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English: A Peculiar Language

Animal Nickname Origins

Why We Call A Horse A Pony and Other Interesting Animal Nickname Origins

The English language, especially American English, is a conglomeration of other languages, and everyday words and slang sometimes get misconstrued, leaving them with a new meaning. This type of mixup has happened a lot in the world of animal nicknames. “Bunny,” for example, was intended for an entirely different animal, and the word "pig" is widely mis used. From “bunny” and “kitty” to “puppy” and “pony,” here are the fascinating origins of common animal names.

Pony
Powny, the Scottish word to describe a very small horse, has been around since the mid-17th century. Back then, the direct definition of a powny was a horse less than 13 hands tall. It likely came from a (now obsolete) French word, poulenet, that had roughly the same meaning: “little foal.” A foal, of course, is the technical term for a horse less than one-year-old, but in English (and especially among children) we commonly use the term pony instead. The modern definition of a pony is a horse of a small breed that is less than 58 inches (14 and a half hands) tall at the shoulder.

The usage of “pony” as an indicator of something smaller than usual has spilled over (literally and figuratively) into barware. As “pony” can also mean “something that is smaller than standard,” the pony glass comes in two styles: a quarter-pint of beer or a one-ounce shot (sometimes called a cordial glass).

Bunny
“Bunny” is the word most commonly used to refer to a baby rabbit (or just any rabbit, period), but it’s technically incorrect. A baby rabbit is actually called a “kitten” or “kit,” and a newborn hare (a mammal that resembles a large rabbit) is called a “leveret,” but collectively, we tend to call them all bunnies. “Bunny” comes from the Scottish language; the use of bun in Scottish dialects can be traced back to the late 16th century, when it was used to describe a squirrel. In the late 17th century, it took on a new name, referring to rabbits OR hares.

Puppy
For over 500 years, “puppy” has been used to describe a small dog, although in the late 15th century, it was specifically “a woman’s small dog.” It likely came from the French word poupée, which means “doll” or “toy." The likely connection was that the small size of the dog resulted in it being petted and played with like a doll. In the 1590s, its direct meaning shifted from a “toy dog” to a “young dog,” which is how we still use it today. Around that time, it replaced the nearly obsolete word for puppy, “whelp,” which is now used as a verb for when a female dog gives birth.

Kitty
“Kitty,” a term that is now used as slang for any cat, originated from the word “kitten,” which has been around for nearly 700 years. It is an Anglo-French variant of kitoun, from the earlier Old French chaton or chitoun, meaning “little cat.” The word “kitty” itself was first recorded in 1719 as another word for a "young cat."

The use of “Kitty” as a common nickname for “Catherine” started around the 16th century, and around that time, it was also used as a sort of synonym for a young girl. This means that using “kitty” to describe a young girl was actually used BEFORE “kitty” to describe a cat. Other historic definitions of “kitty” include its use as a noun for “the pool of money in a card game” (from late 19th century American English) and as another word for “jail” (from early 19th century England). Perhaps most obscurely, in the early 20th century, “to have kittens” meant “to lose one’s composure.”

Pig
It seems as though all the words for swine have become muddled over the centuries. Now, “pig,” “swine,” “hog,” and sometimes, “boar,” are used interchangeably, but there are differences between all of these terms. A “pig'' (from Middle English pigge) is technically the word for a young swine that isn’t an adult yet (similar to “puppy” or “kitten”) but instead, we usually use “piglet” or “piggy,” leaving “pig” for a much broader definition. The word “piggy” (also spelled “piggie”) has been used since the 18th century, to denote a “little pig.” A “hog” (from Old English hogge) is technically a swine that weighs over 120 pounds, but again, “hog” is usually used for any adult swine. Further differentiating the porcine creatures, a boar (from Old English bar) is a domestic male pig, and a sow (from Old English sugu or su) is a domestic female pig. There is some modern understanding of a boar as a wild pig with tusks, but the word technically applies to all uncastrated domestic male pigs (and some other species, including badgers, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs).

Aphorism

Definition of "aphorism":
A concise and often witty statement of wisdom or opinion, such as “Children should be seen and not heard,” or “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”.

Here's a collection of aphorisms:

1. Modern slaves are not in chain. They are in debts.

2. No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all.

3. In life, it's important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong.

4. Don't trust everything you see. Even salt looks like sugar.

5. "A ship is always safe on shore, but that is not what it's built for." - Albert Einstein

6. A smart person knows what to say. A wise person knows whether to say it or not.

7. "Any fool can know. The point is to understand." - Albert Einstein

8. "I fear the day that technollogy will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." - Albert Einstein

9. When Albert Einstein met Charlie Champlin:
Einstein said: "What I admire most about your art is its universality. You do not say a word, and yet the world understand you!
Charlie Champlin said: "It's true, but your fame is even greater! The world admire you, when nobody understand you!

10. "Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves." - D.H.Lawrence

11. When you see that in order to produce, you need tpo obtain permission from men who produce nothing -
When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors -
When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you -
When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice -
you may know that your society is doomed." - Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 1957

12. "Politicians should wear jackets like Nascar drivers, then we know who owns them." - Robin Williams

13. In America, they call it "lobbying" . Everywhere else in the world, they call it "bribery and corrruption.

14. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers." - Socrates

15. "Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining." - Teddy Roosevelt

16. "There is a major difference between intelligence and stupidity; intelligence has its limits." - Albert Einstein

Common Clichés And The Powerful Truths They Hold

1. Actions speak louder than words.
In this day and age it seems like most people have the ability to say anything with absolute confidence no matter how untrue or just absurd it may be. Most people will say just about anything to get what they want, so it is more important now to judge people by what they do and not what they say. Anyone can talk a big game, but the truly great let their actions speak for them..

2. The grass is always greener on the other side.
When you spend your days chasing a “greener” pasture or just about anything really, you will forget to enjoy the chase. When you’re constantly focusing on how things could be better, or how to make your next step, you never take the time to appreciate all the love and beauty that already surrounds you. The grass you currently occupy is as green as you’ll ever need it to be.

3. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
From the moment we’re brought into this world we begin to take in massive amounts of information, and our earliest years are when we are most susceptible to conditioning. We are all products of our upbringings, and often habits that are formed for us before we even have a choice stick with us all our lives. Of course we all grow up to be at least sort of like our parents or whoever may have raised us; their example was the closest and most consistent for us to follow.

4. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
People are incredibly judgmental these days. The way someone looks or talks is instantly examined for any sort of flaw. So many people are different from how they present themselves, but with the quickness and severity of judgment present today, these people rarely get a chance to display who they truly are. If people took a little more time to get to know someone before rushing to judgment, the world could be a better place for all.

5. You can’t please everyone.
I’ve spent far too much of my life bending over backwards trying to get anyone and everyone to like me. I put so much stock in other peoples’ opinions that I forgot to even form my own. I realized that even if everyone else liked me that maybe I didn’t like myself very much. The truth is that no matter what you do with your life or how “successful” you may be, there will always be people out there that want to bring you down.

6. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
We’ve all gone through some sort of pain or conflict in our lives, and at least for anyone reading this, we’ve all made it out the other side. No matter how much you get hurt it will get better eventually and the world will keep on turning; and everything that we go through in life contributes to the person that we will become. The only way to grow in life and become stronger is to go out and experience life in all its wonders and learn from the inevitable mistakes that we’re all going to make.

7. Love is blind.
Most love these days is conditional and based on appearances or circumstances, but real love doesn’t care about any of that stuff. True love is unconditional and given without any expectation of reciprocation. When you really love someone you don’t care what they look like, or what mistakes they may happen to make, you just love them no matter what.

8. Ignorance is bliss.
We spend most of our childhood just wanting to grow up, but then we spend adulthood just wishing we could be a kid again. As kids we are relatively unaware of the world around us and have a very narrow view on the way things are, but with age comes more knowledge and exposure to the world around us. We begin to see just how much is wrong with the world and how helpless we are to do anything about it. We learn that so many of these grown-up things that are supposed to bring us happiness only make things more difficult. Oh to be young and naïve again.

9. There’s no time like the present.
This is maybe the only one that is as much a fact as it is a cliché. The present is in fact the only moment in time that we have the opportunity to live in and do anything. We spend so much of our time and energy thinking about the past or future that we can do absolutely nothing about. The past is done with and there’s nothing you can do to change it; and whatever future you’re imagining in your head has a pretty good chance of never coming true. The present moment is the only one that is actually real, and the only one that deserves your attention.

10. Better safe than sorry.
I thought it would be interesting to close with one that I completely disagree with instead, so here goes. I’ve spent the better part of my life being safe and sorry so trust me when I say they’re not mutually exclusive. Playing it safe has just as good a chance of making you sorry in the end as taking a risk does. The only way to guarantee failure is not even trying. So go out there and take that leap, because a life filled with failure is not only more desirable, but more honorable than a life filled with regret.

Collective Words for Animals

List of collective nouns for animals (also called collective terms and terms of venery) includes collective nouns for animals examples from the “kingdom Animalia”. This includes collective terms for mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians birds and insects. There are currently around 5,400 mammal species worldwide including bats, whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Animals Babies & Infants called? Collective nouns for animals & info Male Female Group Animal Plurals

Antelope calf A herd of antelope. buck doe Mammal Antelope or antelopes

Ape baby A shrewdness of apes, a troop of apes. bull female Mammal Apes

Baboon infant A troop of baboons. bull female Mammal Baboons

Badger kit, cub A company, colony or cete of badgers. boar sow Mammal Badgers

Bat pup A cloud of bats, a colony of bats. male female Mammal Bats

Bear cub A sleuth of bears, a sloth of bears. boar sow Mammal Bears

Beaver pup, kitten, kits A family, lodge or colony of beavers. male female Mammal Beavers

Bird fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick A flock of birds, a flight of birds (in the air), congregation or volery of birds. cock hen Bird Birds

Boar piglets, shoats, boarlets A sounder or boars. A farrow of baby boars. Boars are wild pigs, see also pigs. boar sow Mammal Boars, wild swine

Buffalo calf A herd of buffalo. One of the best known collective nouns for animals. bull cow Mammal Buffalo, buffalloes, buffaloes

Cat kitten A clutter of cats, a clowder of cats, a glaring of cats, a kindle or litter of kittens. Household pet collective nouns for animals. tom, tomcat tabby, queen Mammal Cats

Camel calf, colt A herd, flock, train or caravan of camels. bull cow Mammal Camels

Cattle calf Cattle is the collective noun for bulls, steers and caves. A drove of cattle, mob of cattle, team of cattle or a herd of cattle. bull cow Mammal Cattle

Chipmunk kits, kittens or pups A scurry of chipmunks. A group of Chipmunk kits or pups are called a litter. buck doe Mammal Chipmunks

Cobra
neolates, then hatchlings, then snakelets A quiver of cobras. male female Reptile Cobras

Cow calf A drift of cows, a kine of cows (12 cows are a flink). We’re not aware of a collective noun for bulls. bull cow Mammal Cattle

Coyote pup, whelp A band of coyote, a pack of coyotes. dog bitch Mammal Coyotes

Deer fawn, yearling A herd, mob or leash of deer. buck stag Mammal Deer or deers

Dog puppy, pup A pack of dogs. One of the best known collective nouns for animals. dog bitch Mammal Dogs

Donkey / Ass colt, foal A herd or pace of asses. jack, jackass jenny, jennet Mammal

Dolphin pup, calf A school of dolphins, a pod of dolphins. bull cow Mammal Dolphins

Eel / Electric Eel lepto-cephalus (larva), elver (juvenile) A bed of eels, swarm of eels. cassi emily Fish Eels

Elephant calf A herd of elephants, a memory of elephants. bull cow Mammal Elephants

Elk calf A gang of elks. bull cow Mammal Elks

Ferret kit A business or flensing of ferrets. hob jill Mammal Ferrets

Fish fry (plural noun) A school of fish, shoal, run, haul or a catch of fish. male female Fish Fish, fishes

Fox cub, pup A troop of foxes, an earth of foxes, a skulk or leash of foxes. dog, reynard vixen Mammal Foxes

Frog tadpole (polliwog), froglet An army of frogs. none none Amphibian Frogs

Gerbil pup A horde of gerbils. buck doe Mammal Gerbils

Giraffe calf A tower of giraffes/giraffe. bull doe Mammal Giraffes

Goat kid A flock of goats, a herd of goats, tribe or trip of goats. billy (domestic), evec nanny Mammal Goats

Goldfish fry A troubling of goldfish (imagine them swimming around in a bowl). male female Fish Goldfish or goldfishes

Gorilla baby A band or troop of gorillas. none “Silverback” none Mammal Gorillas

Guinea pig / Cavy pup A group of guinea pigs or cavies. How about a muddle of guinea pigs?* boar sow Mammal Guinea pigs

Hamster pup A horde of hamsters. buck doe Mammal Hamsters

Hare leveret A down or husk of hares. buck doe Mammal Hares

Hedgehog piglet, pup A prickle of hedgehogs or an array of hedgehogs. boar sow Mammal Hedgehogs

Hippo-potamus calf A bloat of hippopotamuses or hippopotami. bull cow Mammal Hippopotamuses or hippopotami

Horse foal, yearling, or colt (male), filly (female) A herd of horses, a team of horses (in harness), a string of horses (for racing), a rag of colts, pair or harass of horses, a stud of mares. There are many collective terms of venery for horses. stallion, colt (young) mare, filly (young) Mammal Horses

Hound pup A pack, sute, mute or cry of hounds. dog bitch Mammal Hounds

Kangaroo / Wallaby joey A mob of kangaroos, a troop of kangaroos. jack, buck, boomer jill, doe, flyer, roo Mammal Kangaroos

Koala joey A population of Koalas, a colony of Koalas*. buck* doe* Mammal Koalas

Leopard cub A leap (leep) of leopards. leopard leopardess Mammal Leopards

Lion cub A pride of lions. lion lioness Mammal Lions.

Llama cria The collective noun for llamas is a herd of llamas. Herd is one of the most common collective nouns for animals. male female Mammal Llamas

Manatee / Sea Cows
calf. A herd of manatees. bull cow Mammal Manatee or manatees

Mole pup A labor/labour of moles, a company of moles. boar sow Mammal Moles

Monkey infant A troop of monkeys, a tribe of monkeys, a barrel of monkeys, a cartload of monkeys, a wilderness of monkeys*. male female Mammal Monkeys

Mouse pup, pinkie, kitten A mischief of mice. buck doe Mammal Mice

Mule foal A barren, pack, rake or span of mules, team (when in harness). john molly Mammal Mules

Otter pup, whelp A romp of otters. dog bitch Mammal Otters

Ox stot, calf A herd of oxen, a drove of oxen (when driven in a group), a team of oxen (in harness), a yoke of oxen. bull, steer (castrated) cow Mammal Oxen

Panda cub A cupboard of pandas* or an embarrassment of pandas*. boar sow Mammal Pandas

Person / Humans baby, infant, child A crowd of people. The best known collective nouns for animals. man woman Mammal People

Pig 🐖🐽 piglet A herd of pigs, a sounder of swine, a parcel of pigs, a drift of pigs, a drove of pigs, a sounder of wild pigs, a team of passel, a singular of boars. The collective noun for piglets is a litter also a passel of piglets or a farrow of piglets. One of the most diverse collective nouns for animals. boar, barrow, stag sow, cow, gilt Mammal Pigs or swine

Porcupine porcupette A prickle of porcupines. boar sow Mammal Porcupines

Porpoise calf A pod, crowd, shoal, school or herd of porpoises. bull cow Mammal Porpoises

Rabbit bunny, bunny rabbit, kittens A colony of rabbits, a nest of rabbits, a warren of rabbits (strictly, where they live). buck doe Mammal Rabbits

Rat pup, pinkie, kitten A pack or swarm of rats. buck doe Mammal Rats

Reindeer fawn A herd of reindeer. One of the better known collective nouns for animals. buck doe Mammal Reindeer or reindeers

Rhinoceros calf A crash or herd of rhinos. bull cow Mammal Rhinoceros or rhinoceroses

Salamander salamander nymphs, called efts at larval stage A herd or congress of salamanders. Newts are a sub-group of salamanders, i.e. not all salamanders are newts. none none Amphibian Salamanders

Sardine
young pilchards A family of sardines. (Sardines can be various species of small fish). none none Fish Sardines

Seal / Sea Lion pup A pod of elephant seals, harem, trip or herd of seals. bull cow Mammal Seals

Sheep lamb, lambkins, cosset A drove or drift (when driven in group), a flock of sheep, meinie, mob, parcel, trip, herd, hurtle, down. Farmyard collective nouns for animals. ram ewe Mammal Sheep

Snake
neolates, then hatchlings, then snakelets A nest of snakes, bed, knot or den, pit of snakes. male female Reptile Snakes

Squirrel pup, kit, kitten A dray of squirrels, or scurry of squirrels, a colony of squirrels. buck doe Mammal Squirrels

Swine / Hog / Pig / Boar shoat, trotter, farrow, pig, piglet A sounder or drift of swine, a trip of swine, a doylt of swine, a herd of pigs, a flock of pigs, a drift (when driven), or parcel of hogs, a sounder of boars. boar sow Mammal Swine

Tiger cub, whelp A streak of tigers, a swift of tigers or an ambush of tigers*. tiger tigress Mammal Tigers

Toad tadpole, toadlet A knot of toads. none none Amphibian Toads

Trout Alevins, then fry, then trout parr A hover of trout. cock hen Fish Trout

Walrus cub, pup A pod of walruses, a herd of walruses. bull cow Mammal Walruses

Weasel kit gang or pack of weasels. buck, hob, jack, dog doe, bitch, jill Mammal Weasels

Whale calf A school of whales, a shoal of whales, gam of whales, a pod of whales (smaller groups). bull cow Mammal Whales

Wolf pup, whelp A pack of wolves, a herd of wolves, a rout/route of wolves (when moving). dog bitch Mammal Wolves

Zebra colt, foal A cohort of zebras, a herd of zebras, a dazzle or zeal of Zebras*. stallion mare Mammal Zebra or zebras

Common Foreign Words in English

Common Foreign Words in English List A to Z
List Lovers list of common foreign words in English list wasn’t easy to put together. English started as a Germanic language. Add a generous helping of old Norse from the Vikings. Lace it with Norman French and Latin constructions. Add thousands of words anglicized from other languages and the result is English as we know it today. “Loanwords” are words borrowed from another language and used “as is” so whether your audience understands the meaning of those common foreign words and phrases used in English is up to you. Foreign phrases used in English are often italicised so they are easier to spot.

Common foreign words Source language Entomology / Origin / Meaning Trivia / Comments / Usage

addenda Latin A list of additions.

ad lib Latin Improvised. One of the most common foreign words used in English to describe actors and politicians who go off-piste.

ad hoc Latin For a particular purpose.

ad infinitum Latin To infinity.

à la carte French 🇫🇷 From the menu.

ad nauseam Latin To the point of nausea, to a sickening degree. Trevor talked ad nauseam about his career.

addenda Latin A list of additions.

aficionado Spanish 🇪🇸 An ardent fan.

agent provocateur French 🇫🇷 Agent who incites others to illegal action. Agent Provocateur is also a luxury lingerie brand name.

alcohol
Arabic Originally “al-kuḥl” ancient Egyptian eyeliner, later any fine powder or distilled spirit or essence. Alcoholic beverages include beers, wines and spirits.

alfresco Italian 🇮🇹 Fresh air, outdoors.

alma mater Latin Former school (Latin “bountiful mother”). My alma mater is the university of life, which does not award degrees.

alter ego Latin Second self.

angst German 🇩🇪 Dread, anxiety.

ars gratia artis Latin Art for art’s sake. MGM’s Leo the lion’s head is inside a garland of film with the motto “Ars Gratia Artis“.

au fait French 🇫🇷 Familiar with something (French “to the point”).

au naturel French 🇫🇷 Natural state, naked.

avant-garde French 🇫🇷 Unorthodox, experimental (French “front guard”).

avatar
Hindi Icon or representation of a person online. You can often change your avatar on websites and in computer games.

baksheesh Persian Tip (Persian “gift”).

ballet French 🇫🇷 Form of dance. From earlier latin ballare “to dance”. French is the language of ballet, e.g. tutu and ballerina.

bete noire French 🇫🇷 Personal annoyance, bugbear (French “black beast”).

blitzkrieg German 🇩🇪 Sudden overwhelming attack (German “lightning war”).

bon appétit French 🇫🇷 Enjoy your meal (French “good appetite). One of the most common foreign words in English, probably because we don’t have an English equivalent.

bon vivant French 🇫🇷 Lover of good life.

bon voyage French 🇫🇷 Have a nice trip. We wished Natasha bon voyage as she left to go traveling.

bona fide Latin In good faith, genuine. John’s doctor was a bona fide expert in dementia.

bravura Italian 🇮🇹 Performed with energy and skill.

cafe French 🇫🇷 From coffee in many languages, one of the most common foreign words. Cafés usually serve coffee.

carpe diem Latin Seize the day. Made famous by Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society.

carpe noctem
Latin Seize the night (this is not really in very common usage, but we loved the concept of seizing the night instead of the day!).

carte blanche French 🇫🇷 Complete freedom, unlimited authority (French “white card”). Ron was given carte blanche to choose a new truck.

sus belli Latin Pretext or reason that justifies or allegedly justifies an attack of war.

caveat emptor Latin Let the buyer beware. Item sold as seen, caveat emptor.

chow Chinese 🇨🇳 Food, “chow down” means to eat. Many Chinese words used in English relate to food.

chutzpah Yiddish Gall, audacity.

cojones Spanish 🇪🇸 Testicles, balls, guts.

cordon bleu French 🇫🇷 Food cooked to high standard (French “blue ribbon”).

corpus delecti Latin The evidence required to prove a crime has been committed.

coup de grace French 🇫🇷 A blow of mercy.

cul-de-sac French 🇫🇷 Dead end (French “bottom of the sack”).

de facto French 🇫🇷 Actual

de rigueur French 🇫🇷 Obligatory

déjà vu French 🇫🇷 Sense of having already experienced something (French “already seen”). Déjà vu is one of the most common foreign expressions in English of French origin.

derrière French 🇫🇷 Behind, bum, bottom, buttocks.

deus ex machine Latin God of the machine.

doppelgänger German 🇩🇪 Ghostly counterpart of a living person (German “double-goer”).

double entendre French 🇫🇷 Double meaning.

droit du seigneur French 🇫🇷 Excessive demands on subordinate. Literally “the lord’s right” to take the virginity of a new bride.

élan French 🇫🇷 Flair

enfant terrible French 🇫🇷 A bad child.

en masse French 🇫🇷 In a large group. The crowd voted with their feet and left en masse.

entrepreneur French 🇫🇷 Businessman. From 19th century “entreprendre”, a director of a musical institution. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey are famous entrepreneurs.

ersatz German 🇩🇪 A substitute.

eureka Greek 🇬🇷 Joyous moment of discovery. Ancient Greek scholar Archimedes reportedly exclaimed “Eureka!” On getting into a bath Archimedes realised his body displaced the same volume of water causing he water level to rise.

fait accompli French 🇫🇷 An established fact. Losing the vote for president was a fait accompli.

fata morgana Italian 🇮🇹 A striking mirage.

fatwa Arabic A legal opinion expressed by Islamic leader.

faux pas French 🇫🇷 Breach of social etiquette, social blunder (French “false step”) or mistake. Wearing a long white dress as a wedding guest was a faux pas.

femme fatale French 🇫🇷 Highly attractive woman who means trouble.

fiasco Italian 🇮🇹 Disaster

force de frappe French 🇫🇷 France’s nuclear deterrent (French “superiour force”).

gauntlet / gantlet Swedish 🇸🇪 Swedish (gatlopp “lane course running”). The pronunciation in English was corrupted to “gauntlet” (French gantelet “armored glove”). Running the gauntlet (UK) or gantlet (US) was a form of punishment where the victim was forced to run between two rows of torturers. “Throw down the gauntlet” is to issue a challenge and “take up the gauntlet” accepts the challenge.

gemütlich German 🇩🇪 Cosy

gestalt German 🇩🇪 Form, shape.

gesundheit German 🇩🇪 Health, bless you.

glasnost Russian 🇷🇺 Openness (Russian “openness, publicity”). When the Soviet Union crumbled (1986-1991), glasnost was one of most common foreign words used in English language.

glitch Yiddish A minor fault, bug, gremlin etc. (Yiddish “gletshn” to slide or skid) or (German “glitschen” to slip). Neo experienced déjà vu as “a glitch in the matrix” when he saw the same black cat walk past a door twice.

grand mal French 🇫🇷 Epilepsy attack (French “large illness”).

gringo Spanish 🇪🇸 Foreigner (mainly Mexican).

gung-ho Chinese 🇨🇳 Enthusiasm, zealous (Chinese “work together”) Adopted as a battle cry by some American military units.

guru Hindi Spiritual leader.

habeas corpus Latin (Latin “You should have the body”) protection against unlawful imprisonment.

halal Arabic Meat slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law (Arabic “lawful”).

hoi polloi Greek 🇬🇷 Rabble, plebs, the masses Mixing with the hoi polloi is seen as mixing with people below your social status, the opposite of “hobnobbing” with people above your social status.

in flagrante delicto Latin Caught in the act (Latin “with the crime still blazing”).

in loco parentis Latin A guardian, in place of a parent.

in vino veritas Latin Truth is in wine.

ipso facto Latin By the fact itself. “A teacher, ipso facto, is in charge of his or her class.” A chef, ipso facto, is in charge of a kitchen.

joie de vivre French 🇫🇷 Joy of life.

kamikaze Japanese 🇯🇵 From Japanese “divine wind”, referring to a typhoon which dispersed a Mongol invasion fleet in 1281. Towards the end of WWII Japanese kamikaze pilots launched suicide attacks on enemy ships. It’s one of only a few common foreign words of Japanese origin used in English.

karaoke Japanese 🇯🇵 From Japanese “empty orchestra”. today meaning singing to a backing track in Karaoke bars and pubs. Karaoke is one of the most common foreign words, of Japanese origin, used in English.

ketchup / catchup
Chinese 🇨🇳 Originally a pickled fish sauce with spices and brine. Spelling adapted from Amoy dialect kôe-chiap / kê-chiap (鮭汁) Ketchup reached the west via Malaysia and Singapore to England where ketchup recipes were mushroom based, then later tomato and spread to the USA via settlers.

kitsch German 🇩🇪 Rubbish, bad taste. Ironically kitsch can be so bad it’s good. Kitsch is in the eye of the beholder.

la dolce vita Italian 🇮🇹 The good life. Title of several films, songs and a perfume by Christian Dior, one of the best known and used foreign phrases used in English.

laissez faire French 🇫🇷 Policy of non interference.

lingua franca Italian 🇮🇹 Common language.

macho Spanish 🇪🇸 Arrogant masculine man (Spanish/Portuguese machismo “manly”). Randy Savage and the Village People spring to mind.

mea culpa Latin My fault.

modus operandi Latin Method of procedure, method of operating (commonly abbreviated to M.O.). The suspect followed the same M.O.

moped Swedish 🇸🇪 (Swedish motor och pedaler “pedal cycle with engine and wheels” ) One of only a handful of common foreign words from Swedish.

noblesse oblige French 🇫🇷 Nobility obliges.

nom de plume French 🇫🇷 Pen name. Commonly used by writers to preserve their anonymity.

non sequitur Latin Something that doesn’t follow on logically.

objet d’art French 🇫🇷 Literally “art object” in French. An objet d’art is used in English to describe a small three-dimensional work with some artistic value.

off-piste French 🇫🇷 Skiing in areas unprepared for skiing. Off the beaten track. One of the common foreign words that make English fun. Used to describe actors and politicians who do not follow to their scripts or anything unexpected.

pandemic Greek 🇬🇷 From Greek “pandemos” meaning “all the people”. Sadly Covid-19 was added to the list of the worst global pandemics in history in 2020. Pandemic became one of the most common foreign words worldwide.

persona non grata Latin Unwelcome or unacceptable person. Sally was a persona non grata in our club because she wouldn’t follow the rules.

piece de résistance French 🇫🇷 Special food dish or outstanding item or event.

poltergeist German 🇩🇪 A ghost that moves objects around or causes loud noises (German “noisy ghost”).

prima donna Latin A temperamental and conceited person. Sophie found it hard to make friends because she was considered to a prima donna.

prima facie Latin At first view.

pro bono Latin Donated or done without charge. The lawyer took the case on a pro bono basis.

pro forma Latin Done for the sake of form.

pro rata Latin Proportionally according to a factor.

pro tempore Latin For the time being.

punch Hindi Originally “paantsch” an alcoholic drink made of five ingredients; sugar, lemon, alcohol, water, spices or tea. Punch is a popular party drink served from a large punch bowl.

pundit
Hindi An expert, critic or commentator on a specific subject. Punditry, by pundits, analyze sports, express opinions in the media, critique theater, food etc.

Que sera, sera
Spanish 🇪🇸
Italian 🇮🇹 Whatever will be, will be. Spanish-like but also from Italian, both in 16th century. Made popular by Doris Day in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.

quid pro quo Latin Something for something else, often a fair exchange, sometimes used in sexual harassment cases. Ron gave me his candy bar as quid pro quo for my soft drink.

quod erat demonstratum Latin As demonstrated (“Q.E.D.”).

raison d’être
French 🇫🇷 Reason for being.

rendezvous French 🇫🇷 Agree to meet, meeting.

safari Swahili A journey, expedition.

saffron
Arabic A spice, originally from “za‘farān” then later old french “safran”. Saffron is the most expensive spice and food on Earth – but a little goes a long way.

salaam Arabic Peace from (al)-salām. Salaam alei·kum “peace be upon you” is a greeting used by Muslims.

sang froid French 🇫🇷 Cold blood.

savoir-faire French 🇫🇷 Knowledge of what to do.

schadenfreude German 🇩🇪 Taking pleasure at someone else’s misfortune.

shampoo
Hindi Massage, rub (Hindustani “chāmpo” to press). Humans, animals, cars and furniture can all be shampooed. One of the most common foreign words of Hindi origin used in English.

sine qua non Latin Indispensable (Latin “without which not”).

smorgasbord Swedish 🇸🇪 Sandwich or buffet with variety of dishes or situation with many choices. See also moped and gauntlet.

soupçon French 🇫🇷 Hint of (French “suspicion”).

status quo Latin Existing state or condition. Hannah didn’t like change and preferred to maintain the status quo. Also a famous rock band.

tempus fugit Latin Time flies.

tête-à-tête French 🇫🇷 A private conversation (French “head to head”).

tour de force French 🇫🇷 A feat of strength.

troika Russian 🇷🇺 “Troe” in Russian means “set of three” and was used to refer to politicians and adminstrators. A troika is a sleigh or carriage drawn by a group of three horses harnessed abreast before being used more generally as a group of three.

tsunami Japanese 🇯🇵 A large tidal wave (Japanese “harbor wave”). More Japanese words used in English…

tycoon Japanese 🇯🇵 Business leader (from Japanese “taikun” meaning “high commander”). The 72 year-old tycoon was one of America’s most generous philanthropists.

uber / über German 🇩🇪 Very, max, possessing property to an extreme (German “over”). Uber has become one of the fastest growing foreign language words used in English due to the rise of the Uber brand around the world.

vendetta Italian 🇮🇹 Private revenge feud among families of murdered persons. Vendetta is one of the most common foreign words in English of Italian origin.

veni, vidi, vici Latin I came, I saw, I conquered.

verboten German 🇩🇪 Forbidden

vis-à-vis French 🇫🇷 As compared with

wunderkind German 🇩🇪 Boy wonder from the German “wonder child”. A boy succeeding at an early age could be a wunderkind.

zeitgeist German 🇩🇪 Spirit of the times. 2020 zeitgeist words; pandemic, lockdown, furlough, environment.

Did You Know?

The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

There are only four words in the English language that end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels (a e i o u) in alphabetical order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

English Language Resources

British and American words in the English language

Dictionary & Thesaurus online:

Search: for

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Reverso Collaborative Dictionary

Heteronyms

Have you ever heard of "heteronyms"? They’re words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently. Heteronyms often have multiple pronunciations and meanings. Depending on the context, your intended meaning might change quite a bit. Here are a few examples of heteronyms.

Record

Remember those vinyl disks spinning on a turntable that played music? That’s a record (REK-ord) and they’re making a comeback. However, musicians first have to record (ree-CORD) their songs before the album is sold.

Wound

If you’ve coiled something — like a string — around another object, you’ve wound (WOW-nd) it up. If your intent is to hurt someone, whether physically or with words, you’ll wound (WOO-nd) them. You might have wound up a rubber band, snapped it, and wounded someone nearby. We don’t recommend you try this.

Graduate

The pronunciation difference with graduate not only changes the word, but the part of speech as well. To graduate (GRAD-joo-ate), you cross the stage in your cap and gown and accept your diploma. If you’re a graduate (GRAD-joo-uht), you are the person crossing the stage.

Sewer

You’ll be glad to know that this is one case where the two pronunciations have absolutely no correlation. One sewer (SOO-er) is the underground tunnel system for household waste. The other sewer (SO-er) is known more professionally as a tailor, and makes and mends your clothes.

Excuse

The meanings behind the heteronyms "excuse" and "excuse" are similar, but you'll want to differentiate the two through the parts of speech and the way the “s” sounds in the last syllable. The noun excuse (ex-KYOOS) is the word to describe a reason for not completing your chores. In cases like these, you can use the verb excuse (ex-KYOOZ) to get out of the situation and pretend you’ve got to run an errand.

Minute

The only similarity between "minute" (MIN-uht) and "minute" (my-NOOT) with a long “i” is that the words both reference something small. In fact, minute with a long “i” is defined as something tiny or of little significance. A 60-second minute, however, is a brief unit of time.

Slough

How do you pronounce this one again? The good news is that if you guess, you’ll probably get at least one version right. If you pronounce the word as "sluff," you’re describing a snake shedding its skin. "Sloo" and "slow" (rhymes with cow) are different pronunciations for a swamp.

Nun

You probably recognize nuns as religiously affiliated women, but did you know "nun" can also rhyme with the word "noon"? If you say it like that, it’s the fourteenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

Deliberate

You can deliberate (de-LIB-er-ate) the pronunciations for many words — especially if you have an accent. Plenty of arguments spring from these conversations. However, don’t be deliberate (de-LIB-er-uht) in your intentions to feud if you want to keep your friends.

Homophones

Meanings of homophones:

1. One of a group of words pronounced in the same way but differing in meaning or spelling or both, as for example bear and bare

2. A written letter or combination of letters that represents the same speech sound as another: ``ph'' is a homophone of ``f'' in English

Explanation of homophones
English (especially British English) is not spelt phonetically. Two words can share none, any or all of Spelling, Pronunciation and Meaning. All languages have synonyms (words with unrelated spelling and pronunciation but the same meaning) and words with multiple meanings. However English has an exceptional disparity between spelling and pronunciation.
The possible combinations or some but all characteristics being the same are as follows:-

Spelling Pronunciation Meaning Classification Example

Same Different Different Homonym refuse

Different Same Different Homophone See below

Same Same Different Multiple meanings trap

Different Different Same Synonym rare/uncommon

Same Different Same Alternative pronuncation Schedule (British/American pronuncation)

Different Same Same Alternative spelling jail/gaol

This is a list of British-English homophones.

A collection of 441 homophones:
396 pairs, 40 triples and 5 quadruples.
546 pairs of homophone words.

accessary, accessory
ad, add
ail, ale
air, heir
aisle, I'll, isle
all, awl
allowed, aloud
alms, arms
altar, alter
arc, ark
aren't, aunt
ate, eight
auger, augur
auk, orc
aural, oral
away, aweigh
awe, oar, or, ore
axel, axle
aye, eye, I
bail, bale
bait, bate
baize, bays
bald, bawled
ball, bawl
band, banned
bard, barred
bare, bear
bark, barque
baron, barren
base, bass
bay, bey
bazaar, bizarre
be, bee
beach, beech
bean, been
beat, beet
beau, bow
beer, bier
bel, bell, belle
berry, bury
berth, birth
bight, bite, byte
billed, build
bitten, bittern
blew, blue
bloc, block
boar, bore
board, bored
boarder, border
bold, bowled
boos, booze
born, borne
bough, bow
boy, buoy
brae, bray
braid, brayed
braise, brays, braze
brake, break
bread, bred
brews, bruise
bridal, bridle
broach, brooch
bur, burr
but, butt
buy, by, bye
buyer, byre
calendar, calender
call, caul
canvas, canvass
cast, caste
caster, castor
caught, court
caw, core, corps
cede, seed
ceiling, sealing
cell, sell
censer, censor, sensor
cent, scent, sent
cereal, serial
cheap, cheep
check, cheque
choir, quire
chord, cord
cite, sight, site
clack, claque
clew, clue
climb, clime
close, cloze
coal, kohl
coarse, course
coign, coin
colonel, kernel
complacent, complaisant
complement, compliment
coo, coup
cops, copse
council, counsel
cousin, cozen
creak, creek
crews, cruise
cue, kyu, queue
curb, kerb
currant, current
cymbol, symbol
dam, damn
days, daze
dear, deer
descent, dissent
desert, dessert
deviser, divisor

dew, due
die, dye
discreet, discrete
doe, doh, dough
done, dun
douse, dowse
draft, draught
dual, duel
earn, urn
eery, eyrie
ewe, yew, you
faint, feint
fah, far
fair, fare
farther, father
fate, fête
faun, fawn
fay, fey
faze, phase
feat, feet
ferrule, ferule
few, phew
fie, phi
file, phial
find, fined
fir, fur
fizz, phiz
flair, flare
flaw, floor
flea, flee
flex, flecks
flew, flu, flue
floe, flow
flour, flower
foaled, fold
for, fore, four
foreword, forward
fort, fought
forth, fourth
foul, fowl
franc, frank
freeze, frieze
friar, fryer
furs, furze
gait, gate
galipot, gallipot
gallop, galop
gamble, gambol
gays, gaze
genes, jeans
gild, guild
gilt, guilt
giro, gyro
gnaw, nor
gneiss, nice
gorilla, guerilla
grate, great
greave, grieve
greys, graze
grisly, grizzly
groan, grown
guessed, guest
hail, hale
hair, hare
hall, haul
hangar, hanger
hart, heart
haw, hoar, whore
hay, hey
heal, heel, he'll
hear, here
heard, herd
he'd, heed
heroin, heroine
hew, hue
hi, high
higher, hire
him, hymn
ho, hoe
hoard, horde
hoarse, horse
holey, holy, wholly
hour, our
idle, idol
in, inn
indict, indite
it's, its
jewel, joule
key, quay
knave, nave
knead, need
knew, new
knight, night
knit, nit
knob, nob
knock, nock
knot, not
know, no
knows, nose
laager, lager
lac, lack
lade, laid
lain, lane
lam, lamb
laps, lapse
larva, lava
lase, laze
law, lore
lay, ley
lea, lee

leach, leech
lead, led
leak, leek
lean, lien
lessen, lesson
levee, levy
liar, lyre
licence, license
licker, liquor
lie, lye
lieu, loo
links, lynx
lo, low
load, lode
loan, lone
locks, lox
loop, loupe
loot, lute
made, maid
mail, male
main, mane
maize, maze
mall, maul
manna, manner
mantel, mantle
mare, mayor
mark, marque
marshal, martial
marten, martin
mask, masque
maw, more
me, mi
mean, mien
meat, meet, mete
medal, meddle
metal, mettle
meter, metre
might, mite
miner, minor, mynah
mind, mined
missed, mist
moat, mote
mode, mowed
moor, more
moose, mousse
morning, mourning
muscle, mussel
naval, navel
nay, neigh
nigh, nye
none, nun
od, odd
ode, owed
oh, owe
one, won
packed, pact
packs, pax
pail, pale
pain, pane
pair, pare, pear
palate, palette, pallet
pascal, paschal
paten, patten, pattern
pause, paws, pores, pours
pawn, porn
pea, pee
peace, piece
peak, peek, peke, pique
peal, peel
pearl, purl
pedal, peddle
peer, pier
pi, pie
pica, pika
place, plaice
plain, plane
pleas, please
plum, plumb
pole, poll
poof, pouffe
practice, practise
praise, prays, preys
principal, principle
profit, prophet
quarts, quartz
quean, queen
rain, reign, rein
raise, rays, raze
rap, wrap
raw, roar
read, reed
read, red
real, reel
reek, wreak
rest, wrest
retch, wretch
review, revue
rheum, room
right, rite, wright, write
ring, wring
road, rode
roe, row
role, roll
roo, roux, rue
rood, rude
root, route
rose, rows
rota, rotor
rote, wrote
rough, ruff

rouse, rows
rung, wrung
rye, wry
saver, savour
spade, spayed
sale, sail
sane, seine
satire, satyr
sauce, source
saw, soar, sore
scene, seen
scull, skull
sea, see
seam, seem
sear, seer, sere
seas, sees, seize
sew, so, sow
shake, sheikh
shear, sheer
shoe, shoo
sic, sick
side, sighed
sign, sine
sink, synch
slay, sleigh
sloe, slow
sole, soul
some, sum
son, sun
sort, sought
spa, spar
staid, stayed
stair, stare
stake, steak
stalk, stork
stationary, stationery
steal, steel
stile, style
storey, story
straight, strait
sweet, suite
swat, swot
tacks, tax
tale, tail
talk, torque
tare, tear
taught, taut, tort
te, tea, tee
team, teem
tear, tier
teas, tease
terce, terse
tern, turn
there, their, they're
threw, through
throes, throws
throne, thrown
thyme, time
tic, tick
tide, tied
tire, tyre
to, too, two
toad, toed, towed
told, tolled
tole, toll
ton, tun
tor, tore
tough, tuff
troop, troupe
tuba, tuber
vain, vane, vein
vale, veil
vial, vile
wail, wale, whale
wain, wane
waist, waste
wait, weight
waive, wave
wall, waul
war, wore
ware, wear, where
warn, worn
wart, wort
watt, what
wax, whacks
way, weigh, whey
we, wee, whee
weak, week
we'd, weed
weal, we'll, wheel
wean, ween
weather, whether
weaver, weever
weir, we're
were, whirr
wet, whet
wheald, wheeled
which, witch
whig, wig
while, wile
whine, wine
whirl, whorl
whirled, world
whit, wit
white, wight
who's, whose
woe, whoa
wood, would
yaw, yore, your, you're
yoke, yolk
you'll, yule

Near misses
These are word pairs that have been suggested but rejection, for one of the following reasons:-

Not precisely the same pronunciation. I only reject on this grounds, if my dictionary gives different pronunciation (or is unclear) and I think there is a difference, or am not sure how one of the words in pronounced.

accept, except
acetic, ascetic
advice, advise
affect, effect
axe, acts
axle, axil
deal, dele
caret, carrot
close, clothes
cask, casque
deuce, juice
facts, fax
formerly, formally
halve, have
hostel, hostile
ion, iron
jota, jotter
liar, layer
loch, lock
mana, manna
ordinance, ordnance
paw/pore/pour, poor
pecan, pekan
picture, pitcher
plaintiff, plaintive
prince, prints
presence, presents
tense, tents
wan, won

The two spellings have a meaning in common. Even if each spelling has distinct meanings, any common mean classifies them as alternative spellings rather than homophones. (American, or other non-British, spellings are ignored for this purpose.)

ambiance, ambience
assay, essay
aught, ought
cot, cote
depositary, depository
forbear, forebear
forego, forgo
gage, gauge
gel, jell
genet, jennet
gibe, gybe
gray, grey
grill, grille
groin, groyne
gunnel, gunwale
hippie, hippy
main, maine
prise, prize
ray, re
ton, tonne

It would be double counting. If two forms of two words are different homophones, then a single example an only be counted.
I list complement/compliment and hence don't list complementary/complimentary. I normally list the simplest form (singular rather than plural; present tense etc.) unless other form is a longer list.
e.g. I list holey/holy/wholly rather than hole/whole.
Proper nouns and associated adjectives are not allowed, notably a lot of nations, nationalities, and place names are pronounced the same as common nouns.

Capitol, capital
Crewe, crew
Czech, check/cheque
Chile, chilly/chilli
Dane, deign
Greece, grease
Hungary, hungry
Lapp, lap
Nice, niece
Pole, poll
Rome, roam
Sikh, seek
Thai, tie
Towcester, toaster
Wales, whales
And many, many more.
Unsure
Alleged homophones that aren't in the dictionary.

Word Homophone(s) Comment

wether weather, whether I am told this is a type of sheep.

basinet bassinet ?A musical instrument?

hele heal,heal ?Song, from the German?

how'll howl Not really establisted enough to count

leider leader ?Song, from the German?

lune loon The moon (if so fails as a proper noun)

meer mere

rayed raid

sice syce

sorel sorrel

velum vellum

wyrd weird

Inconsistency of the English Language

English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'

Lexophiles

Lexophile" is a word used to describe those that have a love for words, such as "you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish", or "to write with a broken pencil is pointless."

Below are more examples of lexophiles:

01. When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.

02. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

03. When the smoglifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.

04. The batterieswere given out free of charge.

05. A dentist and amanicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.

06. A will is a dead giveaway.

07. With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

08. A boiled egg is hard to beat.

08. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

09. Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

10. Did you hear about the fellow whose entire left side was cut off? He's all right now.

11. A bicycle can't stand alone; it's just two tired.

12. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

13. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.

14. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

15. When she saw her first strands of grey hair she thought she'd dye.

16. Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.

17. Those who get too big for their britches will be totally exposed in the end.

Palindrome

Palindrome Definition

A palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same forward as it does backward. The words a and I are perhaps the simplest and least interesting palindromes; the word racecar and the name Hannah are more interesting and illustrative. Neither spaces nor punctuation are usually taken into consideration when constructing sentences that are palindromes -- one of the most famous palindromes is "A man, a plan, a canal, Panama" -- but when the spaces are properly positioned as well, so much the better. An example would be the also famous palindrome "Able was I ere I saw Elba," purportedly spoken by Napoleon, referring to his first sighting of Elba, the island where the British exiled him.

Palindromes are a type of palingram called letter palingrams. A palingram is a sentence in which the letters, syllables, or words read the same backward as they do forward. The sentence, "He was, was he?" is a word palingram, because the words can be placed in reverse order and still read the same. The sentence, "I did, did I?" is not only a word palingram but a letter palingram (or palindrome) as well.

A number of interesting palindromes are given below for your amusement.

Words

aibohphobia

alula

cammac

civic

deified

deleveled

detartrated

devoved

dewed

evitative

Hannah

kayak

kinnikinnik

lemel

level

madam

Malayalam

minim

murdrum

peeweep

racecar

radar

redder

refer

reifier

repaper

reviver

rotator

rotavator

rotor

sagas

solos

sexes

stats

tenet

terret

testset

Places

Glenelg (Australia)

Kanakanak (Alaska)

Kinikinik (Colorado)

Navan (Meath, Ireland)

Neuquen (Argentina)

Ward Draw (South Dakota)

Wassamassaw (South Carolina)

Yreka Bakery (Yreka, California)

Not Quite Legitimate

Retteb, si flahd noces eht tub, but the second half is better.

Doctor Reubenstein was shocked and dismayed when he answered the ringing telephone, only to hear a strange, metallic, alien voice say, "Yasec iovn eilacilla temeg! Nartsa raehoty lnoenoh pelet gnig, nirehtde rewsnaehn ehw. Deya! Msid! Dnadek cohssaw nietsne buerro, tcod?"

Phrases and Sentences

A dog, a plan, a canal: pagoda.

A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.

A new order began, a more Roman age bred Rowena.

A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita.

A Toyota. Race fast, safe car. A Toyota.

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

Animal loots foliated detail of stool lamina.

Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna.

Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?

Are we not pure? "No sir!" Panama's moody Noriega brags. "It is garbage!" Irony dooms a man; a prisoner up to new era.

As I pee, sir, I see Pisa!

Barge in! Relate mere war of 1991 for a were-metal Ernie grab!

Bombard a drab mob.

Bush saw Sununu swash sub.

Cain: a maniac.

Cigar? Toss it in a can. It is so tragic.

Daedalus: nine. Peninsula: dead.

Dammit, I'm mad!

Delia saw I was ailed.

Denim axes examined.

Dennis and Edna sinned.

Depardieu, go razz a rogue I draped.

Desserts, I stressed!

Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did?

Do good? I? No! Evil anon I deliver. I maim nine more hero-men in Saginaw, sanitary sword a-tuck, Carol, I -- lo! -- rack, cut a drowsy rat in Aswan. I gas nine more hero-men in Miami. Reviled, I (Nona) live on. I do, O God!

Doc, note I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.

Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.

Drat Saddam, a mad dastard!

Draw, O coward!

Draw pupil's lip upward.

Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside.

Eva, can I stab bats in a cave?

Evil did I dwell; lewd I did live.

Gateman sees name, garageman sees name tag.

Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog.

Goldenrod-adorned log.

Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog.

Harass sensuousness, Sarah.

I roamed under it as a tired, nude Maori.

Laminated E.T. animal.

Lay a wallaby baby ball away, Al.

Lepers repel.

Let O'Hara gain an inn in a Niagara hotel.

Live not on evil.

Lived on Decaf; faced no Devil.

Lonely Tylenol.

Ma is a nun, as I am.

Ma is as selfless as I am.

Madam, I'm Adam.

Madam in Eden, I'm Adam.

Marge lets Norah see Sharon's telegram.

May a moody baby doom a yam.

Meet animals; laminate 'em.

Mr. Owl ate my metal worm.

Murder for a jar of red rum.

Never odd or even.

No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon.

No cab, no tuna nut on bacon.

No lemon, no melon.

No sir -- away! A papaya war is on.

On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil; a fire volcano.

Party boobytrap.

Poor Dan is in a droop.

Reviled did I live, said I, as evil I did deliver.

Rise to vote, sir.

Saw tide rose? So red it was.

Senile felines.

So many dynamos!

Some men interpret nine memos.

Stab nail at ill Italian bats.

Stack cats.

Stella won no wallets.

Step on no pets.

Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots!

Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts.

T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. I'd assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet.

Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat.

Ten animals I slam in a net.

Too bad I hid a boot.

Was it a car or a cat I saw?

Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

Won't I panic in a pit now?

Won't lovers revolt now?

Yo, banana boy!

Yo, Bob! Mug o' gumbo, boy!

Yo, bottoms up! (U.S. motto, boy.)

Another list of palindrome examples:

Don't nod
Dogma: I am God
Never odd or even
Too bad – I hid a boot
Rats live on no evil star
No trace; not one carton
Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?
Murder for a jar of red rum
May a moody baby doom a yam?
Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog!
Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas!
A Toyota! Race fast... safe car: a Toyota
Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
Doc Note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod
No, it never propagates if I set a gap or prevention
Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna
Sums are not set as a test on Erasmus
Kay, a red nude, peeped under a yak
Some men interpret nine memos
Campus Motto: Bottoms up, Mac
Go deliver a dare, vile dog!
Madam, in Eden I'm Adam
Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo
Ah, Satan sees Natasha
Lisa Bonet ate no basil
Do geese see God?
God saw I was dog
Dennis sinned

Ponderism

What is a ponderism?
A ponderism is a kind of a bridge between a joke and a witty word play, not far from a pun, and quite close to a re-evaluation of an axiom. Sometimes it is an incorrectly understood rhetorical question and rarely an impressive thought. For most people, however, it is just a poor and lame attempt at “pondering” matters that have not mattered to anyone else before. But still, a few people do not take things for granted and actually think about what they say. These then “ponder” evident things, racking their brains with something they thought was as clear as day, but which turned out not to be so crystal clear after all.

Ponderism is a new word in English. Not a single dictionary knows it and even the online urban dictionary is behind the curve. The word has obviously been derived from the verb ponder meaning to consider, contemplate, or deliberate. It could perhaps be that until today nobody needed to name the activity of thinking of such ordinary and tedious things as everybody had been busy with the more difficult and tricky linguistic stuff. However, in the 21st century when we discovered the paradoxical basics of the language that we have already been exploring for hundreds of years, we suddenly need a word for the discovery...

Here are some examples to illustrate ponderism from Richard Lederer 's Crazy English:

1. There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger, neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
2. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
3. English muffins were not invented in England or french fries in France.
4. And why is it that writers write, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham?
5. If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
6. If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? Is cheese the plural of choose?
7. How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
8. How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?
9. When a house burns up, it burns down. .

Riddles

Riddle #1: What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
Ans: A Stamp

Riddle #2: A truck driver is going the opposite direction to the other traffic on a one-way street. A police officer sees him but doesn't stop him. Why doesn't the police officer stop him?
Ans: The Truck Driver was not driving but walking

Riddle #3: Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he usually weigh?
Ans: Meat

Riddle #4: There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies. What is it?
Ans: Water Melon

Riddle #5: What kind of room has no doors or windows?
Ans: Mushroom

Riddle #6: What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?
Ans: Palmtree

Riddle #7: Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son. Who is the man?
Ans: Myself

Riddle #8: What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?
Ans: Nothing

Riddle #9: The maker doesn't need it. The buyer won't use it. The user can't see it. What is it?
Ans: Coffin

Riddle #10: Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?
Ans: "Incorrectly"! .

Some English words with multiple meanings are confusing

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

We must polish the Polish furniture.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

Since there is no time like the present , he thought it was time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I did not object to the object.

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

The many conflicting uses of the word "UP"

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP , you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.

When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now my time is UP , so it is time to shut UP!

What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U-P

The truth behind British politeness

The table below sheds light on just how difficult it can be for a foreigner to understand what the British really mean when they're speaking – especially for those take every word at face value.

Phrases that prove the trickiest to decipher include 'you must come for dinner', which foreigners tend to take as a direct invitation, but is actually said out of politeness by many Britons and often does not result in an invite.

The table also reveals that when a person from Britain begins a sentence "with the greatest respect ...', they actually mean 'I think you are an idiot'.

What The British Say
What The British Mean
What Foreigns Understand

I hear what you say
I disagree and do not want to discuss it further
He accepts my point of view

With the greatest respect
You are an idiot
He is listening to me

That's not bad
That's good
That's poor

That is a very brave proposal
You are insane
He thinks I have courage

Quite good
A bit disappointing
Quite good

I would suggest
Do it or be prepared to justify yourself
Think about the idea, but do what you like

Oh, incidentally/ by the way
The primary purpose of our discussion is
That is not very important

I was a bit disappointed that
I am annoyed that
It doesn't really matter

Very interesting
That is clearly nonsense
They are impressed

I'll bear it in mind
I've forgotten it already
They will probably do it

I'm sure it's my fault
It's your fault
Why do they think it was their fault?

You must come for dinner
It's not an invitation, I'm just being polite
I will get an invitation soon

I almost agree
I don't agree at all
He's not far from agreement

I only have a few minor comments
Please rewrite completely
He has found a few typos

Could we consider some other options
I don't like your idea
They have not yet decided

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