graphic showing calendar

Advent and Advent Calendars

“The Lord Will Come and not be Slow”(John Milton) Ah, Advent! The season when children’s faces and some adults’ faces, too – mine, anyway – light up while, day by day, they open whatever kind of Advent calendar has come their way. I vividly remember, aged… Read More

Antarctica Day

This Thursday, 1 December, marks the annual Antarctica Day. If you’re wondering why such a day exists, its raison d’être is to celebrate the signing in 1959 of the Antarctic Treaty by the twelve countries then actively exploring the continent. The treaty recognised that this, the… Read More

French word of the week: ouvrir

This series of weekly blogs takes a closer look at words from our French dictionaries. The word we're focusing on this week is the French verb 'ouvrir'. Read More

19 other words for ‘cold’

The word ‘cold’ is common in English, and yet there are a number of more descriptive words you could use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting. If you want to talk about slightly cold weather, here are some alternative words you could use: bleakThe… Read More

Your essential guide to World Cup vocabulary

The weather outside is frightful, but for football fans the most delightful time of the year is upon us – admittedly a few months later than usual – as the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar this November. First played in 1930, the World Cup is an international association… Read More

French word of the week: haut

This series of weekly blogs takes a closer look at words from our French dictionaries. The word we're focusing on this week is the French word 'haut'. Read More

15 other words for ‘big’

The word ‘big’ is one of the most frequently used words in English, yet there are many other different words you can use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting. Why not use these words if you want to talk about the… Read More
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