Why isn’t it “meese”, just as “geese” is the plural of “goose”?
Category: Word origins
Are you using “literally” correctly?
Are you one of the people who criticizes others’ figurative uses of literally.
Difference between fourty and forty
Someone recently visited my website after searching for the following phrase on Google: fourty or forty canada.
Yes, you can use “meat” to refer to veggie patties
It seems as of late that plant-based products that look like meat are all the rage. Everyone from Tim Hortons to A&W is carrying Beyond Meat burgers. Burger King carries Impossible Foods patties. Even Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods is getting into the trend. Perhaps you haven’t seen it, but since I’m a vegetarian,… Continue reading Yes, you can use “meat” to refer to veggie patties
The gender neutral option for niece and nephew
I have talked about gendered language in the past (using they as a third-person, singular pronoun; using Mx; avoiding using sexist pronouns; using woman or female as an adjective). Today, I want to talk about gendered language again, especially regarding family relationships.
Why is “disgust” spelled with a G
Recently, someone came to my website after searching for the following phrase:
How to pronounce “victuals”
English is full of words that don”t sound like they look. Thought could be written with just 4 letters (three if we still used þ), we replace the first l in colonel with an r, and we don’t pronounce the th in asthma. Victuals is another one of those words. The first time you see this word—if you’ve never heard it spoken—it’s easy to think it’s… Continue reading How to pronounce “victuals”
Why is “fiery” not spelled “firey”?
This is part of the difference between series. Recently, a friend asked on Facebook why fiery is spelled fiery instead of firey. As I was researching the questions, I found the answer fascinating and thought my readers might be interested in knowing, too.
Where does the term “taken aback” come from?
Have you ever wondered where the phrase taken aback came from, or why it’s taken aback and not taken back? Read on to find out where the phrase came from.
I say voilà. You say walla. But who cares?
About a decade ago, I wrote a small rant about people using walla instead of voilà. I even called such people lazy. I apologize.