Tag Archives: English
“Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…”
Joy Davidson (April 18, 1915 – July 15, 1960) Joy Davidson originally married C.S. Lewis to avoid being deported after her visa expired. It was a marriage of convenience that turned into something more for both of them, because they … Continue reading
Was This Man the Inspiration for David Cornwall’s Pseudonym?
Erwin Carlé (June 7, 1876 – February 21, 1923) No one knows why David Cornwall chose John le Carré as his pseudonym. So, I did a little digging, asking for the names of German authors who died between 1900 and … Continue reading
Can You Decipher a Mystery Stone?
Royal? This month a village in France is offering a reward for anyone who can decipher the words on a rock in their harbour. Like all good mysteries, the solution can be a simple one. In this case, it … Continue reading
A Legal Offer to “Drop Hands”
This is more than twenty years ago now: in the midst of a legal standoff between my employer and a supplier of interpretations of English words into French, I heard this phrase for the first time. We were in front … Continue reading
The Siege of Orleans: Jeanne d’Arc
The Maid of Orléans On this day in history in 1429, Joan of Arc (as she is known in English) arrived at Orléans with her French soldiers and helped to lift the siege that the English had laid during the … Continue reading
His Story Through Her Eyes
Jamestown I caught the first episode of this British series on PBS last night. It seems to be a reasonable facsimile of what life in the 1700’s would have been like in Virginia. (Interestingly, it was almost totally filmed in … Continue reading
Beware: the Subtleties of English
Warning, Warning If you use the word, “beware” you are warning someone of something dangerous. Be Aware The term “be aware” has the description of having information and beforehand knowledge of a situation, and perception of a fact that may … Continue reading
Paul O’Grady: a Li’l(y) Savage?
What Makes a Star? It’s such an intangible. Some people are made for the stage, and some aren’t. When I run across a birth date and time, I sit up and take notice. Does Paul O’Grady know that it’s spelled … Continue reading
Pierre-Esprit Radisson: Hero or Villain?
Explorer and Fur Trader I’m reading “Voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson” again, for the first time since 1980. It takes a little while to get accustomed to the use of double letters, and mixed language words, that he wrote in … Continue reading
The English Civil War
On Whose Authority? Considering an age-old problem, I Regarded the content of a film that Observed the difficulty of the Fat Measuring the Slim, when taxed to the sky. Who can say what’s right for every guy? Either the … Continue reading
