The Frightful, Canadian History of the Word “Trick-or-Treat”
The Frightful, Canadian History of the Word “Trick-or-Treat”
In early 20th century North America, the practice of “trick-or-treating” hadn’t yet begun. Instead, children and teens practiced amateur divination, dressed up in costumes, and carved pumpkins. However, in Europe, the practice of going from door-to-door for an exchange involving getting treats to eat has been around since the Middle Ages. In England, people would collect food from neighbours...
5 Reasons to Attend ...
5 Reasons to Attend a Second-Language Conversation Group
At LRDG, we stress the importance of using a blended methodological approach for language learning. What this means is that we combine computer-based ...
Executed for a Trans...
Executed for a Translation: The Story of William Tyndale and the Expressions he Brought Us
Have you heard of the following common expressions? “the powers that be” “suffer fools gladly” “my brother’s keeper” “stumbling block...
10 Surprising Facts ...
10 Surprising Facts About the English Language
Hello there, English-speaker! Did you know that the English language is full of strange facts, has a rich history, and even has a ghost-word? Read-on ...
Commonly Confused Wo...
Commonly Confused Words Part 2: Login, Log In, Into, In To
Hello grammar nerds! In our last post, we took a look at log in vs. login and asked whether you should log into a site, log in to a site, or login to ...
Commonly Confused Wo...
Commonly Confused Words Part 1: Login, Log In, Into, In To
Do you ever find yourself wondering if you should log into a site, login to a site, or log in to a site? Maybe you hadn’t, but after reading the pre...
Don’t Let a Rapsca...
Don’t Let a Rapscallion Stab You with A Bodkin: On English’s Obsolete Words
Gather ‘round, prithee please and behold – a blog post on obsolete words! If you have never uttered the words “prithee” or “behold,” it’...
The Language of Coff...
The Language of Coffee
Coffee: you need it, you crave it, you can’t live without it. Yet, if you were in England in, say, the 1400s, chances are you’d have reached for a...
Analog Words in a Di...
Analog Words in a Digital World: How the Internet Has Revolutionized the English Language
“Did you see that gif I texted you?” “Lol. Gonna tweet it. I don’t care if I get trolled.” “Woot! Lmfao. Anyways, see ya s...
The English language...
The English language has a lot of French words!
French and English aren’t as different as you might think! Did you know that an estimated 30% of English words come from French? Today we’ll look ...
Through the Umbral S...
Through the Umbral Shadow: A Guide to Eclipse Vocabulary
Sound really smart while talking about Friday’s lunar eclipse! Friday July 27th marked the longest lunar eclipse of the century, visible everywhere ...