June is a great month. School’s out. The days are long. The weather’s warm. Perhaps the Anglo-Saxons — who spoke that linguistic ancestor of English known as Old English — were onto something when they collectively called June and July Liða. That’s pronounced like [ lee–thuh ], with the character ð having the voiced th-, like this. Liða itself may mean “calm” or “mild.” On its own, June was sometimes also referred to …
Despite the fact that Passover comes around every spring, you may still have some questions about the holiday. Why does Passover come about at a different time every year, for example, and why is the Passover meal so specific? The key to understanding what the religious observance is all about is understanding where the name Passover originally comes from. What is Passover? Passover is the …
You’re minding your own business in the grocery store when—wham! There they are … those pink hearts and candies placed at eye level by merchants reminding you that once again, Valentine’s Day is here. Why pink? How did pink become so strongly associated with February 14, roses, and romance? Where does the word pink come from? The origin of the word pink is notoriously uncertain. The word …
Christmastime. A festive season for family, food … and warfare? What does the war on Christmas mean? Perhaps, you’re familiar with the “War on Christmas” that’s been raging over the last several years. It stems from the radical belief that inclusivity—that honors other holidays, like Hanukkah, and accounts for those who don’t celebrate Christmas—is overshadowing traditional American values. The provocative phrase has been linked to figures …
First, is it season’s greetings or seasons greetings? There’s nothing like sitting down to fill out the holiday cards and realizing you’re not quite sure what to do with your apostrophe. Do you wish your friends and family “season’s greetings”? Or, should it be “seasons’ greetings”? Maybe you can just bypass that pesky punctuation altogether? Hey, if you’re sloppy enough, the smudged ink might just …
Ever heard someone say “rabbit rabbit,” but there’s not a floppy-eared bunny to be found for miles? There’s a reason they’re saying it … and that reason may even convince you to start saying it too, if you haven’t already. Keep reading to find out why this saying may be your next morning mantra. What does rabbit rabbit mean? Though it sounds a bit like gibberish, …
Expand your kitchen skills by learning a few techniques you may not have previously known and some vocabulary for somethings you already knew.
On Independence Day (July 4th), we ooh and ahh at the fireworks bursting in air, but did you know that the different types of fireworks effects have their own names? What’s a peony firework? The peony is one of the most common kinds of aerial pyrotechnic effects. It is named for a variety of plants with large, showy flowers. This firework display has a flower-like explosion …
