Old-school news, just in time
by Tim Ott interestingfacts.com The ubiquity of holiday songs on television, radio, and social media from Thanksgiving through Christmas ensures that we’ll be able to sing these anthems in our sleep. But lesser known are the backstories behind these famous tunes, which share common themes but draw from vastly different sources. From centuries-old …
Continue reading “The Origins Of Six Classic Christmas Songs”
by Nicole Garner Meeker interestingfacts.com Christmas trees are perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the winter holiday season. Whether you buy one from a tree lot or cut your own, nearly 30 million evergreens are sold every year in the lead-up to Christmas, and that’s just a fraction of the 350 million that are …
by Katie Oborn Plymouth Herald (UK) A young Plymouth man who has been blind since birth has been making the world a better place for visually-impaired people. After feeling judged and at times discriminated against, Brandon Hulcoop came up with an idea that has made a huge difference to so many lives. …
by Kevin Burton Few sights in life are as breathtaking and heartwarming as a woman in her wedding dress. Seems that is true even when the woman is not yet a bride. And it’s especially true, when a loving father is going blind. Reporter Hollie Carr from the Dorset Echo, in England, …
by Dictionary Scoop To say that the English language is filled to the brim with quirky and baffling idioms is no groundbreaking news. While we have previously delved into the inherent strangeness of the idioms we use every day, one of the most beautiful aspects of these phrases is how difficult they are to translate: …
Continue reading “English Idiom Equivalents In Other Languages”
by Kevin Burton In the late 60s and 70s when DJs would spin “Get Back” by The Beatles, they didn’t say anything about Billy Preston, not that I ever heard anyway. But Preston was working closely with the Beatles on the album “Let It Be.” He was a big part of what they …
by Kevin Burton Today we continue a sampling of words and phrases coined by William Shakespeare compiled by the Dictionary Scoop website. Five words and phrases Sunday, five more today. The first one on today’s list is a good description of me. The last one is a word I am sure you thought …
Continue reading “Friending Shakespeare And His Word Creations”
by Dictionary Scoop It’s not always possible to attribute the origin of a word to a particular person. However, it is believed that William Shakespeare contributed more than 1,700 terms and expressions to the English language, many of which we still use today. The way Shakespeare invented, reused, and modified words is a living testament …
Continue reading “The Genius Of Shakespeare Still Evident Today”
by Kevin Burton Ah Hounslow! On the desktop of my office computer is a picture of the “Hounslow Central” sign which was in front of our nearest train station while we were on our honeymoon in London. Our adventures started there that week, and took us all around the capital city, to …
by Dictionary Scoop Speaking the same language doesn’t always guarantee effective communication. For example, the elderly and the young share a language but not a code. In the case of our fellow English speakers across the Atlantic, some words and phrases are quite specific to their culture. Here are ten British expressions and their origins: 1-Bagsy …
Continue reading “What’s For Dinner Fido? Ten British Phrases”
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