Multiple English Idioms By The Numbers

by Dictionary Scoop    In every language, there is a type of gem known as idioms that add spice to our conversations, relying on context and shared understanding to convey messages in a not-so-direct way.    Today, we’ll explore ten idioms in English that play with numbers. 1 One-horse town    Many idioms begin as a literal phrase that …

Eight Words Named After Real People

by interestingfacts.com    Words named after specific people are known as eponyms. After enough time passes, the namesake is often forgotten while the word sticks around, so many eponyms no longer even register as someone’s name.    These eight eponyms are among the most surprising, and cover subjects from musical instruments to facial hair to …

Here’s The Very Definition Of Happiness

by Dictionary Scoop    For Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, happiness is a warm puppy. For some, it’s a habit. For others, it is a philosophy, a quest, or an ideal, among many other things.   Join us on a linguistic journey through the lexicon of happiness, discovering the many shades and …

Songwriting School, Class In Session

by Kevin Burton    International Songwriters Day was observed yesterday and I’m staying on that theme.     This post is a service to all you songwriters, or really any kind of writers, out there. But who am I kidding, it’s also to keep my head in the game and stoke those musical fires again.    …

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 …

Origins For Ten Slang Words And Phrases

by Dictionary Scoop    Think how boring our vocabularies would be if we didn’t have a more laid-back, informal register on which we could fall back. Most of us don’t even realize how much slang we use in basically every conversation we have. Well, we decided to research the astonishing beginnings of these ten slang …

Ten Expressions With Musical Origins

Dictionary Scoop    Music influences almost every single aspect of our modern world, and our language is no exception. We have gathered ten of our favorite musical terms that have found their way into becoming everyday words: 1  Gig    The word “gig” refers to a job, usually a single-time event for which a musician …

Thanks For Reading, A Thousand Times Over

by Kevin Burton    If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you 1,000 times, thank you for reading Page 7.    Actually I haven’t told you that 1,000 times, or nearly enough. But the WordPress counter says this is my 1,000th blog. WordPress is very good at counting things, so I believe them.    This …

Animal Names That Are Also Verbs

by Kevin Burton    My late great cat Mex had a verb coined in her honor.    She used to head butt people, as opposed to the usual cat way of rubbing against people with the side of the head or body.  To headbutt became “To Mex.”   Usage: “Stop Mexing me!”    It’s a …

“It Only Takes A Minute” Has Strange Lyrics

  by Kevin Burton    We may have to file this under Benign Stupidity, but after (maybe not enough) careful thought, I’m going to do the story.    We’re talking 70s pop music as we often do on Tuesdays. I love this band, I love this song, please hear that up front. But what a load …