Ferment and foment confuse the best of us: word usage
Foment means "to incite or rouse." The words have some overlap in use, as they can both be used to express agitation and situations that can cause change or unrest.’
Shopping basket
”Shrinkflation: Pay More, Get Less” Now showing at a supermarket near you.
Remember when Cadbury’s 200g was that big slab you could enjoy with big pieces of chocolatey goodness. You really felt you were getting double the value of the 100g bar.…
Now you can have your cake and eat it too: Idioms are a piece of cake
In recent months I ‘ve heard many sitcoms and dramedies use the phrase cakewalk. As someone who is familiar with the term ‘piece of cake’ I wondered how the word…
From Superheroes to Greek Gods: Unpacking the Meaning of Weakness
Is your love of chocolate your Achilles' heel or is it just Kryptonite? If you want to know the difference and talk about it correctly, read on. Kryptonite: A…
Athleisure - pic by Wesley Tingey: Unsplash
Words follow fashion and lifestyle trends: 690 new ones
Have you ever felt like making up your own words? Don't be shy, the English language is always growing and changing. You may just find your creation in the dictionary…
It’s Knot what you know but Who in this Gordian mystery of ANC Billionaires
Unravelling the Gordian Knot:history and usage This is not the first time I have seen the term ‘Gordian Knot’ but reading Pieter du Toit’s The ANC Billionaires, I saw it…
Chickens graze in meadow, nature beauty looking back generated by artificial intelligence
A scam that came in two chickens short
Put up your hands, everyone who's fallen for a scam in the past 12 months? They’re everywhere and if you’re not on your toes all the time it's easy to…
Glass House -pic by Ridvan Gulic
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones: Idiom
In a recent radio talk show, a caller commented that "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". He was referring to the Teflon nature of EFF leader Julius Malema who…
Frustrated writer/techy
Pic by StockCake
Non-English! How did we get here?
“Former YouTube chief and Silicon Valley pioneer Susan Wojcicki died Friday at 56, after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer.” I’ve just read this in a non-frivolous newsletter put together…
Nose out of joint?: Idiom explained
Today it's all about the nose. Nose-based idiom on the English Club ‘idiom of the day’ post and a ‘The nose knows’ video that popped into my email. The latter…
