Unexpected Anagrams

From a forwarded email.

Merriam-Webster Royal Vocabulary Quiz

If you are not completely over your Coronation fix, take this Royal Vocabulary quiz and see if you know your Dukes from your Beefeaters. As a long time Anglophile, I found it simple. How did you do?

Sign, Sign, Can’t You Read the Sign?

From a forwarded email.

Reblog 10 Phrases that Originated in the Middle Ages.

From https://nicholasrossis.wordpress.com/2023/05/17/10-phrases-that-originated-in-the-middle-ages/

1. “You are the apple of my eye”

In early medieval England, the pupil of the eye was known as the apple (Old English æppel) since it was thought to be an apple-shaped solid. Since the delicate pupil of the eye is essential for vision, it is a part that is cherished and to be protected. Thus apple of the eye was used as a figure for a much-loved person or thing. Even King Alfred the Great used this phrase.

2. “Baker’s Dozen”

This phrase arose from a piece of medieval legislation, the Assize of Bread and Ale of 1262. Bakers of the period had a reputation for selling underweight loaves, so legislation was put in place to make standardized weights. To make sure that they did not sell underweight bread, bakers started to give an extra piece of bread away with every loaf, and a thirteenth loaf with every dozen.

Merriam-Webster Baby Animal Quiz

In honor of Mother’s Day, take this quiz to see how well you can match a baby animal with its mother. I thought it was easy.

Merriam-Webster Name that Flower Quiz

This quiz was much easier than I expected. I missed one because I clicked the wrong button, despite knowing the flower.

When Insults Had Class

From a forwarded email. Some of these are repeats and I found that some of them are new.

These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled
down to 4-letter words:

“I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because
someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the
top.”” – English Professor, Ohio University

“He had delusions of adequacy.” – Walter Kerr

“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” – Winston Churchill

“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great
pleasure.” – Clarence Darrow

“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the
dictionary.” – William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” – Moses Hadas

“I didn’t attend the funeral , but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” – Mark Twain

“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” – Oscar Wilde

“I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a
friend… If you have one.” – George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

“Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second… If there is one.” – Winston Churchill, in response..

“I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.” – Stephen Bishop

“He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” – John Bright

“I’ve just learned about his illness.  Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial .” – Irvin S. Cobb

“He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.” – Samuel Johnson

“He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.” – Paul Keating

“In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.” – Charles, Count Talleyrand

“He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.” – Forrest Tucker

“Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?” – Mark Twain

“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”
– Mae West

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” – Oscar Wilde

“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… For support rather than illumination.”
– Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.” – Groucho Marx

“There’s nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won’t cure.” – Jack E. Leonard

“He has the attention span of a lightning bolt.” – Robert Redford

“They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of
human knowledge.” – Thomas Brackett Reed

“He has Van Gogh’s ear for music.” – Billy Wilder

“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” – Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

“A modest little person, with much to be modest about.” – Winston Churchill

A member of Parliament to Disraeli:  “Sir, you will either die on the
gallows or of some unspeakable disease.”
“That depends, Sir,” said Disraeli, “whether I embrace your policies
or your mistress.”

“If you have nothing good to say about anyone, come sit next to me.” – Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of Teddy Roosevelt)

Reblog: 10 English Words We Wish We Would Come Back

Some of these word may be familiar and some you can cipher out. All are deliciously descriptive. Click here to find out what they are. Verily you will enjoy it,

A Newsworthy English Language Peculiarity

Today’s US headlines offer an real time lesson in the peculiarity of the English language.

Former President Donald Trump was indicted for alleged financial fraud, becoming the first current or former US President to be charged.

Many people love Donald Trump. He is loved.

Many people want Donald Trump to be president. He is wanted (as a once and future president.)

Many people do not want Donald Trump to be president again. For these people he is both unwanted (as president for another term) and wanted (because he wanted by the law.)

Can you think of other examples in English where one a word in one tense has a different meaning in another tense?

Reblog: Merriam-Webser Are You Feeling Lucky Quiz

Do you feel lucky? Well do you? I found this quiz easy, but I still missed one because I was not paying enough attention to hit the correct answer, despite easily knowing the word. I was a real nudnik.

Be Like Pluto

From a Facebook post shared by Luisa Zambrotta from Words and Music and Stories.

When all the world's against you
and it seems like an evil plot
Just continue being you
You're the only you, you've got.

Merriam-Webster Quiz–Top Words for 2022

What a year it was! Can you recall the events that made these words famous? Take the quiz to see how well you can recall last year.

I personally found this an easy quiz. How about you?

Reblog: Merriam-Webster Good Old Fashioned Word Quiz

For some this quiz will be history, for other it will be a combination of history, memory, and experience. How well do you do with old-fashioned (some very old fashioned) quiz?

Merriam-Webster Which Came First Quiz

This is a fun quiz, where your knowledge of pop culture may be more important than you knowledge of the English language.

Although I did terribly, I still enjoyed the quiz.

A Coffee Shop Sign that is Easy to Understand

Sign

Merriam-Webster Name that Instrument

Do you know your snare from your kettle or your guitar from your banjo? If so this might be your quiz.

Merriam-Webster Top Words for 2022

Although I thought this quiz was easy, what do you think? Each of these words were often looked up because of news stories.

Were you Naughty of Nice this Christmas—Merriam Webster Quiz

Take this test to see if what they say about you is naughty or nice. I found it easy, which was very nice.

Merriam-Webster Hear It, Spell It Quiz

This is a different quiz, where you hear the word which is then used in a sentence. The speaker is very clear and has no discernible accent. Give it a try. I missed one.

Paraprosdokian

From a forwarded email: A paraprosdokian is a sentence or statement with an unexpected ending.  Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen. What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter. Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu – you get what you deserve. I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday, but couldn’t find any. What do you call a bee that can’t make up its mind? A maybe. I tried to sue the airline for losing my luggage.I lost my case. Is it ignorance or apathy that’s destroying the world today? I don’t know and don’t really care. I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind. Which country’s capital has the fastest-growing population? Ireland. Every day it’s Dublin. I saw an ad for burial plots, and I thought: “That’s the last thing I need!” Need an ark? I Noah guy. You’re not completely useless, you can always serve as a bad example. I broke my finger last week. On the other hand, I’m okay. Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink. To the mathematician who thought of the idea of zero. Thanks for nothing! Son: “Dad, can you tell me what a solar eclipse is?”Dad: “No sun.”

A paraprosdokian is a sentence or statement with an unexpected ending.  Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen. What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter. Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu – you get what you deserve. I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday, but couldn’t find any. What do you call a bee that can’t make up its mind? A maybe. I tried to sue the airline for losing my luggage.I lost my case. Is it ignorance or apathy that’s destroying the world today? I don’t know and don’t really care. I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind. Which country’s capital has the fastest-growing population? Ireland. Every day it’s Dublin. I saw an ad for burial plots, and I thought: “That’s the last thing I need!” Need an ark? I Noah guy. You’re not completely useless, you can always serve as a bad example. I broke my finger last week. On the other hand, I’m okay. Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink. To the mathematician who thought of the idea of zero. Thanks for nothing! Son: “Dad, can you tell me what a solar eclipse is?”Dad: “No sun.”