by Margaret | Jul 18, 2016 | language, reading
You know what onomatopoeia is, right? “She galumphed her way to the door in the too-big galoshes.” The breeze through the trees created a susurration that enveloped him.” It is using a word that sounds like the thing it describes. But what about when...
by Margaret | May 14, 2015 | language
***Oh, I met so many LOVELY people during my trip to the UK the past two weeks! Here’s a shout-out to Pat from Perthshire, Jeremy & Karen from Sussex, Bruce & Jo from near Yackandandah, Lynn of Fuaran B&B, James Darby of Inverness, Ian, Steve, &...
by Margaret | Apr 2, 2015 | language
So, the other day, I was wondering about accents. Specifically, about what type of accent Hagrid sports in the Harry Potter movie series. And whether the voice for Baloo in The Jungle Book was the same as Little John in Robin Hood. (It is.) This led me down a...
by Margaret | Mar 26, 2015 | language, Titbits
While researching what to call a small ship in the 1820s in western Scotland, I came across a series of interesting terms. So here’s a quiz. The terms dinghy, currach (or curragh), and coracle. Match them to the proper picture: A: B: C. Well, what did...
by Margaret | Jan 22, 2015 | language
If the last post piqued any interest, and you’re ready to jump onto the next plane to the UK to explore its territories, de be prepared for the language barrier. I know, it’s England! Where they speak English! But as far as place-names go, you’ll...
by Margaret | Dec 18, 2014 | language, reading
Along with Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn, one of the more recent fundraising gigs that schools have picked up is magazine subscriptions. This year, I bought one for pure fascination: Town & Country. I received the first issue today. From its website, I...
