The Weird, Wacky Words Of The Wild West

by Dictionary Scoop    Cowboys in the Old West not only tamed the inhospitable land, but they also forged their own language.    They created unrefined similes and metaphors, broke the rules of grammar, flooded figures of speech with humor, and made a verb out of anything. In this article, we review 12 expressions we …

Ten Questions To Ask At Doctor Appointments

by Angela Haupt TIME Magazine    When you go to the doctor, you’re probably the one answering most of the questions. Yet it’s essential to make sure you’re asking plenty of your own.    “We need to get someone to fund a bazillion-dollar PSA to tell people to be bolder when they talk to their …

Happy 80th Birthday To The Great Bob Seger

by Kevin Burton    Bob Seger’s highest charting song is not the song closest to his heart, nor, I’m guessing, is it foremost in the esteem of his true-blue fans.    The beloved singer-songwriter from Ann Arbor, Michigan  turns 80 today. So I looked up his chart history to see if he had ever had …

Renew The Covenant With The God Who Saves

by Kevin Burton    He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He never fails to deliver His best blessings to you.    God’s promises ring out from every book of the Bible, and not because we deserve any good thing. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us to secure our future with Him.    …

Money Talks, But Sometimes It Talks Funny

by Dictionary Scoop    Some don’t like to talk money, but still, there is no shortage of money-related sayings, phrases, and idioms.    Here are the origins and meanings of ten fun expressions about money,  1-Burning a hole in your pocket    We could divide most people into two groups: On one side, those who know how to save, look …

Facts About Languages Around The World

by Dictionary Scoop    Language is like a passport to the world; it connects us, teaches us, and sometimes leaves us scratching our heads.    With more than  7,000 languages spoken globally, the world of words is full of surprises and stories. If you are a language lover, these 13 facts about languages will keep your curiosity …

False Cognates Are Language Landmines

by Dictionary Scoop    Ever encountered a word in another language that seemed familiar but left you confused?     False cognates—words that appear similar but have unrelated meanings—are the culprits.    These false friends can sometimes lead to hilarious or embarrassing misunderstandings, especially for language learners. Here are ten examples that demonstrate just how deceptive languages …

Garage Sale Principle On A Grand Scale

by Kevin Burton   It is garage sale season in my hometown. The new-to-you possibilities are fun to think of.   But one company has taken this concept beyond fun to sublime.    What if the furniture that is a little too old to live up to the image that major companies seek to project, …

Five Household Items You Need To Clean More

by Matt Fuchs Time Magazine    We often overlook the dirtiest items in our homes because grime is invisible (think bacteria) or accumulates too gradually for us to notice.    Another factor: our brains tend to tune out the appearance of familiar, everyday objects, in a phenomenon called attentional blindness. This means we’re least likely …

Des Moines Isn’t Boring, Really, I Mean It

by Kevin Burton    Did you know there is a Memphis, Missouri?    Fewer than 2,000 people live there. We came perilously close to joining them on vacation two weeks ago.    We had planned to see the big Memphis – the BB King-Jerry Lee Lewis-Johnny Cash Memphis – but a flood warning for the …