Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World
Girls, in some parts of England and the United States, say, or rather chant, while bouncing a ball: “One, two, three, alairy, four five, six, alairy,” and so on. According to an “eyewitness report,” they say so, while bouncing a ball on the ground, catching it with one hand, keeping the score, and accompanying each alairy with a circular swing of the leg, so as to describe a loop around but not obstruct the rising ball.
Anatoly looks at the origin of the word “cocktail.”
This is an old chestnut. How did ‘Raining Cats and Dogs’ come into being, and stay, in the language? The possibilities are few. A foreign phrase is occasionally repeated verbatim or nearly so, and turns into gibberish. It is possible that the first ‘cats and dogs’ were not even animal names.
Anatoly looks at the oddest English spellings.
It is Anatoly’s Anniversary!!!!
Anatoly Liberman’s monthly gleaings.
Anatoly Liberman looks at the origin of the word “brain.”
Anatoly Liberman looks at the origin of the word “dildo.”
A closer look at strumpets.
Anatoly’s monthly gleanings.
English is a language of limitless opportunities. Strange things happen in it. Some words are spelled alike but pronounced differently: ‘bow’ (the bow of a ship) and ‘bow’ (bow and arrows); ‘row’ (she kicked up a row) and ‘row’ (the front row); ‘permit’ (the verb) and ‘permit’ (the noun).
Anatoly Liberman’s weekly column. The Oddest English Spellings Part Six.
Anatoly Liberman’s weekly column.
Anatoly Liberman looks at the many meanings of the word “troll.”
Anatoly Liberman’s Monthly Gleanings.
Anatoly Liberman weekly column.