had just taken a job in Kansas and left my homeland, Ohio, behind. The shirt was one way of …
Putting Sharks And Problems In Their Place
by Kevin Burton My good friend Tracy sends out riddles and brain-teasers that challenge the mind, thoughts that make me ponder. This one made me laugh out loud. It was a trick question, under the heading “Drowning”: “Imagine you are in a sinking rowboat surrounded by sharks. How would you survive?” …
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Words People Say From Games People Play
by Dictionary Scoop Since most board games and card games are composed of rules and repeated actions, it is only natural that certain phrases are repeated throughout the gameplay. The metaphorical potential of some of these phrases has led to them becoming part of our everyday language. Surely you use some of these: 1-Close, …
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