Old Guernsey Proverbs and Sayings
We’ve gathered together here some of the old Guernésiais proverbs and sayings that time seems to have forgotten.
Eleven Punctuation Marks you (probably) never knew existed
If you thought that you had a handle on all the punctuation marks in the English language then you might need to think again. In this article we look at some of the largely forgotten and esoteric punctuation symbols and characters that are technically still part of the English lexicon.
Wordsmith – Test your ‘American’
Improve and test your wordpower. How many of these American-English words do you know?
Unusual Animal Collectives
You’d be surprised at what the ‘official’ English collective nouns are for groups of animals, we certainly were when we looked into it.
The Evolution of the English Language
English is truly the international language of the world. It’s rise to prominence is due in no small part due to the British Empire and now to the all pervading American cultural hegemony. But what about the evolution of the language itself ?
‘Who dunnit’ – Some Literary Sleuthing (Forensic Stylometry)
In 2013 the Sunday Times ‘outed’ J.K. Rowling as the author of the detective novel “The Cuckoo’s Calling”, published under her nom de plume Robert Galbraith. They did this partly using a scientific technique called ‘forensic stylometry’. In this article we look at this ‘literary sleuthing’ method
Lost in Translation III – Misadventures in English
English is the global language of communication which means that when it collides with local languages it can have hilarious results. Here we’ve gathered together the results of some of the planets finest misadventures in English.
The Language of Shakespeare – Modern Terms Coined by the Bard
We really do speak the language of Shakespeare today. You will be amazed at the expressions and words that we commonly use and are attributed to the great bard himself.
Nursery Rhymes – Origins & History III
Behind every nursery rhyme is a history and story that’s every bit intriguing as the rhyme itself : Three Blind Mice; Mary Mary Quite Contrary; Pease-pudding Hot; Little Miss Muffet; Little Jack Horner
We speak the language of Caesar everyday … and we don’t even know it – Everyday Latin Phrases
A motley combination of Anglo-Saxon, Latin, and Germanic dialects, the English language (more or less as we know it) coalesced between the 9th and 13th centuries. However, despite the passage of time, there are many common Latin phrases and abbreviations that have survived and are still in use in everyday language, even after a couple of thousand years.
Lost in Translation II – Misadventures in English
English is the global language of communication which means that when it collides with local languages it can have hilarious results. Here we’ve gathered together the results of some of the planets finest misadventures in English.
Wordsmith – Bizarre English Words
Improve and test your wordpower against some of the rather more bizarre words that have found their way into the English language.
Guernsey Patois – A Language Apart
Guernsey Patois is a very ancient tongue indeed. A descecdant of old Norman French and developed in splendid isolation within the island it has become a true ‘language apart’.
“Punctuation Marks Save Lives” – When Was Punctuation First Used in Language?
Punctuation really does add more meaning to the written word than we often give these little characters credit for. But when was punctuation first used in any language ?
Are You a Luddite?
Are you a Luddite ? .. A term coined over 200 years ago.. Read on to see if you are (although the chances are that you aren’t, given that you’re using a computer to read this article on the internet)
