Some Guernsey Place Names & Their Meanings
Mar15

Some Guernsey Place Names & Their Meanings

Place-names are not just arbitrary sounds or quaint words. They had meaning to our remote ancestors who derived them for a reason. They give us insight into their world . In this article we look at just a few of some of Guernsey’s place names and their meanings.

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English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today
Dec28

English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today

How would you rate your vocabulary ? Average; Better than Average ; Exceptional ?
It may not matter how good you think your command of English is because in this article we reveal some surprising revelations about some of the words, you may have thought you had a thorough understanding of, had, in point of fact, some VERY different meanings in the past.

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They have a word for that in Greek / Russian / Italien … (things you can’t say in English)
Nov27

They have a word for that in Greek / Russian / Italien … (things you can’t say in English)

If you look at the statistics around the English language you’d think that we already have more than enough words in this ‘language of the World’. However as much as we like to think of English as the biggest and best of all the World languages, it turns out there’s just some things you can’t express in one word … but you can in other languages. Duende (Spanish); Hygge (Danish); Komorehi (Japanese); Fartlek (Swedish)

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Origins of Some English Eponyms : Farenheit, Colossal, Macabre, Dolby
Nov23

Origins of Some English Eponyms : Farenheit, Colossal, Macabre, Dolby

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 : Farenheit, Colossal, Macabre, Dolby

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Is There Any Truth in the Old Weather saying of “Red Sky at Night Shepherds Delight” ?
Nov16

Is There Any Truth in the Old Weather saying of “Red Sky at Night Shepherds Delight” ?

Red Sky at Night – Shepherd’s delight. Red Sky in the morning – Sailor’s Warning” – This is one of those venerable bits of meteorological lore and weather experts confirms it to be around 70% reliable. But Why ?

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How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?
Oct26

How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?

“How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?” In a Nutshell : it would be somewhere between 400 to 500 yrs ago. In order to justify this let’s compare how the speech of ‘English’ speakers sounded in Chaucer’s time, the late 14th Century, with that in the late 16th Century – at the time of Shakespeare.

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What Are the Oldest Words in the English Language Still in Use Today ?
Oct09

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.

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Epic One Liners
Sep21

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.

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What Are The Differences Between British & American English?
Sep11

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...

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Insults We Should Bring Back
Sep04

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.

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Origins of Some English Eponyms : Caesarian Section, Bikini, Bayonet, Armageddon
Aug21

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

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Come on You Green Lions ! – GFC Chants in Guernsey French
Aug17

Come on You Green Lions ! – GFC Chants in Guernsey French

In this article we share with you some “suitable chants” in Guernsey French, as given to us in a GFC programme in the 2016 season.

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English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today
Jul10

English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today

How would you rate your vocabulary ? Average; Better than Average ; Exceptional ?
It may not matter how good you think your command of English is because in this article we reveal some surprising revelations about some of the words, you may have thought you had a thorough understanding of, had, in point of fact, some VERY different meanings in the past.

Read More
The Longest Words in English
Jun05

The Longest Words in English

What are the longest words in English Language? – In this article we propose some candidates for English’s longest words – good luck in trying to pronounce them.

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They have a word for that in Greek / Russian / Italien … (things you can’t say in English)
May11

They have a word for that in Greek / Russian / Italien … (things you can’t say in English)

If you look at the statistics around the English language you’d think that we already have more than enough words in this ‘language of the World’. However as much as we like to think of English as the biggest and best of all the World languages, it turns out there’s just some things you can’t express in one word … but you can in other languages. Attaccahottoni (Italian); Schnorrer (Yiddish); Soutpiel (Afrikaans); Aware (Japanese)

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