Facts About Languages Around The World

by Dictionary Scoop    Language is like a passport to the world; it connects us, teaches us, and sometimes leaves us scratching our heads.    With more than  7,000 languages spoken globally, the world of words is full of surprises and stories. If you are a language lover, these 13 facts about languages will keep your curiosity …

Quibbles And Bits: Outlaw Z, Forgiveness

by Kevin Burton     Come and get it kids, quibble and bits, short takes, follow-ups from recent posts, bits of news…..    A day or two after I wrote about the letter Z and its two pronunciations (zed and zee), Meriam-Webster made “zeitgeist” its word of the day.    The dictionary says zeitgeist is “the …

Last Word On Last Letter: Canada Says “Zed”

by Kevin Burton    It’s the beginning of a new year, so leave it to Page 7 to take you to the end – of the alphabet that is.    May I be the first to wish you a very happy International Z Day.    “Z Day, celebrated on Jan. 1, is a quirky and …

Loud Arguments About Silent Letters

by Kevin Burton    When my parents issued me flash cards before kindergarten, I wondered why the work “knife” had a K in it when it didn’t do anything.     All these years later I hear from Merriam-Webster that not just e’s and k’s but all the letters of the English alphabet are silent at …

All The Letters Can Be Silent? Shut Up!

by Kevin Burton    Silent E is so famous it has a song, we all know about that one. We know how the letter e at the end of man, changes the word to mane, for example.    The silent e turns the a from short to long.    But did you know all the …

My ABCs: A Is For Appreciate

by Kevin Burton    When I determined to write about appreciation I turned to the dictionary for help, but you wouldn’t have to.    Appreciation is like that key spice in your favorite stew. If it’s there it fills everything it touches with a flavor that keeps you coming back for more. If it is …

Let’s See If I Really Know My ABCs

by Kevin Burton    One day my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Wolf asked me, “Kevin, do you know your ABCs?”    “My good woman,” I replied, “if you are referring to the English aaal-phabet, then yes, I suppose I do know my A-B-Cs. May I be of some assistance to you in this matter?”    It …