What Makes You Think You’re So Smart?

by Dictionary Scoop    We all had that friend who seemed to ace every class without even trying. But as it turns out, intelligence isn’t always about grades or test scores. Sometimes, it shows up in the most unexpected ways. Neuroscientists have revealed several everyday behaviors and habits that often characterize highly intelligent people. Do you fit …

More Words You Can’t Quite Count On

by Kevin Burton    Yesterday we brought clarity to numerical words and phrases which are indefinite, in some cases  to the point of mystification.    And you have come back for more. Thanks! And here is a bonus number-word definition: If I say “thanks a bunch” or “Thanks a million” it’s all the same.    …

Helpful Hints For Tricky Words And Phrases

by Kevin Burton    I can still hear Rosa, one of my English as a Second Language students trying out a new  word, “seldom.”    I was a reasonably good teacher without having had any training. She was a very good student, having had better teachers in the earlier levels of English study.    “Seldom.” …

How Horse Logic Rules The Whole World

by Kevin Burton    You have to wonder sometimes, why things are the way they are. Who exactly is running the asylum?    Not sure who first came up with the quip that status quo is Latin for “the mess we’s in.”    Later in life I have learned to not ask certain things. If …

A Funny Thing About Technology

by Kevin Burton    Technology is a problem solver. Technology is a problem.    Am I right or wrong?    “Tech-savvy” is a hyphenated adjective that shouldn’t be used to modify certain nouns, such as, for example, “Kevin Burton”    Like it or not we all live in a sea of technology. It’s sink or …

These Jokes May Drive You To Drink

by Kevin Burton    Here’s a tip for you discerning eligible bachelors out there, one you may not have picked up on:    Women dig grammar.    In the 70s I would have said “chicks dig grammar,” but you never know when somebody, some female somebody, will stumble upon Page 7 for the first time.  …

What’s The Big Deal About Small Talk?

by Kevin Burton    What is your stance on small talk? I’m not into it.    “I’m just making conversation.” Ever hear that one? I say real conversation makes itself.    Necessity causes words to come out of my mouth. Information must be shared, I share it, so that action will be taken.    “We …

Studying Social Interactions Of The Blind

by Kevin Burton    A North Carolina State University research study offers tips for blind people on how to make social interactions less awkward.    I found the story by NC State’s Matt Shipman on http://www.medicalxpress.com.    “A recent study highlights the range of uncomfortable situations people living with blindness or visual impairment encounter due …

NFL Football In June Is Just A Fantasy

by Kevin Burton    I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you. Have you ever told that lie?    Also, what happens when your so-called “seasonal obsession” shows up out of season? Can a true obsession ever be limited to one season?    Spoiler alert, I do not have definitive answers to these questions.  …

Love My Good Friends And Fried Chicken

by Kevin Burton    Gonna tell you a funny story, then tell you what it means to me beyond the humor.    My friend Tracy sent me the story.  Not sure where she got it. It is told from the perspective of a school-aged child:    “Our teacher asked what my favorite animal was, I …