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Learning Spanish: Beginning to Advanced

Spanish is one of the romantic languages spoken in many countries in Latin America and Europe. Whether you want to learn for business, school or...
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Book Review: Alim, Ibrahim, and Pennycook's (2009) Global linguistic flows

While this book came out over two years ago, it is certainly a timeless classic. Alim, Ibrahim, and Pennycook, three powerhouse researchers, have a...
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Are blimps, dirigibles and zeppelins different?

What's the difference between a blimp, a dirigible and a zeppelin?All those terms refer to lighter-than-air craft. Dirigible is the broadest...
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Through the (narrow) Language Glass of Guy Deutscher

Title: Through the Language Glass: Why the world looks different in other languages, 2011, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/through-the-language...
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Why do men wear ties?

Men don’t wear ties as much as they once did, but many men still do. How did that tradition start? For much of history, a cloth worn around...
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Is it ‘sherbet’ or ‘sherbert’?

Is the frozen dessert spelled sherbert or sherbet? If it’s sherbet, is it pronounced as if it has the second “r”?Despite the...
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Why does ‘hoosegow’ mean ‘jail’?

Where did the word hoosegow, used in Western movies for jail, come from? It’s another example of American English borrowing Spanish terms...
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Why do we call someone a fifth (or third) wheel?

What does it mean to call someone who is unimportant a third wheel? Or is it a fifth wheel? Although you see and hear both terms, after checking a...
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What does ‘too clever by half’ mean?

What does the phrase “too clever by half” mean and where did it come from? “Too clever by half” means “too smart for...
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Why do we threaten to ‘clean someone’s clock’?

What is the origin of the phrase “to clean one’s clock” as a description of beating someone up? “To clean one’s clock...
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