Interesting Word – Snowplough
English is a constantly changing language. Even native speakers have to learn new vocabulary.
Interesting Word – Museum
The word ‘museum’ comes from classical Latin where it meant a place holy to the Muses. (In Greek mythology the Muses were the goddesses of inspiration in literature, science and the arts.The 9 muses were each protectors of a different art and symbolised by a different item; Calliope (epic poetry – a writing tablet), Clio (history […]
Interesting Word – DNA
DNA is commonly used as an abbreviation of deoxyribonucleic acid, but as usual it all depends on context. It also stands for Does Not Apply, Did Not Attend or Data Not Available
Interesting Word – Gender
One of Britain’s biggest banks, HSBC, is going to offer its customers an extra 10 gender neutral options for people who do not wish to be identified by gender. (Usually you get the choice of “Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms”, but they have now added the following titles: Mx (pronounced “mix” or “mux”) Ind (an abbreviation of individual) […]
Interesting Words – Gender-neutral Terms
It seems that Cardiff Metropolitan University is trying to stop lecturers from using phrases they deem sexist; such as ‘right-hand man’, ‘gentleman’s agreement’, ‘man in the street’, ‘housewife’ and ‘forefathers’ in favour of gender-neutral terms. (The following gender-neutral terms have been suggested:- Forefathers – Forebears Gentleman’s agreement – Agreement based on trust. Girls (for adults) […]