Oy! Adding a Little Yiddish to Your English
I am proudly one-sixteenth Jewish. For most of my life, I didn’t even know that. I think I learned of my Jewish heritage in my teens or 20s. However, I realized the other day how many Yiddish words I naturally…
Special Guest on Language: Gallagher
Today is Amaze-ing Words Wednesday! I admit, however, that I am frantically getting ready to attend the DFW Writers’ Conference on May 19-20. So today, I want to give you the treat of a special guest on the subject of our…
Neologistically Speaking
Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday! Some time ago, I wondered if I could make up my own word. And then I did. New words are called neologisms (neo=new, logo=word). Neologisms are added to our language all the time. For instance,…
Parental Proverbs and Phrases
Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday, where we creep through the English language labyrinth with a flashlight and a good dose of curiosity. Today, however, we might be hearing in our brains such admonitions as “When the going gets tough, the…
The Cat's Out of the Bag: Idioms
Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday, where we enter the labyrinth of language and look for something interesting among the hedges. Today’s topic is in honor of our feline friends. I was going to do a post with idioms that included both…
Miss Spelling Returns: Words that Get Confused
Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday. By popular demand — or simply because she asked — Miss Spelling has returned. Her insistence on making a reappearance stemmed from a nonfiction book she is reviewing. While the book itself is written well, a…
The Fun Encyclopedia: Alphabet Game
My father recently went through his library (which is extensive). He came across a few old books he no longer wanted and offered them to me. Skimming through the pages, they looked interesting, so I carried the books home .…
A Lesson with Miss Pronunciation
It’s time for AMAZE-ing Words Wednesday! Today’s word lesson will be taught by renowned language arts instructor, Miss Pronunciation. Miss Pronunciation will present the incorrect and correct ways of articulating some commonly mispronounced words in the English language. Without further…
Wednesday Words: What is Lorem Ipsum?
While looking through templates for my blog, I read the words Lorem Ipsum perhaps 4,622 times – or at least it felt like it. Have you seen them? What is Lorem Ipsum? Well, it’s dummy, or placeholder, text historically used…
Wednesday Words: Euphemistically Speaking
When someone dies, we often say something like, “We lost Uncle Eddie.” In my quirky little mind, I always think, Lost? Like our car keys, an umbrella, or what? If you lose something, you look for it. But we aren’t…