Old-school news, just in time
by Dictionary Scoop Need a few tricks up your sleeve for playing Scrabble? It’s not always the long words that will impress the other players: Sometimes it’s the surprisingly short combination of letters that none of them knew. Let’s explore some of the most obscure –yet perfectly valid– three-letter words. 1-Cwm Before …
Continue reading “Three-Letter Words For You Scrabble Nerds”
by dictionary Scoop Geography, like all academic disciplines, has its own vocabulary and terminology. Concerned with everything from physical phenomena of the planet to social interactions, geographers have many specialized terms and concepts. You’ve probably used some of the words in this list. Yet, do you know exactly what they mean or where …
by Kevin Burton Some of the words we use to discuss finances didn’t start as money words, as we learned Wednesday, from a list from Merriam-Webster dictionary. We continue the theme today with a colorful phrase from the world of poker: Blue-chip Blue-chip, meaning “a stock issue of high investment quality that …
Continue reading “More Financial Words With Surprising Origins”
by Kevin Burton Tax day is not our favorite day. But we mark it today with a list of financial words from Merriam-Webster. Capital The first known use of the word capital is in early Middle English, in which it was used as an adjective meaning “of or relating to the head.” It …
by Kevin Burton Prose and poetry share a bookshelf without rancor or squabbles. Each has a place, and then there is a place shared. There is an understanding. You know and appreciate them for what they are. Each is comfortable within itself. But they are pleased for the company of the other, …
Continue reading “Prose and Poetry In The Sweetest Of Harmony”
by Dictionary Scoop We always talk about the weather, but, as it happens, we also use weather-related terms to talk about other things as well. These sayings are part of our everyday lexicon, often without us even realizing their connection to sun, rain, wind, or snow. Which of these 12 do you use …
by Kevin Burton The NCAA Final Four is Saturday. Those of us with no favorite teams playing, merely hope for close games. In honor of March Madness, Merriam-Webster has looked into the origin of the idiom “barn-burner.” I have mostly heard this refer to football, but it could apply to basketball as well. …
Continue reading “A Smokin’ Hot Game Can Be A “Barn Burner””
by Dictionary Scoop Many common phrases we use today are direct quotes from the Bible. They have slipped seamlessly into everyday conversation, often with little thought to their origins. Which of these sayings do you use? 1-Drop in the Bucket The phrase “a drop in the bucket” refers to something very small or insignificant compared …
by Merriam-Webster Dictionary Cinderella is arguably the most iconic of fairy tales, an archetype of what is known as the rags-to-riches story. You know how it goes: living under the oppression of her evil stepmother, she finds her chance at happiness and fortune only after a fairy godmother makes her over for the …
Continue reading “How Sports Underdogs Became ‘Cinderellas’”
by Kevin Burton The Burtons love a good farmer’s market. And the local weather has been conducive to attending the outdoor version. So this could happen pretty soon. Sign us up! A farmer’s market of course, is the much yummier first cousin of a garage sale. But what of a flea …
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