vocabulary

The Gentle Art of Persuasion: Soft Power in Language and Culture

In a period of global political and financial upheaval, as well as many armed conflicts, there has been much recent discussion about the place of ‘soft power’ in the world today. What is soft power? ‘Soft power’ denotes the ability to influence through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or… Read More

Seven of the Most Beautiful Words in the Dictionary

It’s not every day that a world leader – in this case, US president Donald Trump – declares a somewhat functional word such as tariff the most beautiful word in the dictionary and, by implication, the English language. Admittedly, Trump later changed his mind by declaring God, religion and… Read More

The Fascinating Journey of the Word ‘Tariff’

Recent news headlines have been dominated by tariffs, and US president Donald Trump frequently refers to tariff as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”. Have you ever wondered about the story behind the word? If we dig deeper, we find that this everyday economic term has a rich… Read More

Tartan Day and the language of tartan

Think Scotland, see tartan. From shortbread biscuit tins to carpets to the kilts of the Tartan Army, this pattern shouts ‘Scotland’ louder than any other nation’s symbol. And who among us has never owned a tartan travelling rug or picnic rug? It’s not every day, metaphorically, we give a… Read More

National Spinach Day

Eat largely of spinage The twenty-sixth of March is National Spinach Day, a lead-in to talking about one of my favourite vegetables – and that host of others that can bring joy to our tables. Well, ‘joy’ not just in my and Popeye’s opinion but in that of the Methodist… Read More

Words for World Wildlife Day

The third of March marks the twelfth international World Wildlife Day, set up by United Nations (UN) resolution in 2013. The date was chosen for a good reason: it’s the birthday of the 1973 signing of CITES, the landmark Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna… Read More

Love language: the vocabulary of romantic comedies

Love is in the air! With Valentine’s Day upon us and a brand-new Bridget Jones film set to grace our screens, it’s the perfect time of year to settle in with candles, your favourite food, and a classic romantic comedy. Romantic comedies, typically shortened to the much snappier romcoms,… 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

Formula One™ and the vocabulary of motor racing

This year is a major one for Formula One racing. There’ll be more Grand Prix (GP) races than ever before – twenty-four in twenty-one countries – including the final of the series in Abu Dhabi this December. In the British Grand Prix on the legendary Silverstone circuit in… Read More