peterluykxOct 14, 20192 minDown with nicknames!Examples of how to eliminate nicknames and restore words to their proper form: Just don’t call me by my nicholas-name; I hate it! From our jungle camp-site w...
peterluykxJul 10, 20196 minMore Words With Unexpected OriginsMany modern words have had their original meanings and forms modified or even lost over the centuries. Here are eleven additions to my earlier list. ELECTRIC...
peterluykxMar 24, 20194 minWords with Unexpected OriginsSome English words have fairly obvious origins, such as the word SYMPATHY, which comes from the Greek σύν (sym-), “with” + πάθος (pathos), “suffering, feelin...
peterluykxOct 5, 20182 minGreek Non-PluralsA number of words ending in -os have been borrowed directly from the Greek and incorporated unchanged into the English language, although sometimes with some...
peterluykxAug 29, 20185 minInsects on the Tongueant, bee, beetle, bug, butterfly, cocoon, flea, fly, gnat, louse, moth, nit Not counting bacteria, insects make up at least half of the millions of living sp...
peterluykxAug 18, 20183 minAutomobile namesThe names of makes of automobiles often come from the family names of company founders, manufacturers, automotive designers, or other people or places deemed...
peterluykxFeb 20, 20181 minThe alphabetical aardvarkArgh! says the aardvark, as he dribbles accidentally some reddish ackee juice offhandedly and aggravatingly onto his vest while relaxing in his bathhouse. He...
peterluykxMay 23, 20171 minBody PartsAmong the first things an infant learns are the names of parts of the body: head, face, hand, foot, mouth, eye, and so on. When human language was just climb...
peterluykxSep 26, 20161 minThe forgotten parthenogenotesTo the tune of “When Johnny comes marching home again,” the counting nursery-rhyme song starts out . . . The animals went in two by two Hoorah! Hoorah! The a...
peterluykxFeb 11, 20162 minCardinalWhen a thing is named, its name seems to capture something of its inner nature. The name – cardinal – of the bird now singing its monotonous song in my garde...
peterluykxJan 14, 20161 minBirthday present“What do you want for your birthday?” she asked. He said, “Nothing.” “I don’t know of any stores where they carry nothing.” “Try amazon,” he said. “Okay, tha...
peterluykxDec 14, 20152 minQuarry and QuarrySometimes two words have different origins and different meanings but end up being spelled the same way . . . as if they had wandered into the same shop from...
peterluykxOct 9, 20152 minPositive forms of negative wordsWe should resurrect the positive forms of some words that are usually used only in their negative forms. The sentences below are suggested as models for a mo...
peterluykxAug 8, 20152 minBird words sevenThere are many expressions with direct references to birds: jaywalking, mudlarking, crow’s nest, pigeon-toed, pigeon-holed, stool pigeon, swan dive, swan son...
peterluykxAug 8, 20151 minalphabetical-order wordsSome English words have three adjacent letters in the same order as they occur in the alphabet; e.g., a word containing a-b-c in that order, or a word contai...