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 …

These Words Come From France With Love

by Dictionary Scoop    English is part of the Germanic language family, while French is a Romance language. At first glance, one would think that they don’t have much in common, right? But this is not the case; French has influenced our language in many ways, including our vocabulary. Today, ten common English words that have …

Making Two Words Into New Words

by Kevin Burton    Great stews and new sandwiches are born of imagination and the proper use of resources at hand. Sometimes we get words that way too.    Two words combine, in whole or in part, to form a whole new word that though previously not a word, is immediately understandable.    For example, …

Funny-Sounding Words With Serious Meanings

by Dictionary Scoop    Words like “cattywampus” and “frou-frou” are more than just fun to say. Sometimes, etymology can take unexpected twists and leave us with gems like “erf” and “dragoon.”    To some, these are everyday words in areas like cuisine or urban planning, for others they are a random assortment of letters that might …

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 …

Italian Words That We Use (Most) Every Day

by Dictionary Scoop    The beautiful Italian language includes terms that perfectly encapsulate the meaning of things other languages need more than one word to define.    Since food and classical music are two very successful Italian exports, it should come as no surprise that many words we use in English-speaking countries relating to these …

What’s For Dinner Fido?  Ten British Phrases

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 …

Nuclear Food, Goop Avoidance, Super Salads

by Kevin Burton    I invite you to step today, if you dare, into Kev’s Kitchen.    Just yesterday on Page 7 we looked at some jargon used by professional chefs and servers as they communicate in their busy restaurants.  At our house we don’t use too many of their terms. We do say “behind” …

Kitchen Jargon Terms Of Professional Chefs

by Dictionary Scoop    Just like every craft has its own slang, the world of restaurant cooking is an infinite trove of phrases, lingo, and idioms used to describe actions, places, things, and many other aspects that need an accurate description.    Scroll on to see a few of the terms that make up the …