Language Lovers

15 words & phrases to get the Eurovision party started

Are you ready for Eurovision? An annual celebration of music, culture and questionable fashion choices, the Eurovision Song Contest is a live broadcast international song competition in which members of the European Broadcasting Union – plus Australia! –  compete each year. Since its establishment in 1956,… Read More

The Coronation: God Save King Charles!

As mentioned in my coronation post earlier this week, the coronation ceremony is hallowed by time. Edgar was the earliest English king to be crowned, at Bath Abbey in 973; Robert the Bruce was hastily crowned King of Scots at Scone (rhymes with ‘spoon’) in 1306… Read More

The Coronation: God Save the King!

On 6 May 2023 Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor will be crowned King Charles III in a coronation ceremony dating back, if not to time immemorial, at least ten centuries. Just to be absolutely clear, Charles is of course already King, for the Crown knows no… Read More

Veg Power

‘Eat largely of spinach.’ recommended John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in his best-selling 1747 Primitive Physick: An Easy and Natural Method of Curing Most Diseases.1 *** ‘What a pleasure to write about my favourite vegetable!’ I thought when asked to write this piece. I don’t recall when I first… Read More

Around the world in 8 words: The changing language of travel

Not all those who wander are lost, and when it comes to travel, sometimes wandering is one of the most exciting things you can do. And if you live in the UK, you’re lucky enough to have access to many beautiful destinations on your doorstep. This March, VisitBritain are inviting… Read More

11 craic-ing words for St Patrick’s Day

Whether you like to toast with a pint of Guinness or paint the town green, St. Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration marked around the world. Officially a feast day for St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, March 17th is a day of religious services and feasts in… Read More

The future of work: 9 words to add to your professional vocabulary

When you picture the future of work, what do you see? Commutes made shorter by flying cars? Artificial intelligence making your day-to-day job a breeze? We may not yet have cracked some of the more futuristic ideas seen on the silver screen, but in a post-pandemic world, we’ve seen some… Read More

National Grammar Day

Saturday 4 March marks National Grammar Day (henceforth, for brevity, NGD). Time to move into top grammar gear. Are you a tad hazy about the difference between a conjunction and a preposition? And what exactly are parts of… Read More
graphic showing calendar

St David’s Day/Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant

St David and St David’s Day In stark contrast to St George, who was born in modern-day Turkey, died in what is now Israel and never set foot in England, Saint David, or Dewi Sant, the patron saint of Wales, was a Welshman from his tonsure to the calloused soles… Read More
collinsdictionary