Friending Shakespeare And His Word Creations

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 …

The Genius Of Shakespeare Still Evident Today

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 …

Who’s Hungry For Some Tasty Food Idioms?

by Dictionary Scoop    Food idioms have a way of adding flavor to our speech. We have internalized these phrases and no longer notice their edible main characters.    What are the origins of these funny lines? Did their meanings evolve over the centuries? Grab a snack and read on to learn the history of food-related …

More Genius Phrasing From Shakespeare

by Kevin Burton    Shakespeare’s genius influenced many phrases and idioms we unknowingly use every day. That’s why Dictionary Scoop put together a list of common expressions that were either created or made famous by Shakespeare and his characters.    We listed five of them yesterday on Page 7. Today, five more.   “American literary critic …

Some Phrases We Got From Shakespeare

by Kevin Burton    I feel bad that I haven’t read anything by Shakespeare all the way through.  Don’t know why I feel that way.    The next person who asks me if I have read Shakespeare, will be the first. So it doesn’t really matter.    Ask me in public, “Shakespeare or Steely Dan” …

What Is The Meaning Of Nyro’s “Stoney End”?

by Kevin Burton    One of the greatest vocal performances in my time as a consumer of pop music is on a song that leaves me deeply conflicted; Stoney End by Barbara Streisand.    The song grabbed me on some level immediately upon its 1971 release, even before I had the life experience to understand …

Great Words From Great Literature

by Kevin Burton    If you have ever suffered a slip of the tongue, or a trip and all out tumble, you will appreciate the first of our words today from Merriam-Webster.    Who among us hasn’t reached for a word, deployed it with great confidence, only to find it mangled in some way, often …

Words We Got From Characters In Books

by Kevin Burton    I don’t regret having read the backs of so many baseball cards so much as a youth, but I do wish I had mixed in a few more of the better works of literature.    Today we get some of what I missed out on, from a list compiled by Merriam-Webster …

Origins Of Six Classic Christmas Songs

by 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 standards to …

Archaic Words From Christmas Songs

by Kevin Burton    Uh-oh, I think I may be archaic.    Our friends at Merriam-Webster dictionary served up a timely platter of cookies this week, a list of “archaic” words we know from Christmas songs.  Well I just used one of these words last week on Page 7!    In order to keep this …