Category Archives: Interesting words

Let’s Hear It for Hats!

Posted on 11/14/2022 by chick

My mother, who was a French major in college, learned a lot more about the French language than I ever did. She once told me that a circumflex is often indicative of an S having been removed from the word … Continue reading →

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English Is So Weird

Posted on 01/15/2022 by chick

One of the things I love about the English language is how interrelated so many of its words are. For example, when I was looking up the meaning of “kenspeckle” (a Scots word that means “well-known” or “conspicuous”), I was … Continue reading →

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Rabbit Holes Everywhere!

Posted on 01/11/2021 by chick

The other day I spent some time reading about ARGs (alternate reality games), how QAnon is like an ARG, and a phenomenon called “apophenia.” Apophenia is, according to Merriam-Webster, “the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated … Continue reading →

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Day 172: Swearing

Posted on 09/01/2020 by chick

Sometimes when I’m surprised or angry, I say “Fuggernuts!” or “Furganots!” in place of the usual vulgarities. I don’t know where these words came from, but I’ve noticed that I’m using them more often lately. There’s a lot to swear … Continue reading →

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Day 112: Heard on TV

Posted on 07/03/2020 by chick

Heard on TV last night: “A mask is not a big ask.” The rhyme is good, though it doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as you’d think it would. I definitely like it better than “Mask it or casket” … Continue reading →

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Day 102: All of You, Not All Y’all

Posted on 06/23/2020 by chick

Sometimes I want to say “all y’all.” Then I remember that I live in New England, and we don’t say that here. And we shouldn’t, even when it feels like it would be fun or convenient. It doesn’t belong to … Continue reading →

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What to Call It?

Posted on 03/16/2020 by chick

I haven’t decided yet what to call our pandemic-induced time at home. Quarantine Self-isolation Lockdown Exile I like “quarantine” and “lockdown” for their simplicity, but “self-isolation” is probably more accurate. It feels like “exile,” though, and that’s the term I … Continue reading →

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Day 3: Marshall Law

Posted on 03/16/2020 by chick

Since much of the Twitter talk today is in regards to “Marshall Law,” I will tell you about how Marshall Law works, because that’s something I know a lot about. Under Marshall Law, there is/are… No school and no homework … Continue reading →

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Day 2: Word of the Year

Posted on 03/15/2020 by chick

Today’s Thoughts My husband said to me today that he thinks the Word of the Year will be “flatten the curve.” I thought this was very interesting, because I had already decided that it will be “social distancing.” I was … Continue reading →

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Bad Language

Posted on 02/25/2020 by chick

Hey, People of the Internet! It’s “toe the line,” not “tow the line.” It’s “the die is cast,” not “the dye is cast.” It’s “sow the seeds,” not “sew the seeds.” OK. I feel better having gotten that off my … Continue reading →

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