Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton I think writers borrow the whole Dickens thing too much. You know, best of times-worst of times. But here I think, it fits. As a Beatles fan I am of course looking forward to “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” PaulMcCartney’s first new solo album in six years, set for release …
Continue reading “Tempering Expectations For McCartney Album”
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 Kevin Burton I like barbecue sauce. I love cayenne pepper and other hot spices. But I don’t have to have it on everything, all the time. And so it is with screaming guitars and scene-stealing guitar solos. They are cool sometimes, but I can live without them. So it was that …
Continue reading “Seals and Crofts Music Sticks To Your Ribs”
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 Kevin Burton Here’s what we know about the female character from “December 1963 (Oh What a Night,” the Four Seasons’ fifth and last number one hit: She had the ability to walk. She walked into a room. That’s all we get. No eyes of blue, no golden hair, no perfume in …
Continue reading “December 1963, Oh What A Song, For The Guy”
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 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 …
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 …
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”
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”
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