Q: I see that you’ve used the phrase “red herring” several times on your blog, but I don’t believe you’ve explained how it came to mean something that’s deceptive or distracting, especially a false clue in a mystery. Did I miss it? A: No, you didn’t miss it, but nowContinue Reading
Love English with Leila & Sabrah Whether you are a non-native or native speaker of English, this lesson may help clarify the difference in spelling! Improve your English vocabulary and spelling at the same time by understanding commonly confused English homophones! English homophones are very annoying, in text messages, emails,Continue Reading
Why do lovers send cards and spend time together on February 14th? Who was Saint Valentine? Here are a few fun facts about Valentine’s Day. The Mystery of St. Valentine No one is certain which of the notable Valentines in history inspired the name of this holiday. However, in 270Continue Reading
[Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and to mark the occasion we’re republishing a post from July 20, 2012, about a point of grammar in Leigh Hunt’s poem “Jenny Kiss’d Me.”] Q: I was browsing through a collection of “best loved poems” the other day and came across the charming rondeau “JennyContinue Reading
Q: Is it proper to use “foregone” like this: “the outcomes are foregone”? I know the phrase “foregone conclusion” is common, but that doesn’t seem quite the same. A: Our answer: “Why not?” As we’ll explain below, people today don’t routinely use “foregone” to modify nouns other than “conclusion.” ButContinue Reading
Love English with Leila & Sabrah presented a great video to teach a variety of words that describe the state of being happy, including to be ecstatic, to be on cloud nine, to be glad and many more. What adjectives are in your name? Explore this phrase and search for wordsContinue Reading