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…
The myth of Sisyphus: origin and meaning
Sisyphean: Perhaps the most direct linguistic legacy of the myth, "Sisyphean" describes any task that is endless and ineffective, mirroring Sisyphus's eternal struggle. Whether it's tackling a never-ending workload or battling an insurmountable challenge, calling something Sisyphean immediately conveys the exhausting and futile nature of the endeavor. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
World Literacy Day: A time to reflect
September 8th marked the annual celebration of World Literacy Day, a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone for individual and…
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…
The scary truth about “Would They Love A Lion?”
I am seldom stirred by stories, be they children’s, Essop’s or fireside tales. But yesterday I was more than a little disturbed while reading a book with the title, “Would…
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…
