Arlene Miller's Blog

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It appears that our writing system may have been independently invented several separate times because none of the evolving systems shows much influence from the previous ones. 

Around 3400–3200 BCE

Merchants needed to keep track of grain, livestock, taxes, and trade.

Sumer (southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq)

System: Cuneiform

The merchants began with little clay tokens to represent commodities (e.g., a cone = a measure of grain). Eventually, they impressed the shapes of those tokens into clay tablets, evolving into wedge-shaped marks made with a reed stylus. The beginning of writing!

Around 3200 BCE

Writing systems then evolved in ancient Egypt in the form of hieroglyphs, only about 250 years after the first examples of cuneiform.

Egypt

System: Hieroglyphics

These hieroglyphics were first pictorial, and then evolved to include phonetic symbols. Hieroglyphics were used for monument inscriptions, religious texts, and administration.

Unlike cuneiform, which leaned toward abstract wedges, hieroglyphs kept their elegant, pictorial style  for millennia.

Around 2600–1900 BCE

The Indus Valley Civilization (in modern Pakistan and northwest India) developed a script found on seals and pottery.

It’s short, punchy, and still undeciphered. It is not known if it was a full language, a shorthand system, or just  symbolic marks.

Around 1200 BCE

In China, during the Shang Dynasty.

The Shang dynasty set up shop along the Yellow River and wrote early Chinese characters on animal bones during divination rituals. 

This writing is found on turtle shells and ox bones and used for divination.

This script is the direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters, an unbroken line of written tradition that’s over 3,000 years old. 

Around 1050 BCE

Phoenicians 

A consonantal alphabet, stripping down writing to about 22 symbols, making literacy much more accessible.

The Greeks adapted it by adding vowels, leading to what we know as our true alphabet.

The Romans then borrowed from the Greeks, leading to the Latin alphabet, which many languages (including English) use today.

Around 900 BCE

Finally, in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America today), writing began to take shape and influenced ancient civilizations like the Aztecs and Maya. Little is known about the history of many of the Mesoamerican languages, because Catholic priests and Spanish conquistadors destroyed a lot of the surviving documentation.

Where did cursive writing come from?

Cursive writing was not invented by one person, but evolved over millennia, with ancient Greeks and Romans using it for speed and efficiency. The term cursive comes from the Latin word for running. Italian scholar Niccolò Niccoli invented the italic style, which forms the basis of modern cursive, in the 15th century, The purpose was to make writing faster and smoother, requiring fewer pen lifts to prevent the quill from drying out or breaking.

 

Thank you for some of this information:  Interesting Facts, article written by Darren Orf and edited by Bess Lovejoy. Check out the website!

 

“I’ll have a black coffee, please.”

“I’ll have an iced decaf caramel macchiato, add shot, upside down, no whip, extra drizzle.”

Yup. Coffee sure has come a long way! 

National Coffee Day was this past week, and since I am a fan of coffee, I thought I would do a coffee post. Actually, a friend send me an article about which states have the longest average coffee orders. I thought it was a fascinating topic, so this post was born. I have linked that article at the end of this post.

I have been drinking coffee since I was in kindergarten. I would come home from morning kindergarten and drink coffee with my mother while we watched soap operas! By coffee, I mean Maxwell House Instant Coffee with milk and sugar in it. For special occasions, like bridge club, my mother would take out the big silver percolator and brew the real stuff

My son works at Starbucks, and I have been a fan for many years. When I lived in California, there were also other coffee shops I went to: Peets, a Starbucks competitor, and for a while Deaf Dog, a small locally owned chain I was loyal to for a while at the beginning of the coffee craze. While I never order just “coffee,” I don’t like Starbucks’s coffee, but I do think they have the best “mixed” drinks around. 

My drink of the moment depends on the weather and where I will be drinking the coffee. For hot weather and outdoor Florida environments, I currently drink iced shaken espressos, often decaf, with a splash of sweet cream. If I am sitting in my house or another air conditioned place, I drink mochas, formerly peppermint and now with cinnamon dolce. Almond milk, no whip, and extra hot. Former favorites include the amazing java chip frappuccino with almond milk and no whip (extra chips, please) and the chocolate cream cold brew with extra cold foam (my daughter’s favorite). 

Yes, if you go every day, or almost everyday, it does get expensive….but then I don’t travel much or buy expensive clothing or jewelry. I don’t drive an expensive car. I guess it all depends on your priorities!

How much coffee do I drink? From looking at my Facebook posts about coffee and my coffee mug posts, you would think it is a lot more than I really drink. I do usually drink my coffee at home. I have a Keurig, which hardly makes me a coffee aficionado! But I do drink good coffee — Starbucks or Peets and always a dark roast. I make 12-ounce cups, so that is fairly large. I go to Starbucks for my iced drinks (in summer, which it usually is here) maybe 5 times a week. I would say I drink about four cups a day, sometimes only three, very occasionally five. Most restaurants have awful coffee, but if I order a salad, I will probably get coffee. (I like the balance of hot and cold! No coffee with hot food unless it is breakfast food.) 

I probably drank more coffee when I worked in corporations. They probably have Keurigs now, but back then, they had those round Mr. Coffee pots with the bitter coffee that would be even more despicable at the bottom o the pot, but no one wanted to make a new pot. And when did those pots get washed anyway?  It was so easy to just get up — for a diversion — and pour more coffee even if you didn’t want it, and it tasted vile.

I have collected coffee mugs for many years and have them from all over the country and the world. (No, I don’t travel, but my daughter did! Actually I have been to most of the United States except for those big square ones in the middle — no offense if you live there. After all, I live in Florida.) When I moved from California to Florida, I packed up five cartons of mugs. I decided I couldn’t take all of those to Florida, so I gave some away and brought three cartons. They were on display, but are now in cupboards because I have a toddler granddaughter!

OK. I will admit it. I used to drink my coffee black with sugar. And then, black with Splenda. After my kindergarten days, I never cared for milk or cream in it. Then, my daughter got me into the flavored creamers. I don’t know what we would do if we ran out of Snickers creamer!

Some coffee trivia:

It takes 42 espresso beans to produce one shot of espresso.It takes 4000 coffee beans to produce a pound of roasted coffee.A coffee plant reaches maturity in five years.A coffee plant produces only about one pouond of coffee per year.About 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world each year.About 400 million cups of coffee are consumed each day in the United States, making it the world’s largest consumer of coffee.The average U.S. adult drinks about 400 cups of coffee per year.About half the U.S. population starts the day with a cuppa Joe.The term Cup of Joe was coined after Admiral Josephus “Joe” Daniels prohibited alcohol aboard Navy ships and so the men began drinking coffee instead,Finland is the largest consumer of coffee in Europe.An athlete will be banned from competing in the Olympics if the caffeine from about five cups of coffee is detected in their bloodstream.About one tenth of coffee consumed is instant.About 40 percent of coffee drinkers drink it black.One third of U.S. coffee drinkers add sweetener.While wine has about 400 distinct flavor characteristics, coffee has 800.

States with the Longest Coffee Orders

 

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

I had actually never heard of the term loanword, although it certainly makes sense.

A loanword is a word taken from one language and then integrated into another. Usually, there’s no translation; the word means and looks the same, but in a different language. During the integration process, the pronunciation and grammar might change to fit the new language. There are thousands of loanwords in English. Of course, other languages use loanwords as well.

Loanwords often fill gaps in English vocabulary, meaning there  wasn’t a way to express something in English.  Loanwords have enriched the language by filling these gaps.

For example, the word “robot” comes from Czech. Until this word entered English, there was no way to describe machines that can help with tasks.

Here is the usual process of integrating loadwords into the language:

When cultures speaking different languages mix, they borrow each other’s words. This is the starting point of the loanword process.  People borrow words from the other languages they come into contact with.

 For a word from another language to integrate into English, it needs to fit English’s pronunciation and structural features. Therefore, the pronunciation and grammar may change over time. For example, the pronunciation of many French loanwords has changed to be easier for English speakers to say.

People start to use the borrowed words more.  Over years of use, these words become so common that English speakers often have no idea they even come from a different language.

Here are just some examples of the many loadwords in the English language:

 

From LatinAgenda: a list of items to be discussed at a meetingAnatomy: the structure of living organismsCensus: official population countData: facts, numbers, and statistics used for analysisExcavate: to dig out or uncoverFormula: a fixed method or ruleMeditate: to focus or reflect deeplyPeninsula: land surrounded by water on three sidesStatus quo: the existing state of affairsVice versa: the other way around

Notice that the last two still sound Latin, but the others do not.

From Greek (many scientific and words related to study)Democracy: a government system by the people of the countryDialogue: a conversation between two or more peopleEthics: moral principles that govern behaviorHero: a person admired for courage or noble qualitiesHyperbole: a figure of speech that exaggerates for effectIdiom: a phrase with a meaning not deducible from the words themselvesLogic: reasoning conducted according to principlesMathematics: the abstract science of number, quantity, and spacePoetry: literary work expressing feelings and ideas with styleTheater: a place for dramatic performancesFrom French (many foods)Baguette: a long, thin, crusty loaf of breadCabernet: a type of red wineCafé: a coffee shopChaise longue: a long reclining chairChampagne: a sparkling wine from the Champagne regionChic: stylish or fashionableDéjà vu: the feeling that you’ve already experienced somethingElite: a group of people considered superior in statusEntrepreneur: someone who starts and runs a businessFaux pas: a social blunder or mistakeGenre: a category of artistic workHors d’oeuvre: a small appetizerLiaison: communication or cooperation between groupsRendezvous: a meeting at an agreed time and placeSouvenir: a keepsake or memento from a place or eventTouché: acknowledgment of a clever point in a discussionFrom Italian (many foods and art-related words)Balcony: a platform enclosed by a wall or railing on the outside of a buildingCappuccino: a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk foamCasino: a place for gambling and entertainmentCupola: a small dome on top of a buildingDuo: a pair of performersEspresso: strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffeeFresco: a painting done rapidly on wet plasterGraffiti: writings or drawings scribbled on walls or surfacesIncognito: in disguise or with one’s identity concealedLatte: a coffee made with espresso and steamed milkMafia: an organized crime syndicateMotto: a short phrase expressing a principle or idealOpera: a dramatic performance combining text and musical scorePaparazzi: photographers who follow celebritiesPiano: a large keyboard musical instrumentSoprano: the highest singing voice in classical musicSpaghetti: a type of long, thin pastaTempo: the speed or pace of a piece of musicUmbrella: a device used for protection against rainViolin: a small, high-pitched string instrumentFrom ArabicAlcohol: the ingredient found in wine, beer, and liquorAlgebra: a type of mathematicsAlgorithm: a set of rules to follow, especially in math or computingCoffee: a drink made from roasted coffee beansGenie: a spirit that can grant wishesGhoul: an evil spirit or creature that eats the deadGiraffe: a tall animal with a very long neckJasmine: a fragrant white flowerMattress: a soft pad placed on top of a bedMonsoon: a seasonal wind that brings heavy rainSaffron: a red-yellow spiceSofa: a piece of furnitureSyrup: a thick, sweet liquidTahini: a paste made from sesame seedsZero: the number 0From GermanAngst: a feeling of deep anxiety or dreadBlitz: a sudden, intense attack or effortBratwurst: a type of German sausageDoppelgänger: a look-alike or double of a living personKindergarten: a preschool for young childrenKitsch: art or design considered tacky or in poor tasteLager: a type of beerNoodle: a type of pastaPoltergeist: a noisy, mischievous ghostPoodle: a breed of dog with curly furPretzel: a type of bread or snackSauerkraut: fermented cabbageSchadenfreude: pleasure derived from another person’s misfortuneSchnitzel: a thin slice of meat, breaded and friedStrudel: a layered pastry with fruit or sweet fillingWaltz: a ballroom dance in triple timeZeitgeist: the spirit or mood of a particular period in history

 

From SpanishAdobe: sun-dried brick made of clay and strawAlligator: a large reptile similar to a crocodileAlpaca: an animal similar to a llamaBronco: an untrained or wild horseBurrito: a rolled tortilla filled with various ingredientsEmbargo: an official ban on trade or other commercial activityFiesta: a festive celebration or partyGuerrilla: a member of a small group engaged in irregular fightingGuitar: a stringed musical instrumentMarijuana: a drug from the cannabis plantMesa: a flat-topped hill with steep sidesMosquito: a small flying insect that bitesPatio: an outdoor courtyard or paved areaPlaza: a public square or marketplaceTornado: a violent rotating column of airTortilla: a thin flatbread made from corn or wheatFrom JapaneseAnime: Japanese animationBonsai: the art of growing miniature treesFuton: a thin mattress used on the floor or a foldable bedHaiku: a short form of Japanese poetry with a 5-7-5 syllable structureJudo: a Japanese martial art focused on throws and grapplingKaraoke: singing along to recorded music using a microphone and lyricsKimono: a traditional Japanese long robe with wide sleevesManga: Japanese comic books or graphic novelsOrigami: the art of paper foldingRickshaw: a small two-wheeled passenger cart pulled by one personSamurai: a member of the Japanese warrior classSashimi: thinly sliced raw fish or seafoodSensei: a teacher or master, especially in martial artsSushi: filled food containing rice, seafood, and vegetablesTsunami: a large, powerful ocean waveLoanwords from ChineseFrom Chinese Bok choy: a type of cabbageDim sum: small dishes typically served with teaGinseng: a root used in traditional Chinese medicineGung ho: extremely enthusiastic or dedicatedKetchup: a tomato-based condimentKung fu: a general term for Chinese martial artsLychee: a small tropical fruit with sweet white flesh and a rough red skinMahjong: a tile-based gameTea: a beverage made from steeped tea leavesWok: a round-bottomed cooking panYin yang: a symbol of two complementary partsFrom other languagesAnchovy (from Portuguese): a small fishBoondocks (from Tagalog): remote, rural areasChocolate (from Nahuatl): a sweet food made from roasted cacaoCurry (from Tamil): a type of spiced stew; a spice blendKangaroo (from Aboriginal Australian): a marsupialKayak (from Inuktitut): a canoeLandscape (from Dutch): a view of land; a type of paintingPastrami (from Yiddish): a cured meatReindeer (from Norwegian): a large deerRobot (from Czech): a machine that can carry out tasks automaticallyTundra (from Sámi): a flat, treeless Arctic regionYogurt (from Turkish): a fermented milk productThank you to the following  websites for the information: 

BUSUU

Quillbot

 

 

 

 

Image by bibianagonzalez from Pixabay

No, I am not going to or returning from Hawaii! I have no vacation photos and no souvenirs.

But I did want to talk about the Hawaiian language…

A number of states have established English as the only official language on a state level, while other states recognize English alongside native languages. Some states don’t recognize any official language. 30  states have made English the only official language, while Hawaii recognizes Hawaiian alongside English. South Dakota recognizes Sioux as well as English, and Alaska has over 20 official native languages.

Alphabet and Pronunciation:  The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters, the five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w) plus the Okina’, a glottal stop symbolized by a backwards apostrophe. Grammar: The language lacks a verb for “to be” and doesn’t conjugate verbs for person or number, but does use tense to indicate time.  Words and Phrases: Basic words like aloha (hello/goodbye) and mahalo (thank you) are well-known; other words include keiki (child), wahine (women), kane (men), lanai (balcony/patio), and  ʻōpala (trash). So that’s where lanai comes from!!!  English is the most commonly spoken language in Hawaii,  used by roughly 75 percent  of the population as their primary language. However, due to its status as a cultural melting pot, several other languages are also prevalent, including Tagalog, Ilocano, Japanese, and the Hawaiian creole known as Pidgin.  Hawaiian is easier to learn than English! 

Only 13 letters

Consistent Pronunciation: Consistent vowel sounds and the lack of silent letters make it relatively easy to sound out Hawaiian words once you learn the rules.  Simple Grammar: Hawaiian grammar follows a logical structure: verb-subject-object sentence order and tense markers (like our helping verbs) rather than verb changes to indicate number or person.  But there are challenges! Lack of Cognates: Unlike languages like Spanish, there are very few “sister” words between Hawaiian and English, requiring learners to memorize a large amount of new vocabulary.  The ʻOkina (Glottal Stop): A unique consonant, the ʻokina (represented by a single quote mark), signals a brief pause and requires practice for English speakers to master its pronunciation.  Distinct Grammar:While logical, the grammar is fundamentally different from English. For example, there’s no direct equivalent for the verb “to be,” and adjectives follow the nouns they modify.

When British explorer James Cook made the first known European expedition to the Hawaiian islands in 1778, he spelled the islands’ name as both “Owhyhee” and “Owhyee.” At this time, Hawaiian was purely an oral language; its written form wasn’t formalized until American missionary Elisha Loomis printed a primer titled simply The Alphabet in 1822. This written alphabet initially consisted of 21 letters before being standardized in 1826, although four of the original letters (F, G, S, and Y) were included only for the purpose of spelling foreign words. Other letters — B, R, T, and V — were removed because they were considered interchangeable with existing letters.

By 1834, Hawaii’s literacy rate was estimated to be between 90% and 95%, one of the highest in the world at the time. However,  the Hawaiian language declined in usage after 1896, when Act 57 of the Laws of the Republic of Hawaii made English the language of instruction for all schools, after which schoolchildren were sometimes even punished for speaking Hawaiian. The language has seen a resurgence since the 1970s, with several groups working toward preserving it.

 

  

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Schw is the stock market abbreviation for Charles Schwab. 

Schwa is the unstressed central vowel represented by the symbol /ə/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Dictionary addicts are well acquainted with this pronunciation symbol.  It is a “lazy,” quick sound made with the tongue in a central position, and it is the most common vowel sound in the English language. It is found in unstressed  or unaccented syllables.

The symbol for the schwa is ⟨ə⟩, a rotated lowercase letter “e.”

It sounds like  a relaxed, neutral vowel sound, sometimes described as a quick “uh.” 

The schwa sound is made by positioning the tongue in the middle of the mouth, neither high nor low, and part way to the roof of the mouth. 

The schwa sound can be produced by any vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or sometimes is not written at all. Most commonly it appears as  a, e, or o.

a – in america (the first and last ‘a’)

e –  in item,

 o –  in police

The sound between “th” and “m” in rhythm

Other words containing the schwa include upon (u), below (e), balloon (a), syringe (y), berserk (first er), broken (e), basket (e), happen (e) and heaven (e).

The schwa is the most frequent sound in English, with estimates suggesting it makes up approximately 12  per cent of all spoken phonemes and around 20 percent of all vowel phonemes. It’s estimated that one out of every eight sounds produced is a schwa. This sound is prevalent because it efficiently shortens unstressed syllables,  making it a common feature in most multi-syllabic words.

The schwa is used not only in  English, but in French, German, and Russian, although not in all languages.  It’s a common feature in many languages due to vowel reduction in unstressed positions and is even used as a gender-neutral ending in some dialects of Italian and other languages.  In North American English, a schwa can be inserted to ease the transition between consonants, as seen in words like “realtor,” where it might be pronounced as “real-ə-tor.”    Languages with SchwaEnglish – A ubiquitous sound in unstressed syllables, as in “about” (a-bout) or “family” (fam-uh-ly). French: Unaccented “e” sounds can reduce to a schwa, and the sound can appear in certain word-final positions. German: Standard German has the schwa phonemically, with examples like “bedsauern” (/bəˈdaʊ̯ɐn/). Russian: Unaccented “a” and “o” sounds often reduce to a schwa. Hebrew: The schwa is a distinct phoneme used in Hebrew, indicating a lost or reduced vowel.  Languages Without Schwa Spanish:  Spanish does not have an unstressed schwa; children learning English often substitute a more distinct vowel for English schwas. Some Slavic Languages: Languages such as Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian lack the schwa sound.      

 

Don’t know when you are reading this, but Friday, September 5, is my birthday. So Happy Birthday To Me! And here is some birthday trivia you might not know:

August has the most birthdays, followed by July and September. That must be why most of my friends have birthdays in those months, and both my parents did as well.

 February is the month with the fewest birthdays. My daughter has a February birthday.

 Some of the least common birthdays are February 29 (Leap Day – good thing), December 25, and January 1.

The first recorded birthday celebrations were by ancient Egyptians for their pharaohs, who were seen as gods, on their coronation day.

Ancient Greeks would place candles on round cakes to honor the moon goddess, Artemis, creating the tradition of birthday candles.

Blowing out birthday candles is said to have begun in ancient Greece, with the smoke carrying wishes to the gods.

A 2017 study found that blowing out candles increases the bacteria on the cake’s icing by 1,400%, but it is still generally safe to eat.

The first birthday cakes originated in Germany during the Middle Ages in a celebration called Kinderfest; these were more like coarse bread than sweet cakes.

Birthdays and graduations are the most popular occasions for sending greeting cards. I wonder how much sales have dropped for paper greeting cards since online cards and social media greetings became commonplace.

The most common birth date in the United States is October 5, and one of the least common is May 22 (and also February 29). The high rate of October 5 birthdays is likely due to conceptions around New Year’s Eve.

In a group of just 23 people, there is a 50/50 chance that two of them share the same birthday. With 70 people, the chance rises to 99.9%.

If you are celebrating a birthday today, there will only be 31,536,000 seconds until your next one.

The most popular song in the English language is “Happy Birthday to You.” Because it’s copyrighted, the song makes tons of money from licensing fees, but you rarely hear it sung on TV.

Upwards of two billion dollars are spent in the United States on birthday cards every year. Still? I wonder. 

The first birthday balloons were made out of animal intestines filled up with water (enticing, huh?).

The sun will travel 584,337,600 miles from one of your birthdays to the next.

Noisemakers used for birthdays originated in Europe as a way to ward off evil.

The practice of holding birthday parties for children began in Germany in
the 19th century.

In China it is the tradition to eat longevity noodles on one’s birthday.

In he 1960s hospitals started making footprints of newborn babies.

8760 hours pass between one birthday and the next (except Leap Year).

525,600 minutes pass  between one birthday and the next (except Leap Year).

In France you say “bon anniversaire!”  to wish someone a happy birthday.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Straying from words and grammar this week….and this may be a little disorganized and stream of consciousness.

Lots of Americans are thinking of where they would go if they left America. Many people have already left. Some are just changing states and not countries. 

If you could live anywhere, where would you live? City? Country? Suburbs? Rural? Island? Tropical climate? Four seasons? Beachfront? Highrise? Log cabin? Motor home? Europe? Mexico? Costa Rica? Or just where you are? 

Especially when they get older, most people want to live near family — near their grandchildren and children —  even if it is not in the ideal place. That is why I am in Florida. Being near family for me at this time must outweigh everything else. Before Florida, I lived in California for 26 years. I miss it because California is much more  comfortable for me than Florida. However I miss it, and my son is there, he is less reachable than my daughter, has no children at this point, and although I had more friends and acquaintances there than in Florida, I was often lonely there.  It may have been because I was younger. I never wanted to stay home. Now I am often happy to stay home, and I am a lot happier now.

I lived in Petaluma, California, a city with a good sized population that has the environment of a small town.  It has a cute downtown, with many great restaurants, although most of the antique shops of years ago are gone. Downtown is so cute that movies have been filmed there, including Peggy Sue Got Married and American Graffiti. It is near wine country, San Francisco, and is desirable and expensive. 

I miss my house, even though it was built in 1979 and needed major repairs aside from all the work I had done on it. I miss downtown. I miss my son. I miss feeling comfortable going out for coffee or lunch alone, which I do not feel comfortable at all doing here.  I miss my dog door and fenced in yard, even though the fence was falling down. Although I couldn’t walk downtown (I could but it was a longish walk), I could walk to a Starbucks. I could drive downtown in ten minutes, whereas now I cannot get anywhere in less than 40 minutes. I miss having a music scene and music friends and my music parties. I miss drivers who are not completely loony.

Obviously Florida is not my cup of tea. I do love the weather. But politically it is all wrong for me, and I keep to myself except for talking with a few people with sense. I think about where I might enjoy going….

There are other places in the United States I would move to. I haven’t been to every state, but I have been to Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State and DC, and Wyoming.

I could see living in Arizona, California, Massachusetts (where I was born and grew up), New Mexico, or New York. Part of me is a city person living in a high rise where I could walk to anything, a place like St. Pete, Florida. Another part of me is tired of the crowds and traffic here in Florida, and would love to live in a small town where I knew everyone and could easily walk downtown. There is even a small part of me that would like to live in the country and have no close neighbors. But I don’t know if I would like living alone in that environment.

Moving out of the United States is also appealing right now. I haven’t really traveled outside of the United States very much. I once drove over the line to Tijuana, Mexico, and went to a mall so that I could say I had been to Mexico. I have been to Montreal and to Western Canada. I have been to Paris and spent an afternoon in Amsterdam, And I have been to Nassau. And that’s it. I would love to visit many places, most of all Mexico, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Spain, Israel, Egypt, Poland, Japan, and Australia in particular. Maybe Portugal, where many people seem to be moving. I could see living in Mexico or Costa Rica….and France would be a dream. But then again, my family is small and it is here. 

We will see how things go. For now, I guess I am in Florida, in a place where there is too much development, too ,uch traffic, too few places of any quality to shop, and too many Republicans (sorry, but that is how I feel, and frankly I don’t feel the need to apologize). I live in a lovely community, but it is 55 and over, and while there are many people here younger than I, I do not like living in a 55 plus community. I wasn’t looking for that lifestyle, but I saw this particular villa and liked it and the price. I am not retired; I am not interested in pickleball and golf carts (unless I played golf, and there isn’t even a golf course in my community — just golf carts!). I have more in common with younger professional people. So I do think about even moving somewhere else close to where I am. But I cannot seem to find anyplace. I cannot even think of a place close enough to my daughter that has a downtown. But then I am spoiled, being 10 minutes down the road from her!

Where would you live?  Would you stay where you are if you could go anywhere??? Comment please!

 

Image by Sohag Hawlader from Pixabay

Being both a song lyricist and a grammarian, I notice the obvious grammar errors in popular song lyrics, as I am sure you do as well. Are they intentional? Who knows? Should they be corrected? Probably not. Let’s look at some of those lyrics.

Although Lie, Lady, Lie is proper grammar, I find that 99.99 percent of people say “I am going to lay down,” rather than the correct “lie down.” Does the song sound better the way it is because we are used to hearing it that say, or does it just sound better period? Lay, lady, and lay all have the same long a sound. Maybe that is why it sounds good. The lyrics were written by Bob Dylan, who probably knew better, and many renditions of the title and the song lyrics do use the commas, which are correct: “Lay, Lady, Lay.”

Most of the time, I don’t care if the grammar is incorrect in a song. But this one in particular really bothers me, and I do like the song: It is “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann. It was written by very prolific and well-known songwriters Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, and I see no reason for the blatant grammar goof, “I know we was falling in love.” Yuck!

Bobbie Gentry had a hit with “Bobby McGee,” written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster (don’t know Fred). It contains the phrase “good enough for me and Bobby McGee.”  Would “good enough for Bobby McGee and me”  have had the same rhythm? Maybe not.

Well, we all know to avoid double negatives. Did Mick Jagger and Keith Richards know that when they wrote 
“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”? I bet they did, but there is just something funny sounding about “I Can’t Get Any Satisfaction.” And there is an extra syllable, which ruins the accents.

Never use ain’t? Bill Withers did when he wrote and sang “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Then he added a double negative in the line “and this house just ain’t no home.”

I have never heard of songwriters Terry Britten and Graham Hamilton Lyle, but  we have all heard of Tina Turner, who sang “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”  Got is actually the past tense of get and is often incorrectly used instead of have ( as in We don’t got any.) What’s love have to do with it sounds funny, but it may be because we are used to hearing it with got. I think we all might agree that grammar mistakes often give a song the edge that it needs.

Stefani Germanotta and Nadir Khayat wrote “Bad Romance” for Lady Gaga. You and me could write a bad romance? Most people would probably say it that way anyway. Obviously it should be you and I, but at least it doesn’t say me and you! (which would also sound okay and be wrong.)

In “Hungry Eyes,” Eric Carmen sings, “I feel the magic between you and I.” The song was written by John Denicola and Franke Previte, whom I have never heard of.  The rhyming words in the verse are disguise and eyes. I is a much closer match than me! However, it is always correct to say between you and me, although once again 99.99 percent of us . . . 

Wow! It took nine songwriters to not know about the subjunctive mood! In Rich Girl, Gwen Stefani sings, “If I was a rich girl…” Well, Stefani is actually a rich girl, but in the song, she apparently isn’t, so were should be used rather than was to indicate something that isn’t the case. Thank you, Sheldon Harnick and Lewis Bock Jerrold, for writing “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof. And as for Andre Young, Chantal Kreviazuk, Eve Jeffers, Gwen Stefani, Jerry Bock, Kara Dioguardi, Mark Batson, Mike Elizondo, and  Sheldon Harnick, I have two words for you: subjunctive mood.

If you do a search for song lyrics with grammatical mistakes, you will usually find among them, “I Feel Good” by James Brown, written by James Brown. Those websites say it should be “I Feel Well.” Ah, no! It actually an be either. Grammatically speaking, feel can be an emotion or an action. When feel is an emotion, we follow it with an adjective. When feel is an action we use an adverb. Feel in this case is an emotion and should be followed by the adjective good. If you feel well, that technically means your fingertips are sensitive and do a good job of feeling things. However, we will give those websites a break because I feel well is accepted just because well is also used to indicate a state of health. But, I Feel Good is correct.

 

 

 

 

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

There are words in other languages that cannot really be translated into English. On the other side, there are English words (and slang) that cannot be translated into other languages. Here is a sampling of such words.

Words that cannot be translated into English:

1. Cafuné (Portuguese, Brazil) – Running your fingers through a loved one’s hair.

2. Duende (Spanish) – The mysterious power of art to deeply move a person.

3. Forelsket (Norwegian) – The euphoria you feel when falling in love.

4. Gezelligheid (Dutch) – A cozy, friendly, pleasant atmosphere.

5. Hanyauku (Rukwangali, Namibia) – Walking on tiptoes across hot sand.

6. Jayus (Indonesian) – A joke so unfunny it becomes funny.

7. Kilig (Tagalog, Philippines) – The fluttery feeling of romantic excitement.

8. Komorebi (Japanese) – Sunlight filtering through trees.

9. Kummerspeck (German) – Weight gained from emotional eating; literally “grief bacon.”

10. Outwaaien (Dutch) – Walking in the wind to clear your mind.

11. Saudade (Portuguese) – Deep emotional longing for someone or something that’s absent.

12. Schadenfreude (German) – Pleasure from another’s misfortune.

13. Sobremesa (Spanish) – Time spent talking and relaxing after a meal.

14. Tingo (Pascuense, Easter Island) – Borrowing items one by one from a friend’s home until there’s nothing left.

15. Toska (Russian) – A deep, melancholic ache without clear cause.

16. Tsundoku (Japanese) – Buying books and letting them pile up unread.

English words that cannot be translated into other languages:

1. Serendipity – The occurrence of finding something wonderful or useful by happy accident. (Most languages have to explain it with a sentence.)

2. Gobbledygook – Language that’s unnecessarily complicated and difficult to understand, often on purpose.

3. Spam – Both the canned meat and unwanted digital messages — the latter meaning is uniquely English-born and doesn’t exist in the same shorthand elsewhere.

4. Whistleblower – Someone who exposes illegal or unethical activity from inside an organization.

5. Hooligan – A rowdy or violent troublemaker, especially in sports contexts.

6. Fair – Meaning “just,” “light-skinned,” “reasonable,” and “beautiful” depending on context — a nightmare for translation.

7. Gumption – A mix of courage, resourcefulness, and determination.

8. Awkward – Not just clumsy, but socially uncomfortable too.

9. Overwhelmed – To be completely overcome emotionally or mentally; some languages have “burdened” but not the same emotional nuance.

10. Gobsmacked – Utterly shocked or amazed, to the point you’re almost speechless. (It’s British, colorful, and doesn’t compress neatly into another language.)

11. Kerfuffle – A commotion, fuss, or minor chaos, usually over something trivial.

12. Faff / Faffing about – Wasting time with unproductive fiddling or dithering.

13. Skint – Completely broke, without money — but more casual and resigned than “destitute.”

14. Cheeky – Playfully rude or irreverent; could be charming or annoying, depending on tone.

15. Gutted – Bitterly disappointed, as if your insides have been scooped out.

16. Knackered – Exhausted, absolutely drained.

 

 

 

 

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Contronyms (also spelled contranyms) are words that are their own opposites: For example, clip can mean to attach or to cut off. Contronyms are also known as janus words, antagonyms, and autoantonyms.

Here are some examples:

Bolt -to secure in place OR to flee quickly

Bound – going somewhere OR tied up and restricted from going anywhere

Cleave – to split apart OR to cling together

Consult – to offer advice OR to ask for it

Disciplined – well-behaved OR punished

Dust – to remove dust OR to sprinkle dust

Execute – to carry out (a task) OR to kill

Fast – quick OR firmly fixed and immobile

Finished – completed OR destroyed (as in “You’re finished!”)

Go – to proceed OR  to collapse (e.g., “The toaster is about to go.”)

Hold up – to support OR to delay

Lease – to rent out OR to rent from someone

Left – departed from OR remaining behind

Left off – started again where you stopped OR excluded

Oversight – careful management OR missed detail

Out -visible (e.g., stars are out) OR invisible (lights are out)

Pop – to suddenly appear OR disappear ( the balloon popped)

Resign – to quit a job OR to sign again (little different pronunciation)

Sanction – to permit OR to penalize

Screen -to display OR to hide (as in screening a movie vs. screening from the sun)

Seed – to plant seeds OR to remove seeds

Sick -Ill OR awesome (slang)

Stone -to pelt with stones OR to remove stones from (as in fruit)

Strike -to hit OR to miss (as in baseball)

Throw out – to discard OR to propose (e.g., an idea)

Trim – to decorate OR to remove excess

Weathered – withstood OR worn down by exposure

Wind up – to end OR to get started (as in winding up a toy)

 

 

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