Beer and skittles: beer-related words and phrases

4th Aug 2023

Friday 4 August marks International Beer Day. Started in 2007, the Day honours the people who make and serve beer as well as suggesting we enjoy the drink in novel ways or with friends or try a new variety. Beer was once British everyman’s drink, wine… Read More

Spanish word of the week: receta

2nd Aug 2023

This week's Spanish word of the week is 'receta', which is a noun meaning 'recipe' or 'prescription'. Read More

Yorkshire Day: celebrating Yorkshire words and Yorkshireness

1st Aug 2023

The first of August is Yorkshire Day, established in 1975 and designed to encourage Yorkshire people to celebrate Yorkshire’s unique heritage, history and culture. Under the auspices of the Yorkshire Society, the Day’s ceremonial highlight is the gathering of the county’s civic leaders – here seated… Read More

French word of the week: sentir

31st Jul 2023

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 'sentir'. Read More

What’s the difference between look after and look for?

31st Jul 2023

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: look after and look for. look after If you look after someone or something, you do what is necessary to keep them healthy, safe or in good condition. Read More

Spanish word of the week: ojalá

26th Jul 2023

Ojalá is an exclamation meaning 'I hope', 'I wish'; 'if only', and is of Arabic origin. Read More

French word of the week: dans

24th Jul 2023

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 preposition 'dans'. Read More

What’s the difference between beside and besides?

24th Jul 2023

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: beside and besides. beside If one thing is beside another, it is next to it or at the side of it. Beside the shed was a huge tree. I… Read More

9 words of Tolkien terminology

21st Jul 2023

Arguably one of the most epic high-fantasy novels ever written, The Lord of the Rings trilogy introduced fans to Middle-earth, a fantastical place full of hobbits, dwarves and elves in an imaginary period of Earth’s past. J. R. R. Tolkien’s books have captured the imagination of readers for nearly 70… Read More