Readability tips, literacy news, and English writing advice

Talk Like a Pirate Day Cryptic

Covering article smuggled aboard by pirate (6)

Answer: CANOPY

19 September 2019 | crossword, puzzle, yarr |

Four English Words with Spanish Origins

Hola, buckaroos! Give your dulcinea an avocado before the cockroaches get it! Those two phrases used four English words with a Spanish etymology and one word of straight Spanish. Here's la historia of those words.

Avocado

The delicioso guacamole is ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine, so it only makes sense that the avocado has Spanish roots. Actually, like many Mexican Spanish words it originates in Aztec with the word ahuacatl. Spanish explorers converted the nearly unpronounceable word to aguacate, possibly because the meat of this fruit is very moist. ("Agua" being Spanish for "water") Somehow, that got changed to "avocado", similar to "abogado", the Spanish word for "lawyer. Insert your own lawyer joke here.

Buckaroo

In the bittersweet Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 3, Buzz Lightyear is reprogrammed to speak only Spanish and starts to refer to Woody as "vaquero". Vaquero is the Spanish word for "cowboy", stemming from the word "vaca" meaning "cow". As the Spanish v is pronounced similar to b and the q like a hard c, the word was altered to "buckaroo". The word is seldom used anymore, save by members of this rugged profession to refer to a cowboy nonpareil. Occasionally, the word is humorously used to refer to an American dollar, casually known as a "buck".

Cockroach

Many a Speedy Gonzales fan is familiar with a Mexican folk song called "La Cucaracha". They may be unfamiliar with the fact that the song is about imbibing in a certain illegal substance. The grand Spanish galleons that came to the New World returned to Europe laden with gold, exotic fruits, and a disgusting pest that wouldn't stop breeding. (No, I don't mean the conquistadors!) They were at first called cacarucha, either because of their foul odor or stemming from "cuco" a word for a type of caterpillar.

Dulcinea

"To each his dulcinea, though she be but flame and air." go to lyrics from a song written by Joe Darion for the musical Man of la Mancha, based on the Cervantes novel Don Quixote. The character who would coin the word quixotic decides that in order to be a knight, he must have a ladylove to dedicate his noble deeds to. He invents a lady named Dulcinea del Toboso, an ideal based on the object of chivalric romance. The name comes from the Spanish word for "sweet", making it the proper word to describe someone loved dearly.

11 September 2019 | english history, spanish |

Four Mandarin Chinese Words That English Really Needs

Chinese is a very complex and diverse language. There are several different dialects of Chinese used all across China, as well as thousands of different written characters. There are also several different words found in Mandarin Chinese that have no real equivalent in the English language. However, the following words would definitely make great additions if they were added to English!

Ma la

Ma la is a combination of the characters that mean "numbing" and "spicy". This word is meant to describe the disorientation that can come over people when they eat a particular dish. Traditional Chinese cuisine has an intense spiciness not often found in the foods native to most English-speaking countries, so it makes sense they would have their own word for this sensation!

Huanying guanglin

Huanying guanglin is interpreted by English speakers as simply meaning "welcome," but it actually goes deeper than that. The first part of the word literally translates to "I meet you with joy." The second half combines characters that mean "light" and "to arrive." More than a greeting, the term is meant to convey that the arrival of the person being greeted is a special event. Talk about a warm welcome!

Ti tie

Ti tie is a word used specifically for family members. It is a word that conveys a sense of the deep respect the members of a healthy family have for one another as they take care of each other and support each other throughout life. It's a unique word for the unique consideration that family members tend to have for one another.

Wei wu wei

Wei wu wei is a phrase that conveys a concept found in Taoist philosophy. We wu wei, or "the action of non-action," describes acting in accord with nature or particular circumstances. At first it appears as if the person acting is actually not doing anything at all, when really, they are acting with the flow of things and behaving in harmony with whatever is around them.

22 June 2019 | words english needs, mandarin chinese |

Found Poem: GDPR

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7 June 2019 | poem, found poetry |

Towel Day Cryptic

here's another tea towel … last bits bound to turn up (6)

Answer: PAELLA

25 May 2019 | crossword, puzzle, towel day, douglas adams |

Four Swedish Words That English Really Needs

Swedish may not be one of the top contributors to the English language, but IKEA and smorgasbord (smörgåsbord) are evidence that the English-speaking world may be willing to adopt a few phrases from this quiet Scandinavian country that otherwise remains neutral and fairly anonymous on the world scene. Ombudsman is another word English has borrowed from Swedish, though I can't remember the last time I used it in conversation.

Here are four more words from Swedish that would make English a richer language:

Lagom (log-ohm).

Adjective. The closest we get in English is "just right" but it encapsulates the feeling of something being the perfect amount of whatever it should be. Remember Goldilocks? When the bed was neither too hard nor too soft, that was lagom. When the porridge was neither too hot nor too cold, it was lagom.

At a dinner party, when asked how much wine they'd like, an American might answer, "Not too much." But if we used the word lagom, we might be able to answer with a word that also implies that we would not like too little. Language follows culture, and Swedish culture values moderation and generally avoids extremes. Lagom reflects their value for things being neither too much nor too little. Lagom is always best.

Fika (fee-kah).

Noun/verb. The act of sharing a warm drink (usually coffee) and something small to eat together with others. Also, the food and drink being consumed in this way. Fika can be any time of day, but is especially common mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and in the evening. You can eat something sweet, like a cinnamon bun, or simple sandwiches, or even a piece of fruit. It isn't a meal, but in Sweden, fika is a way of life.

In the workplace, your whole department would take a coffee break together, sitting around tables in the designated fika room. Drinking coffee from a vending machine alone at your desk while working would be strange, anti-social behavior. Not surprisingly, it seems that these regular breaks improve productivity, creativity and collaboration. But fika isn't just for work. Meet a friend at a cafe for fika, or enjoy a simple fika with your family in the evening before bed.

A cup of coffee in the car during your morning commute is not fika. You won't find any drive-through cafes in Sweden.

Sambo (sahm-boo) Noun.

A significant other that you live with but aren't married to.

In English we have words for a girlfriend or boyfriend, a fiance, or a spouse. The language hasn't quite kept up with the culture to give us a word for a relationship that doesn't fit well into any of these categories. A "boyfriend" feels more like a high school relationship than adults who have made a commitment to each other, but if you're not engaged or married, the others don't fit either. Sambo is gender neutral and adult. The relationship is committed enough to be living together, but no rings have been exchanged and nothing is legally binding. As culture evolves, whatever your opinion of its evolution, having a single word to describe this relationship would be helpful.

Fredagsmys (fray-dahs-mees)

Noun. Spending a cozy Friday night at home with your family, significant other, or just a few close friends.

Friday night is often a party night, since most people don't have to get up early for work on Saturdays. But let's be honest. After a week full of work and school and other commitments that have kept you busy all week long, sometimes the last thing you want to do is go anywhere. By Friday night, everyone just needs a break. Grab a bag of chips and your sweatpants and settle in to your sofa with the remote control. Dim the lights and light a candle. Throw blankets recommended, extra pillows optional. Unwind properly at the end of a crazy week with fredagsmys.

16 May 2019 | words english needs, swedish |