What keeps the idiom current is its imagery. Unlike more clinical alternatives – “disclose,” “reveal,” “divulge” – this one has texture. It moves. It scratches. It refuses containment. And perhaps that’s why it endures: because secrets, like cats, are never entirely obedient.
Let’s go back in time. Just two days really. Because I did not like today’s word of the day. Browsing back to Tuesday I found the word ‘inglenook’ – and…
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.…
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…
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)
Horatio Nelson was first to be ascribed naming rights, himself a contender in war. He found this strategic use of the movement effective in the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar both of which he won.
As a purist of the English language I frequently tear my hair out when I hear or see basic grammar mistakes, particular from those in the profession of news casting…
Working as a writer and copy editor, I have noticed how the brain tricks you, or me. If the word sounds right in the mind it's easy for it to…
Slapping down anything that comes to mind may work for the Earnest Hemingways of the world, but its unlikely to produce persuasive copy for your website. Even Hemingway was not…
