2010

Blogs are cropping up all over the Internet these days. They are a great way to get involved with a community, to have discussions with like-minded people, to share knowledge and get feedback on the opinions that you voice, and to promote a business, service, or product. Society has become so fast-paced now that it …

When the boyfriend first began using this word, I was sure that he was making it up. It seemed like a combination of “stoic” and “solid”, and according to the Canadian Oxford English Dictionary, it actually is rather similar to a cross between those two words! I have been enjoying integrating this word into everyday …

I covet dictionaries of all shapes and sizes. My Canadian Oxford English Dictionary is one of my most prized possessions. When I’m playing Scrabble and myself or my opponent constructs a word which I know of but do not know the exact definition for, I gleefully turn to the O.E.D. to learn the definition. When …

Nouns form the solid base of a sentence. As taught in the education system, nouns are a “person, place, or thing”: they name people, places, and things so that we can identify them. The fun part about nouns is that you can really play around with them. You can be as detailed or as vague …

A very sweet blogger recently sent me some goodies: a few packages of Kay’s Naturals protein chips and protein cookies! These products are advertised as nutritious foods, and they do an excellent job of appealing to the public: 1) Product Name: With products such as “Cookie Bites” and “Kruncheeze”, these products appeal to all ages. …

Scrabble is possibly one of the best board games in the world to play. I was recently given it as a gift and it is proudly displayed on my bookshelf as one of my prized possessions. Here is what I love about this game and the top five reasons why you should play Scrabble, too: …

Nearly every time I go grocery shopping at Safeway, they have some kind of charity that they are trying to raise money for. In a recent stop at the grocery store, I was interested by the cashier’s choice of words: instead of asking, “Would you like to donate x amount of money to x organization?”, he …

In one way, I feel that there has been a definite decline in literacy rates over the years. Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes abound; even leading newspapers are rife with typos. No doubt part of this is due to online writing, texting, and the shorthand of social media networks such as Twitter. In another way, …

Penguin Group sent me this book to review as a member of the Blogger Book Network. Although it was originally published in 1991, it was released again this year with a new introduction by BBC correspondent Fergal Keane. Aung San Suu Kyi has lived a remarkable life as a political leader fighting for democracy in …

I seem to be hearing this kind of conversation between two people everywhere, both in real life and in the blogging world: “The KFC Double Down looks disgusting.” “Ew, why would they have made it?” “I almost want to get it just to see what it’s like.” “Yeah, me too.” We wonder why we’re getting …

Moving on to page 1,252 of my Canadian Oxford English Dictionary, we have here two words (bonus!), because I simply couldn’t choose between them. They are both new to me, although the meanings of the words are simple enough. Incorporate them into your vocabulary today! Pukka (adjective) 1. Anglo-Indian Genuine. 2. Of good quality; perfect …

There are some things that we just don’t tend to “do”, for the sake of social expectations. Singing or dancing down the street is generally considered “weird”, for example. Talking to yourself- particularly if you haven’t showered or slept in a couple days- is liable to cause skittish passers-by to give you a wide berth. …