sleep time
Somnolent: Word use and origin
Last night when I got home after a long day’s work I felt particularly somnolent. This was hardly surprising as I woke up at 4.30am fought with myself to get…
Through the eye of the needle: biblical idioms
The English language is so rich and diverse that one lifetime is just not enough to master all of it. But I have discovered that as much as English owes…
Verbs must do the hard work in a sentence
Less is more in the writing discipline
I am reading a book in which the author has swamped the pages with an oversupply of adjectives. Of course, this is just my opinion, but I find the need…
Say it all in the essay
In my school days, I loved writing essays and sometimes the result was so impressive that my teachers rewarded me with the highest marks in the class. Such was the…
The joy of serendipity
No work today. I read the SMS on Monday with surprise, delight and near disbelief. Then I realised the universe had conspired to serve my needs. With less than three…
Can writers be replaced by Artificial Intelligence?
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Stand aside fellow writer as a machine does your work. This is highly possible, and as early as 2018, if writings on the power and…
How big is your appetite for words?
Browsing through the Huffington Post, I happened upon a blog about strange and wonderful words. When I reached the end of the text, I realised with horror that I have…
bees at work
Why is spelling a bee?
This is a question that has been on my mind ever since my encounter with the movie Akeelah and the Bee in 2006, and I was again reminded of it…
Conniption over court appearance: A modern day hissy fit
Last month I received a self-sealing letter in the post. These are usually some or other form of traffic infringement notice. Indeed, it was. But it was red. This was…
A screenshot of Boston Legal
A deadly blutterance: How words are formed
Blasted, blithering and blooming. All lovely descriptive words with a possible to probable note of irritation in how they are expressed, depending on context of course. These words remind me…
