Fritinancy: Names, brands, writing, and the quirks of the English language. Word of the Week: Tabloid Tabloid: A reduced-format newspaper, generally half the size of a traditional broadsheet paper, that opens like a magazine for easier reading on buses and subway trains. Introduced in the late 19th century in England and the United States, tabloid …
The Road to Here
The Road to Here In polite society (we are polite here aren’t we?) there are certain words and terms used to describe bodily functions, sex, etc that we do not like to utter aloud. So what do we do? We could perhaps avoid the subject(s) altogether. But after awhile this could make conversation rather difficult …
Amazon Review: Gadzooks, zounds, sugar and fudge!
***** 5 stars While not providing the definitive list of euphemisms in the English language, Ralph Keyes’ “Euphemania” provides just enough word history and naughtiness to make it entertaining throughout. I had no idea, for instance, that “white meat”, “dark meat” and “drumstick” were food euphemisms to prevent our Victorian ancestors from saying the words …
Bark
Wagging the Dog
Melinda Joy
Living, Laughing, Loving March 12, 2010 When I first saw this book advertised in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I knew it was something I needed to add to my collection. I work with many ‘senior’ individuals, and they often throw out phrases that I have no clue what they mean. Have you ever been there? Someone …
Evelyne Holingue, A French Woman Living and Writing in the USA
Evelyn Holingue, A French Woman Living and Writing in the USA One of the best things after the excitement of Christmas is to enjoy the gifts offered by family and friends. Once more, my husband managed to give me great gifts. Okay, I tipped him for one of the books he offered me. Only because …