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November Round-up!

Can you believe December starts tomorrow? We're going to be sharing Advent Anagrams next month, so if you enjoy a good puzzle, make sure you stay tuned! In the meantime, here's a round-up of this month's posts! I've spent November exploring the influences of Latin on the English language. I finally know what 'ad hoc' means, and have developed a (perhaps unhealthy) habit of telling every new person I meet where 'Thursday' got its name from. You can find the links to my posts below. Latin expressions in English - Part One Latin expressions in English - Part Two Where the months get their names from Where the days of the week get their names fr...

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Word for Wednesday: Brobdingnagian

This week I’d like to feature a rather unusual adjective from literature and it’s one of those words whose very sound and structure resonate with its meaning. Not dissimilar to an onomatopoeic word; crash, giggle, whack. In Jonathan Swift’s 18th century novel Gulliver’s Travels, the travelling protagonist, Gulliver, finds himself cast adrift in uncharted lands seemingly governed by otherworldly dimensions. Eventually, Gulliver reaches the Island of Brobdingnag – a land of giants where Gulliver is the size of a tin soldier. The fantastical Isle of Brobdingnag gives us our Swiftian word for the week. Something that is enormous or gargantuan in scale can b...

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