Language Lovers

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

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

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

International Mother Language Day

What and when is International Mother Language Day? It’s a United Nations initiative first celebrated in 2000. It falls on 21 February each year. The day aims to make people more aware of how many living languages there are and to encourage multilingual education based on someone’s own language, the… Read More

9 words to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

This February, UNESCO and UN-Women celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day which aims to connect the scientific community, promote gender equality and encourage more girls to pursue STEM subjects in their education. According to UNESCO, only 35% of all students… Read More

5 tips for making long words in word games

One night in the late 1960s, the members of the British band Fairport Convention were travelling back to London after a gig. To while away the long hours on the motorway, they played a game in which each person had to add another letter to a… Read More

100% faithful: The Traitors unofficial glossary

Just when you think we’ve had enough of reality TV, the entertainment industry comes swooping in with a brand-new show that has millions of viewers in the palm of its hand. The Traitors is the latest offering, moving away from sun-drenched love affairs and jungle antics to a spooky castle. Read More