Among 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 climbing out of its infancy tens of thousands of years ago, our ancestors did the same, and then spread their body parts out over the landscape, into their abstract and social constructs, into the objects they made, and even into their food. We then inherited that unconsciously metaphorical way of thinking and speaking –
different - writing - same - sounds “I’m in a good mood today,’ he said. “This morning on the second tea I got a whole in won!” “That’s nice to here,” she said, “but have I got a tail to tell yo
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 we could hear the distant beating of a thoma
Many 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 . . . “Electric lights in the form of inca