On a recent drive to school with Cheyenne, I heard three songs use the term "heart attack" in regard to matters of the heart, but not to speak to the actual physical malady that would put one in a hospital. This casual use of the term, which I must confess I too have used liberally [...]
Tag: language
How is a cuss word born?
If there is one thing summer is filled with on my street it is the laughter and shouts of children. The neighborhood kids are doing what kids do in the summer - play from sun up to sun down. Watching them reminds me of my childhood summers on the cul-de-sac I lived on. Summer for [...]
Dissed robe!
When I say robe, what do you envision? Perhaps something made of plaid flannel, that is manly, knee level length, covers your night clothes and keeps you warm on chilly mornings? Or are you thinking of one of those really soft, fleece, floor length frocks that make you look and feel like a cozy stuffed animal? Perhaps you [...]
Settling on juxtaposition…
Okay then...let's talk "juxtaposition." Did I just cause you to flash back to School House Rock's Conjunction Junction? That is what I think whenever I see the word "juxtaposition" all written out. I want it to rhyme with something and be part of a catchy jingle that I will remember decades later. I loved School [...]
You are full of it!
My mother always emphasized the importance of being polite - saying yes, please and thank you, practicing general civility and showing kindness toward others. I try and remember that as I go through life, but there are some days where my bright and shiny polite self seems to be a little tarnished. There are times [...]
On OMG probation…
It is funny the words and phrases we integrate into our vocabulary. As a kid I integrated words that I thought made me sound cool (and yes, I know that I dated myself by using the word “cool” – let’s move on). These days I integrate words and phrases that amuse me. It is amazing [...]
OMG – WTF!
I teach in the land of acronyms – emergency management (which has its own acronym – EM). We have so many acronyms in EM that we have to have a book that lists them all. The book, titled FEMA Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Terms, features 4,200 acronyms on 160 pages. You gotta’ love that they have [...]
THE NEW FORTY 