Language Lovers

7 Extreme Weather Idioms

Around the world people experience many examples of extreme weather, such as tornadoes, blizzards, thunderstorms and heatwaves. These phenomena can be unexpected and unpredictable, so here are seven extreme weather idioms to help you weather even the wildest storm!  1.  Storm in a teacup There… Read More
graphic showing collins word of the year

A year of ‘permacrisis’

The 2020s have certainly seen their fair share of upheaval – and we’re only two years in! Already this decade we’ve had to contend with a pandemic and its aftermath, a brutal new war in Europe, and in the UK an economic crisis that saw the Bank of England warning… Read More

8 wonderful words to mark Dictionary Day

As Rudyard Kipling once said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” At Collins Dictionary, we pride ourselves on being the home of living language, and that means when an opportunity comes to celebrate it, we can’t resist joining in. This week we’re celebrating Dictionary Day,… Read More

Autumn traditions and their lexicon

For convenience, the weather people kickstart autumn by inaugurating it on 1 September. But the first astronomical day of autumn fell this year on 23 September, the date of the autumn equinox. Either way, autumn is now well and truly here, as… Read More

European Day of Languages

Monday 26 September marks The European Day of Languages. It was launched in 2001 by the Council of Europe at the end of the Year of Languages, which was jointly organized with the European Union (EU). The day aims to encourage language learning, multilingualism and cultural… Read More

Coding Week: 9 key terms for your technology glossary

If the words Java and Python only make you think of a hot cup of coffee and a slithery creature, it’s time to expand your vocabulary. STEM is becoming increasingly popular, and people of all ages are taking an interest in learning the basics of coding. In honour of National… Read More
couple reading in bed

Divining the hallmarks of Gothic literature

Spooky season is rapidly approaching. With dark nights, cold weather and the golden hues of the season to look forward to, it’s the perfect time of year to curl up with the works of Bram Stoker, Edgar Ellan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. Nothing marks this turn of the seasons –… Read More

National Radio Day

20 August marks National Radio Day, a celebration on the calendar since the early 1990s. Its organizers enjoin us to savour to the full this overlooked everyday miracle of science. Many readers of this blog will have their favourite programme(s). I certainly do; I wake up every morning to the… Read More
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