Tag Archives: English

“Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…”

Posted on February 20, 2021 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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Was This Man the Inspiration for David Cornwall’s Pseudonym?

Posted on December 14, 2020 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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Can You Decipher a Mystery Stone?

Posted on May 15, 2019 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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A Legal Offer to “Drop Hands”

Posted on May 13, 2019 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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The Siege of Orleans: Jeanne d’Arc

Posted on April 29, 2019 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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His Story Through Her Eyes

Posted on October 21, 2018 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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Beware: the Subtleties of English

Posted on January 25, 2018 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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Paul O’Grady: a Li’l(y) Savage?

Posted on January 12, 2018 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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Pierre-Esprit Radisson: Hero or Villain?

Posted on September 1, 2017 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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The English Civil War

Posted on June 28, 2014 by cdsmiller17

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 →

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