Two extraordinary records from a year that was anything but ordinary: Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' and 'Evermore'. In a year that forced all of us to do things differently, here is some of what Taylor did. I don't feel like going into the meanings that these songs may have. You've got the internet for that. And … Sigue leyendo Taylor Swift in 2020
https://youtu.be/jdeqYx-9-AQ Teenage Fanclub's song 'Ain't That Enough' is wondrous, fabulous, marvellous and tremendous. '-ous' adjectives are all about something possessing or being full of something. The sound it makes is a simple /əs/. The sound that Teenage Fanclub make is simply glorious. Enough said*. 'Ain't' is a non-standard (so not to be used in writing, … Sigue leyendo Ain’t that enough?
I'd really like to believe that many of the strange but charming nouns of assemblage (aka specific group nouns or collective nouns) that exist were the result of drunken mischief at the end of a lexicographers' Christmas party. Or something like that. How else could you explain the fact that if you came across a … Sigue leyendo An Accumulation of Strangeness
I'll never forget the first time I read 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'. It was very early in the morning and I was rather hungover, lying on the floor of a cold but otherwise welcoming house in Dublin. The pages of the book (my own copy, pictured above) were fragile even then. Almost … Sigue leyendo Two Fingers: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and other tales of defiance
Bad translations of dishes on the menu are legion*. And some are legendary. 'Squid in your ink' (Calamares en su tinta) is a personal favourite. We're always going to be walking on thin ice with our literal translations and when we think in our own language and translate. As a matter of fact, 'thinking in' … Sigue leyendo Squid in your ink and vinegar on your chips
Welcome to Buncombe County, North Carolina. Buncombe County cannot be seen from outer space. You are not impressed, I can tell. And neither were you impressed when someone told you that The Great Wall of China was visible from space. You're smarter than that. But the myth is out there and there are people that … Sigue leyendo Word of the week – debunk
Big news! Ivan the alocasia has grown a new leaf. Here he is posing with the fascinating and somewhat controversial book The Secret Life of Plants. The book has been criticized for supposedly propagating pseudoscience...Ivan has yet to comment. We're also fans of Stevie Wonder's 1979 record Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Naturally. … Sigue leyendo The Secret Life of Plants
Scotland's an amazing place and I love it for many reasons. The breathtaking landscapes, the multitudes of brilliant bands, the smell of the distilleries,.........and, and, and the accents!! Yes! There's real personality and spirit in the way people speak up there. My rather ordinary southern English accent pales into insignificance when surrounded by these folk. … Sigue leyendo From Glasgow to New Jersey via Las Vegas – accents, crows and the mafia.
What's singular? What's plural? And what's the greatest single ever released? OK, so maybe I've gone and given away the answer to the last question already. It's my answer. You might agree or not. Fine. But that's not the thing here. A thing is clearly a singular noun, an unquestionable thing. But there are other … Sigue leyendo Blondie is a band.
Well, what a nice thing to say, yeah? Of course. It's affable, amiable, courteous, well-meaning and all round nice. But is it really the right word? And would I be asking you that question if the answer were a resounding 'yes'? No. The nice person that resides within the grouchy ogre of an English teacher … Sigue leyendo Have a nice weekend!
Academia de Inglés Robin 