Monthly Archives: December 2011

Meanings: “Torture”

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

December 30, 2011 “Torture”, interestingly, comes from the Latin “torquere,” which means “to twist, turn, wind, wring, distort.”  Presumably, when people are tortured they twist and turn in agony. This morning, Jim Higgenbotham provides a thoughtful opinion piece in The … Continue reading →

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Resolutions: Work or Pleasure

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

December 28, 2011 While you are (perhaps) contemplating your New Year’s resolutions (diet? exercise? etc.) I hope you will bear the following in mind and resolve to lighten up a little:

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Meanings: Subordinate Clauses

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

December 27, 2011 Observe:

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Meanings: “Nonpareil”

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

December 24, 2011 Nonpareils are those round wafer chocolate candies with little white sugar dots on them.  It’s an unusual word that derives from the French, meaning, straightforwardly, “without equal.”  Its use as the name of a kind of candy … Continue reading →

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Do Sports Build Character: Spectator Edition

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

December 23, 2011 Three economists at the University of Oregon have looked into the relationship between the success of a university’s athletics team and the academic performance of its students — those who do NOT play the sport, the spectators.  … Continue reading →

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