Festive Traditions

Christmas is coming … Ah! British Christmas. So cosy, so nostalgic. What’s not to love about this time of year? Christmas cards and carols and Christmas trees and cake and plum pudding and turkey and cranberry sauce and mulled wine and kissing under the mistletoe and Boxing Day walks. And… Read More

Spanish words of the week: cuadro or cuadra?

Our task today is to square up to two more similar-looking Spanish nouns and to identify the commonest uses of each: these are cuadro (masculine) and cuadra (feminine). Read More

French word of the week: falloir

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 'falloir'. Read More

Spanish words of the week: tallo or talla?

Time to get the measure of two more superficially similar Spanish nouns and uncover their different uses: these are tallo (masculine) and talla (feminine). Read More

French word of the week: soupçon

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 noun 'soupçon'. Read More

Spanish words of the week: plata or plato?

Another week, another opportunity to buff up our knowledge of two similar-looking Spanish nouns with different meanings. This week it’s the turn of 'plata' and 'plato'. Read More

French word of the week: paraître

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 'paraître'. Read More

Language and the book of life

During the final rallies of her election campaign, US presidential candidate Kamala Harris drew on one metaphor time and time again. She said that she was determined, or she saw a nation determined, ‘to turn the page on hatred and division’. It’s an effective rallying call. It certainly sounded positive,… Read More

Spanish words of the week: manzana or manzano?

It’s time to peel the layers off another pair of Spanish nouns which look similar in form but mean different things depending on their ending and gender. This week it’s the turn of feminine manzana and masculine manzano. Read More