Tag Archives: English

Oh, Yeah? So’s Your Old Man!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by

I like to think of myself as a sparkling conversationalist.  In fact, I get more brilliant the farther away I get from the actual conversation. When out to dinner with friends one evening, I noticed I was charged for a … Continue reading →

About these ads
Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , | 70 Comments

Using Old, Familiar Words That Nobody Has Ever Heard Before

Posted on January 10, 2013 by

If I told you that my life was “at sixes and sevens” right now, would you know what I was talking about?  You would if you lived in the year 1815.  That knowledge is surprisingly un-useful, however, when trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 78 Comments

How to Fake Cultural Literacy in a Snoop Dogg World

Posted on September 27, 2012 by

If you’re like me, you want everyone to think you’re smart.  You don’t want to take the time and trouble to really learn things, though; that’s way too much work. Smart people are always tossing around profound quotes from other … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 68 Comments

The Letter

Posted on August 14, 2012 by

I whipped out a blog post the other day, and then hit Spell Check and Mental Editor as usual.  (The latter is the check-before-hitting-send/print/submit filter that I carry around in my brain.)  Thank goodness I did.  A reference to Lady … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , | 50 Comments

When Synonyms Are Not Synonymous

Posted on April 5, 2012 by

Here’s a post you may have missed last January. They say that people judge us by the words we use.  It is equally true that we show our own judgments by the words we choose.  Words can carry more baggage than … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Give or Take

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

The English language is complicated.  And the American slang version of it is just plain weird. Take the way we refer to going to the bathroom.  In the colloquial, this is referred to as “taking a dump”.  What taking?  There is no … Continue reading →

Posted in Little Ditties | Tagged , , , , , , | 48 Comments

Will PAC-Man Gobble Up The King’s English?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by

On the one-year anniversary of the Punctuation And Capitalization Tax, commonly called the PAC, reviews have been mixed as to its impact on America. Gwen Prosody, a retired English professor, has been an outspoken critic of the PAC tax.   Ms. Prosody … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

The Tell-Tale Heart of the Matter: Some Little Habits Can Drive You To Murder

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

I have this friend.  A really good friend; someone whose company I enjoy, whose friendship I cherish.  She is a delightful, bubbly person and I am about this close to smothering her, hacking up the body and burying the pieces under … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

“Sexy” Has Taken Over From “The” As The Most Used Word In The English Language

Posted on July 8, 2011 by

Americans now use “sexy” more often than any other word in the English language. OK, I made that up, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Sex is a staple of reality TV, even in shows where you wouldn’t expect … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Victoria Is Got A Secret

Posted on March 4, 2011 by

Victoria’s Secret, that purveyor of fine lingerie, has just launched a new commercial for spring.   The title is “Incredible”.   And so it is.  A parade of Lolitas struts toward the camera, their nubile bodies clad in tiny, brightly colored panties and … Continue reading →

Posted in General Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments