Do you toe the line …
… or tow the line?
Are towing and toeing both correct, when it comes to the line? Glosso’s X v Y series takes a look … Continue reading
Category Archives: Words, phrases & expressions
X v Y: Careering and careening
Continuing Glosso’s month-long series “X v Y”, we look at two words that are spelled almost identically, and used almost interchangeably, but are not actually synonymous. Career and careen: what’s the story? Continue reading
X v Y: Sarcasm and jealousy: the darker sides of irony and envy (and the irony of Aristotle)
Glosso’s series, “X v Y”, takes a look at two sets of words — envy and jealousy, irony and sarcasm — that are often treated as synonyms but actually have substantially different meanings. Continue reading
X v Y: Hispanic or Latino – or just plain American?
Continuing Glosso’s series “X v Y”, here’s a survey of the labels “Hispanic” and “Latino”. (And please note that this was originally posted several years ago.) Continue reading
X v Y: Fanciful conceit, or simple concept?
Continuing Glosso’s series of “X v Y”, let’s take a look at conceit and concept. Continue reading
X v Y: For one brief shining moment …
Next up in Glosso’s “X v Y” series: does momentarily mean very soon — or very briefly? Continue reading
Quite ambiguous
Can you think of a word that means one thing and its exact opposite, depending on the context in which it is used? Continue reading
X v Y: Intention or intent?
The second of Glossophilia’s series “X v Y” examines intention v intent. Continue reading
“X v Y”: Take me to your leader, but bring me the head of John the Baptist
Kicking off a series of “X vs Y”, Glossophilia is digging out some of its more popular earlier posts examining differences between commonly muddled up words and phrases. First up: take v. bring … Continue reading
A solar eclipse glossary
Total solar eclipse seen from Varanasi, India; Wikimedia Commons
In a week’s time, on August 21, a total eclipse of the sun will dim American skies; it will be the first such eclipse to be seen in the continental United States in 38 years, making it the cosmic episode of the decade. In 1925, the New York Times described a solar eclipse as “the most magnificent free show nature presents to man.” Glossophilia takes a rocket-ship ride through some of the light-fantastic lingo of solar eclipses (definitions courtesy of the OED and NASA). We’ll also ask an important and relevant spelling question: should we capitalize “Sun”, “Moon” and/or “Earth” when we’re writing about this heavenly happening? Continue reading