by Dean Burnett BBC We all know someone like it. You probably work with or are even related to one. At office parties and family gatherings, you’re likely to have to interact with one and rediscover just how annoying they are. We’re talking about the ‘know-it-all.’ Individuals who will enthusiastically lecture you about …
Category Archives: England
Quibbles And Bits: Sorry Drew, Didn’t Mean It!
by Kevin Burton In a recent post about Elton John and his struggles with vision loss, I made an offhanded, rash statement. Today I make a correction. I hope it’s not too late. I wondered in print about what I would say to Sir Elton about blindness in the very unlikely event …
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Of Sir Elton John And Seeing Things Clearly
by Kevin Burton What would you say to Sir Elton John if you could have a moment’s conversation with him today? Now that question may be absurd, or at least rhetorical. If you’re like me and grew up with Elton John in his prime all over the radio, as part of the fabric …
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Where Ya From? What’s Your Demonym?
by Kevin Burton People from Wichita, the nearest large city to me, are called Wichitans. That’s straightforward enough. People from Puebla, Mexico, a city very near to my heart, are called Poblanos. Why not Pueblanos? Not sure, good question. Wichitan and Poblano are demonyms. The word demonym is “Rooted in the Greek …
Last Word On Last Letter: Canada Says “Zed”
by Kevin Burton It’s the beginning of a new year, so leave it to Page 7 to take you to the end – of the alphabet that is. May I be the first to wish you a very happy International Z Day. “Z Day, celebrated on Jan. 1, is a quirky and …
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The Origins Of Six Classic Christmas Songs
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 …
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Ten Festive Facts About Christmas Trees
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 …
Blind Businessman Changing Minds
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. …
A Beautiful Gift To A Father Going Blind
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, …
English Idiom Equivalents In Other Languages
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: …
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