Category Archives: Language
Organisations which may want to change their name, # 1
When I was in Dingli, Malta today I saw that their football club is called “Dingli Swallows”. Well, as long as I am the only one to misunderstand this club’s name (until I saw the logo), it shouldn’t be a … Continue reading
Easily confused (1)
Aren’t you thankful that I didn’t pick a more realistic photo of a miscarriage?
Romanic languages
Romanic languages are like the meals at McDonalds: If you know one of them, you know all of them. This – unjustifiedly disparaging – thought came to my mind as I am trying to decide which language to learn next.
How people found my blog
Some people find my blog because they have subscribed to it (do the same to spice up your life!), some get the alerts about new posts (and much more) through my Facebook page and some people find me through search … Continue reading
2012 Warning
Do you remember the film “2012” by Roland Emmerich? It is (another) disaster film about the end of the world, which has allegedly been predicted for 21 December 2012 by the Maya Calendar. In the film, the earth’s core heats up, … Continue reading
Why I want to learn Italian
I want to learn Italian because it can save lives and prevent espionage plots from being uncovered: A scene from “Inglourious Basterds” in which three US soldiers posing as Italians are introduced by a German actress to a Colonel of the … Continue reading
Take your time with good books
I love to read books. So much that I sometimes even read several books at the same time. I also like to talk about books with other readers, I like to receive new suggestions on what to read next and make … Continue reading
Less or Fewer? A Company Name gone Wrong
Today at LSE library, I noticed an advertisement at the inside of a toilet door (the location might have been a foreboding) for a company that offers proofreading services: “Less Silly Errors: Proofreaders of Academic Essays”: Obviously, this company wanted … Continue reading
“Please RSVP”
No, I won’t. Or only after crossing out the “please”. Because I get annoyed by people abusing language. “RSVP” is the abbreviation for the French sentence “Répondez s’il vous plaît” which translates as “Please reply”. Therefore, RSVP does not need … Continue reading
Messing with Mythology
Having no inclination for product placement, I still have to tell you what came to my mind when I was shopping for shaving equipment recently. I saw Gillette‘s “HydraGel” (pictured left) innocently sitting on the shelf, and I was just … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 