Dynamite
Nothing seems quite so paradoxical as the inventor of dynamite being the sponsor of the World’s most renowned peace award – The Nobel Prize. That being the case the invention of Dynamite, please note NOT gunpowder, was a pretty seminal moment in the history of technology.
Origins of Some English Eponyms : Uncle Sam, Masochism, Martinet & Jezebel
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 some eponyms like : Uncle Sam, Masochism, Martinet & Jezebel.
Origins of Some English Eponyms : Juggernaut, Lynching, Malapropism, Maverick & Tantalise
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 some eponyms like : Juggernaut, Lynching, Malapropism, Maverick & Tantalise.
The Meaning of Some Guernsey Surnames
There’s a rich variety of traditional Guernsey surnames. Surnames that have been in the island for generations and with which we are all very familiar but may never have given any thought as to what they might actually mean. In this article we look st some of them.
Origins of Some English Eponyms : Chauvinist , Draconoian, Hooligan, John Hancock & Mentor
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 some eponyms like : Chauvinist , Draconoian, Hooligan, John Hancock & Mentor.
When did the US start dropping the U from words such as colour?
Did the American’s hi-jack the English language and have applied what seems, on the face of it, some rather arbitary descions to spell various words differently. Why remove the U from words like colour? In this article we look at the rather querky reasons for this.
The Rise of Football – The Beautiful Game
The Beautiful Game, complete with even medieval hooligans, is older than you might think.
Instead of swearing, some people say “Gordon Bennett” – Why and who was he?
Instead of swearing, some people say “Gordon Bennett.” But why? Did he exist and, if so, who was he?
Guernsey Icons – The Guernsey Milk-Can
Today the Guernsey milk-can has almost disappeared. We still see them of course, but we see little silver ones in jewellers’ shops and bigger ones in copper in old houses and in antique shops. However there are still some people who make them in the old way.
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 ?
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
Christmas Crackers – A History of Tom Smith
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Cracker. That extra piece of trimming that helps make up the Christmas table with it’s paper hats, silly (sometimes usefull) gifts and jokes and mottos that we all like to groan at. Here we look at how the man behind this tradition, Tom Smith, developed them.
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 ?
The Origin of Writing
Writing – The invention that enabled science and knowledge to flourish. However it seems that is wasn’t invented for prose or love poems or literature but for the more mundane and prosaic task of taxation and bookkeeping.
