Every once in a while, I come across someone using a word in a way that makes me think they think it means something else. One of those words is “bemused”.
Category: Word origins
Why we use eleven and twelve instead of oneteen and twoteen
Earlier this week, one of my children asked me why eleven and twelve aren’t “oneteen” and “twoteen”, so I thought that would make an interesting blog topic today.
Putting Christ back in Xmas
You don’t have to go far this time of year before you hear someone bemoaning the demise of Christian Christmas. You’ll hear such phrases as “reason for the season” and “put Christ back in Christmas”. One particular complaint that seems to be common is the use of “Xmas”. The way Christmas defenders explain it, secular… Continue reading Putting Christ back in Xmas
Dictionaries don’t decide what words mean
You’ve probably heard by now that several dictionaries recently altered the entry for “literally” to include a definition that basically means the opposite of literally, that it can be used to described things that aren’t actually literal. I noticed in some of the responses to these events that people are quite irate that dictionaries have redefined… Continue reading Dictionaries don’t decide what words mean
5 words that used to mean something else entirely
While managing a client’s Pinterest account, I came across a meme that claimed nice used to mean something entirely different from what it does now. I looked it up and it was true. I decided to look up a few more. Here is what I came up with:
Is sistren a real word?
In our church, we refer to one another as brother and sister. Sometimes, when referring to multiple people, we use the phrase brethren and sisters. Yesterday, someone said brethren and sistren then apologized for using a made up word. It was a perfect opportunity for me to educate everyone and put his mind at ease. :) Several… Continue reading Is sistren a real word?
Is the term “women” sexist?
A few days ago, a friend of mine asked why we use women to refer to adult female humans. I think this is a legitimate question. It’s certainly one I have heard before. I have seen similar questions asked in feminist circles because of the apparent implication that women are a part of men rather… Continue reading Is the term “women” sexist?