by Kevin Burton Have I been snickering up my sleeve a bit as Merriam-Webster slings names at various miscreants? Well, what goes around, comes around. This is the third and final post looking at “A Handy Guide to Ruffians, Rapscallions, Cads and More, 22 Charming Words for Nasty People” published by the …
Category Archives: writing
Some Charming Words For Nasty People
by Kevin Burton My assigned task was to write past-due notices to customers. Dry enough, but I had some fun with it. I was working as an office assistant at a photo lab in Columbus, Ohio. We were in the not-so-busy season, taking care of things that didn’t get done during the busy …
These Sayings Don’t Mean What They Used To
by Dictionary Scoop We toss around old sayings without giving them a second thought. However, many of them once meant something entirely different than what we are trying to say. Over time, words drift, idioms evolve, and what started as a literal warning becomes a cultural cliche. Let’s rewind the dictionary and see how these …
Continue reading “These Sayings Don’t Mean What They Used To”
Ain’t She A Beautiful Sight? ‘Convoy’ Turns 50
by Kevin Burton With its march to number one, inexorable as the steamrolling force of the trucks it portrayed, “Convoy” by C.W. McCall ruled the radio road 50 years ago today. Ruled both lanes, the pop lane and the country lane – double number one. But make no mistake, Convoy is a …
Continue reading “Ain’t She A Beautiful Sight? ‘Convoy’ Turns 50”
City Folks Adopted These Agricultural Terms
by Dictionary Scoop A number of words that are used regularly started in the fields. Terms tied to crops, livestock, and tools found their way into everyday language and stuck around. Take a look at the following 12 examples. You might be surprised how many common expressions have their roots in the soil! …
Continue reading “City Folks Adopted These Agricultural Terms”
Fun Idioms That Make Every Second Count
by Dictionary Scoop When a new year arrives, we focus on time. And because time plays such a central role in our lives, it’s no surprise that it’s also a key part of our everyday language. Today we’re exploring the origins and meanings of ten time-related idioms you’ve probably never stopped to think about. 1-A …
A Pack Of Good And Quirky Words To Learn
by Kevin Burton Getting these word-list e-mails from Dictionary Scoop is a little like it was to open a new pack of baseball cards in the old days. You might get Gary Sutherland, you might get Johnny Bench. In fact you always got a mixture of stars and scrubs. Today’s list of …
Look Both Ways And Beware Of Jay Drivers
by Kevin Burton What I see 20 feet away, you can see 200 feet away. By definition therefore, I am legally blind. So you would think, all other things being equal, my career as a jaywalker could/should be painfully short, or maybe even disastrously shortened. I was very nearly run over by …
Why Do People Hate ‘We Built This City’?
by Kevin Burton I missed it, completely. It was totally over my head. I guess it’s just somebody’s else’s fight. “We Built This City” by Starship was number one on the US Hot 100 40 years ago this month. It’s catchy. I liked it then, still do. I loved the era when …
Adjectives You Didn’t Know You Needed
by Kevin Burton A friend in college called herself “Madam Loquacia” to make light of the fact that she talked a lot. Now that’s what I call making the most of your adjectives! (See number 8 on our list below.) Strong muscles help a person who is blessed with them do work. …
Page 7 