Flout or flaunt? Word confusion
One of the most common mistakes I found as a sub-editor was around the confusion of the use of the words flaunt and flout. The result was often hilarious. It…
New author launches poetry anthology at Love Books, Melville
Fans filled up the spaces of the buzzing bookshop last night at the launch of Happy Birthday Raashi, a poetry anthology by Raashida Khan, the author’s first published work. Khan’s…
Perhaps what 'gig' used to mean
Gig economy the smart choice
As a gigger (someone who works in the ‘gig economy’ – my own definition) for the past three and a half years I have formed my own views as to…
No-cry zones with sunions: How words are formed
You’ve heard of a no-fly zone. Now, there’s a no-cry zone. That’s when it comes to onions. Or rather sunions. English is not the only discipline to combine two elements…
An attack of destinesia
New word from a six year old: Palindromes and portmanteus: how words are formed
Almost every word in English has a definition and almost every word composition has a description for why it came to be called that. Until that is, the word that…
Take care with English: How expressions get distorted
Would you say English is a careless language? I think the opposite is true. English is a careful language in that its most practiced users choose words with specific intent,…
Red herring: A technique for arguing
I love a red herring. And no, I don’t mean because it’s an ideal protein in a low-carb high-protein diet. It’s also great for breakfast. At school I had a…
No ticking time bomb: why words are redundant
In recent weeks I became curious about the metaphor ‘a ticking time bomb’. There’s something about it that does not ring true. Not true, in that sense but not grammatically…
Rats in the language
Rats! If you’ve ever had the problem of rats in your home, you may identify with strongly negative feelings about the small annoying creatures. Thanks to my compulsive TV watching…
Have these men done their fartlek?
Fartlek, among the funniest words in the English language
Yesterday as I was cursing the spinning instructor for insisting I use muscles I didn’t know I had to save energy, I thought she had lost the plot. Saving energy…
