Any language is full of near synonyms. In Spanish, you have to watch out not just for similarly spelled words but for the differences implied by the use of diacritics. What does «¿Qué haces?» mean in English? The phrase ¿Qué haces? is a question with two meanings. First, it can be a general question …
Vocabulary
One of the most common ways we humans greet each other is by asking “How’s it going?” We say this no matter how well we know a person, and sometimes it is a “safe” icebreaker for people who are acquaintances rather than close friends. You might not be aware that there are multiple ways to …
Jinkies! Zoinks! Jeepers! These words may look like nonsense, but if you’ve ever watched a certain children’s cartoon that features a talking dog and his friends solving mysteries, they’ll be very familiar. Where do words like “jinkies” come from, though? And what do they mean? Let’s find out. What does “jinkies” mean? The answer …
What are abstract ideas? An abstract idea is one that lacks concrete physical details, things you cannot touch but that you know exist. World peace is something that everyone can understand as a concept but there is no physical object that is “world peace” that they can touch. Human minds tend to think in …
In July 2019, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was testifying before the U.S. Congress regarding his investigation into whether there had been interference from Russia in the 2016 election. During a long remark from Rep. Louis Gohmert, Mueller talked over him to say, “I take your question.” When Rep. Gohmert’s remarks concluded and Mueller was …
Death is an inescapable part of life, however depressing that might be. Different cultures have reconciled themselves with this fact in different ways. In Japan, there has traditionally been a Buddhist-inspired acceptance of life’s impermanence. Others believe in doing good works while alive and thus earning themselves a place in a heavenly afterlife. Some might …
There are many pleasures in life but all pale in comparison to the joy and excitement of filling out a job application. If only that sentence were true. In reality, job application forms are stressful and time-consuming. The fact that job application forms have their own special kind of shorthand adds to the stress. Case …
Life is full of tedium and things that we can’t control. Whether you have a demanding boss, cranky neighbor, or unhelpful teacher, you may feel like you’re getting the raw end of the deal. While it can be frustrating, you may just have to go with the flow and accept it. Naturally, you can share …
Language changes over time. A classic example is the word “literally.” Originally used to describe things that were not a metaphor, it has now come to be used to describe things that are metaphorical in an exaggerated fashion. Another interesting expression in this vein is the phrase “in a hot minute.” How long is …