Anyone who has taken a class on typing (or keyboarding, as it is now known), has encountered the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” In typing that word, […]
Peruse Perplexing Pangrams Perfectly Penned to Please
Have the Mysteries of the Voynich Manuscript Finally Been Unlocked?
An unknown author of the late medieval created a mystery that has eluded the world’s best minds for half a millennium. Now, after 500 years of stumping cryptologists, one of the most […]
Learn a Lesson in Avoidance from Warlpiri
In every extended family there is someone whose presence creates awkwardness. Everyone has that peculiar relative who makes every family gathering difficult. When that person is around, you will go to great […]
Time to Invite Your Neighborhood Klingon to Come to Church With You
Not only is the Bible the top-selling and most-shoplifted book in history, it also exists in the most languages. With the entire Bible existing in 670 languages, the New Testament in 1,521 […]
A 700-Year Tradition Of Unfriending
Venture for long in the world of social media and you will learn what it means to “unfriend.” You will realize a former social media follower has chosen to turn his or […]
There’s a Name for That
We’ve all done it, and we’ve all had it done to us. Tapping someone on the opposite shoulder from behind so as to trick that person to turn around and see no […]
When the French Have a Problem, it’s REALLY a Problem
When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell said the famous line, “Houston, we have a problem,” the words triggered alarm throughout NASA and around the world. If Apollo 13 had been manned by […]
A Word for the Next Time You Drive
Have you ever been at a loss for words because of the bad driving skills of another motorist? The Germans have come to the rescue with deppenfahrerbeaugung. It literally translates as “moron […]
Meet the Moon Diamond Cat
The Siamese cat originated in Siam — modern day Thailand. In the Thai language, that most-easily recognizable breed is known by another name: Wichien Maat. It translates as “Moon Diamond.”
Don’t be a Flipperförälder
We’ve all seen them. They tend to show up at supermarkets, airports, and movie theaters, and they make life miserable for everyone else. I’m speaking, of course, of the parents who do […]
Rhymes With Orange
It is commonly said that no word in the English language rhymes with orange. This amuses the people in Wales who live near the hill named Blorenge.
The Dragon that Almost Ended the Lord of the Rings
English is a language of exceptions, with few concrete rules. When it comes to adjectives, however, there is a very specific hierarchy most English speakers know, instinctively, must be followed to avoid utter confusion. […]
English is Hard, But Can Be Understood Through Tough Thorough Thought Though
Although English is not the hardest language to master (see this post for ten languages that are even harder), it frequently presents problems, even for its native speakers. Consider the problem with […]
If You Know Your Latin at Vatican ATM’s, Dominus Providebit
The Vatican Bank (officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion) is the only bank in the world that allows the user to select “Latin” as the language of choice. […]
The Translated Version Hasn’t Come Out Yet
A Spanish delegate to a diplomatic conference turned on his microphone and said, “Estoy constipado, perdónadme.” Ordinarily this would translate as, “Please excuse me; I have a cold.” The French interpreter, instead, translated his […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 