A while back I wrote that some mistakes aren’t in fact mistakes, especially conjunctions which are a natural part of the language. I have found a few other constructions which some people believe are mistakes when in fact they are anything but. Split those infinitives: Quick quiz. Which TV series’opening monologue has a grammatical mistake? […]
Most people are pretty conscientious about recycling if the option is available to them. In my neighborhood, there are large bins for glass, plastics and paper so it’s quite easy to do your part for nature. One artist though wanted to combine recycling with a more do-it-yourself theme. Dave Hakkens has designed his own machine […]
American versus British Smackdown: Last call vs last orders
It’s late and you’re in a bar in the US and the bartender will call out, “Last call,” meaning the bar is about to shut and this is the last opportunity to order a drink. In the UK, people are more likely to visit a pub and the publican (the person who runs the pub) will call out “Last orders”, which is the British way of saying the pub is closing.
Collecting Collocations: Bid adieu / farewell
This is a very formal way of saying goodbye. What is interesting is that while we can use bid with adieu and farewell we cannot use it with the word goodbye.
Ideal Guide to Idioms: Last shout
This may stem from another idiomatic expression. A shout is an act of buying friends drinks. A last shout is the last drinks, so a last shout can also mean that last offering by someone or more simply a farewell.
Phrasal Verb Phreak Out: Round off
When we round off we take the number to the closest multiple of five or ten. It can also be a way of saying that something was completed. For example, ‘They rounded off dinner with some dessert.’
Word of the Day: Finale
This word is used for the final climactic ending of something. It began with musical performances but is now used for TV shows as well. The word comes from Italian and has the same root as the English word final.