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The first people on the scene can often dictate what happens from then. Two cars have a small collision. If no-one arrives the drivers will sort the matter out between them. If a police car is first on the scene then the legal due process will dictate what happens. If a tow-truck is first on [...]

Bill Cosby is credited for the line, “I opened my mouth and my MOTHER came out!” It is true that we can find ourselves sounding like our parents when we speak out at times. But when we open our mouth much more can come out than the things our mother used to say. Many people [...]

Here’s a royal theme to give us an excuse to play with some words. I am sure the pedants out there can explain whether “queen” is both singular and plural. I haven’t bothered to dig too deep on that one, but I have a suspicion that the plural of queen can be both ‘queen’ and [...]

It’s getting weirder each time. Trying to weave a string of obscure terms together can be fun, or it can just be bizarre. However, I’ve tried to be true to the language and present you with something that will expand your own vocab and give you a better grip on good old English.
For those looking [...]

The easiest way to add new words and meanings to your vocabulary is to use them and to repeat them over and over again. These keys are the Extra Two R’s I have mentioned before – Repetition and Recall.
So, to pump a few extra words into your head I’ve compiled a little bit of Logophile [...]

If I labelled this post as ‘incarnation’ you probably would have skipped over it, but if I aimed at your stomach there’s a higher chance you’ll give this post a look – so “I got you!”
I’m doing another word thing, so I put Logophiles in the title line. Let me lead you through a review [...]

Which substance is behind the word aplomb?
You may hear tell of someone who displays much aplomb. You may, as I always did, associate that with someone who spoke with a plum in their mouth. The notion of determined correctness could come to my mind. A person with aplomb was always imagined by me as being [...]

Where is xenophobia normally directed?
Xenophobia, built on two Greek roots that trace back over 2,000 years, is yet a very young word dating back just 100 years or so. We all know that phobia is fear. All manner of things are deemed to be the objects of phobia (fear) today. I guess if you have [...]

Where will you most easily find a maelstrom?
The word maelstrom is likely to be used today to describe a bustling office, downtown traffic or hurricane winds. Turbulence, chaos, bustle and similar notions are linked to a maelstrom.
Originally, however, way back in the mid 1500’s, it had a specific meaning which put it on the map, [...]

To what does halcyon best refer?
You may have heard the expression ‘halcyon days’ or enjoyed some halcyon weather. The notion of happiness or enjoyment is linked to this term, but many do not know its mythical origins. Halcyon originally referred (back around 1350AD) to a mythical bird said to breed about the time of the [...]