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What Are the Oldest Words in the English Language Still in Use Today ?
The oldest (known) words in the English language are, as you might expect, “building block words” – words that reflecting key elements in any developing human society. All of the ones we’ve listed in this article originate on or before 1000AD and 900AD.
The British Parliament – “Mother of Parliaments”
The British Parliament is often referred to as the Mother of Parliaments (in fact a misquotation of John Bright, who remarked in 1865 that “England is the Mother of Parliaments”) because the British Parliament has been the model for most other parliamentary systems. In this article we look at 4 other amazing facts about one of our most venerated institutions.
How Was the Christian Bible Put Together ? Who Wrote it All ?
How Was the Christian Bible Put Together ? Who Wrote it All ?
The Guernsey Dingbat Quiz 3
Dingbats are always a good source for visio-cryptic style quiz questions. So in this article we’ve created some exclusive Guernsey themed Dingbats – they are either Guernsey Places or ‘Guernsey things’.
Coffee – The Revolutionary’s Drink of Choice ?
Did you grab a cup of coffee on your way to work this morning, or drop in to a coffee shop with a friend to gossip whilst savouring the bitter sweet nectar of the that king of all beans the coffee berry ? If you’d done this in the 17th Century then you might have been regarded as either a subversive or or a danger to the moral fabric of society.
Epic One Liners
Do you ever find yourself lost for a reply when someone passes a sarcastic remark or craftily insults you. Well they say “Forewarned is forearmed” so here we list some potential pithy replies to arm yourself with or some canny witticisms you can insert into a conversation.
Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?
This is one of those urban myths that refuses to die. The idea that glass is really a viscous liquid, so thick that it takes centuries for it to flow. But what is the truth ?
An Ancient Mystery Solved … Hierapolis, “The Gates to Hell” & Instant Death
One of the world’s most chilling ruins is the Ploutonion at Hierapolis, “the Gates to Hell”. Here crowds watched priests lead animal sacrifices down into a cave, where they died mysteriously as if dragged down to the underworld. No one knew how they did it, that is, until very recently.
What Are The Differences Between British & American English?
There is an old saying that America and Britain are “two nations divided by a common language.” No one exactly knows who said this, but it does seem to reflect how we Brits feel about American English. But are American and British English really so divergent, and if so what are the key differences ? 1. Accent The most obvious difference are accents. Whilst Britain has a vast range of different regional accents none are quite...
Guernsey Celts & Guernsey Romans – A Timeline
Since the 1980s there has been a veritable explosion of Archaeological evidence to suggest that Guernsey was very much a part of the Roman World. In this article we look at the interface between the Celtic Worlds and the Roman World in Guernsey and the channel Islands.
Insults We Should Bring Back
There’s something deliciously satisfying in a well timed, properly placed insult or barb. In this article we look at a rag tag collection of insulting words and phrases we think should be brought back along with a miscellany of insulting zingers and factlets.
Surprising Science : Would You Adam & Eve it … They DID exist!
Reality is sometimes stranger than we’d ever credit. Believe it or not but Scientists are actually saying that they can prove that Adam & Eve, that is a single set of ancestors, are parents to us all!
Fresh Air Really IS Good For You !
There is a deep-rooted idea in the Western world that fresh air and sunshine are good for us. Going back to medieval times, the spread of disease was often blamed on bad or malodorous air. The idea that fresh air could cure has been current right up until our recent history. Well, it looks as though all those medics of yesteryear may have been on to something after all.
Why Are Eggs Egg Shaped ?
Another one of those random questions that seem to come out of nowhere as it flits across our minds – Why Exactly are Eggs egg Shaped ?
Origins of Some English Eponyms : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon
Eponyms are one of the most fascinating examples of how the English language gains new words. In this article we take a colourful look at the phenomenon that is the eponym gathering together the stories of the people behind the words that have passed into our everyday vocabulary : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon