by Dictionary Scoop American English has influenced global vocabulary for more than a century through movies, advertisements, literature, music, businesses, and technology. Some words that began as distinctly American expressions eventually became common almost everywhere, even in places where English is not an official language. Here are 12 Americanisms have crossed oceans and …
Category Archives: England
Quibbles And Bits: World Cup Edition
by Kevin Burton How to wrap one’s heart and empathetic mind around the heartbreak for England as it coughed up a late lead to lose 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals Wednesday? Think of a Cleveland basketball fan watching Michael Jordan sink a jumper over Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs …
New Sweden: The “Secret” American Colony
by Eliot Stein BBC Ask most Americans and they’ll tell you that the United States started in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 when the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. But chances are, almost none of those coming realizes that the US’s political and ideological birthplace was once part of a little-known …
Time Outdoors, Just What The Doctor Ordered
by Good News Network A hospital in south London opened a garden on its rooftop where critical care patients can spend hours in the fresh air and sunlight. ICU patients visiting the rooftop garden receive “full life support” while experiencing the therapeutic benefits of the natural surroundings. Located on top of the …
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Strangers Build Community Via Co-Housing
by Charlotte Cox BBC When Nikki Little and John Porter retired, they considered buying a bungalow for just the two of them. Instead, they invested in a one million-pound ($1.33 million US) house tucked away on Devon’s rugged and remote Hartland Peninsula – and looked for a community of like-minded people to join …
Is Ringo’s New Record Better Than Paul’s
by Kevin Burton I’ve had a ton of fun writing about pop music on Page 7. But I have juuuuust about talked myself out of the notion that I am any kind of knowledgeable, creditable music critic. And I’m getting close to swearing off all music critics. I mean, we like what we …
Study Says Music And The Arts Slow Aging
by Good News Network Culture vultures who regularly take part in arts activities—such as listening to music, visiting a museum, or reading—may be slowing the pace of their biological aging, according to a new study. Researchers from University College London looked at blood test data and survey responses from more than 3,500 adults …
What The British Mean When They Say ‘Sorry’
by Mike MacEacheran BBC In the UK, sorry is not simply an apology, it’s a cultural reflex – a five-letter pressure valve used to soften requests, smooth over awkwardness, fill conversational gaps and avoid the national horror of seeming rude. It is perhaps no coincidence that such famously polite characters as Paddington and …
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Dave Mason And A Place That’s Far Away
by Kevin Burton There was just one song that brought Dave Mason into my top-40-based musical awareness in the 70s, but that was enough to keep him there. Mason died April 19, and tributes began to pour in from people who knew him as I didn’t, as a co-founder of the British rock …
Tempering Expectations For McCartney Album
by Kevin Burton I think writers borrow the whole Dickens thing too much. You know, best of times-worst of times. But here I think, it fits. As a Beatles fan I am of course looking forward to “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” PaulMcCartney’s first new solo album in six years, set for release …
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