I am very serious about words and language. 1. As a second language learner and speaker of English as a Second Language (ESL) I don't want to make a non-native language speaker mistake. And yes there is second-grade teacher inflicted ridicule and trauma associated with that, let's call it, fear. There is also a degree of disdain that I hold for unilingual speakers of the … [Read more...] about Words and Language
Archives for May 2021
Ratiocinate. A Very Good Word
Edgar Allan Poe . C. Auguste Dupin Arthur Conan Doyle . Sherlock Holmes Agatha Christie . Hercule Poirot . Miss Marple When I was in school learning and writing about Edgar Allan Poe — and invariably nodding off partway through "The Fall of the House of Usher" — I was introduced to C. Auguste Dupin, Poe's creation and invention, the ratiocinating detective. I … [Read more...] about Ratiocinate. A Very Good Word
Like Water for Eggs
I will admit that I don't know the meaning of "like water for chocolate," though I saw and liked the movie. To my writer brain the words are like water bubbling over smooth pebbles in a fountain. My brain's instinct is to make more word strings that reflect repeat even mimic the sound. But I am sure there is a meaning to like water for chocolate that maybe I knew once, someone … [Read more...] about Like Water for Eggs