Tag Archives: word choices

Do You Know These Words and Phrases?

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Regina Jeffers

Inexpressibles ~ Etymology Compare to unmentionables ‎(“underwear”). Geri Walton at her Unique Histories from the 18th and 19th Centuries tells us “That part of the dress which it is now unlawful to name, seems of old to have had the … Continue reading →

Posted in vocabulary, word origins, word play | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Are You Familiar With These Words and Phrases?

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Spillikin ~ The Oxford Living Dictionaries gives us: [treated as singular] A game played with a heap of small rods of wood, bone, or plastic, in which players try to remove one at a time without disturbing the others, while Wikitionary … Continue reading →

Posted in etymology, language choices, Pop Culture, tall tales, vocabulary, word origins | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“X” Does Not Always Mark the Spot

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Recently, I spent a delightful morning counting words in Pride and Prejudice. Why? You may ask: Regina, do you not have enough to do with your retirement years than to sit around counting how many times Jane Austen used the word … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, writing | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Do You Know These Words and Phrases?

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Dead as a Doornail. The “doornail” is the plate or knocker upon which the hammer of a door knocker strikes. Phrases.org gives us this explanation on the origin of the phrase. In 1350,  William Langland used the phrase in a translation … Continue reading →

Posted in language choices, vocabulary, word choices, word origins, writing | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

From Where Does That Phrase Come?

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Catch Word is a word under the right-hand side of the last line on a book page that repeats the first word on the following page – circa 1736. It was commonly used in printing. The phrase has come into … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Great Britain, real life tales, word play | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Word Origins? Are These Ones You’ve Used Incorrectly?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

We had some great discussions on Facebook over the last patch of words I included in a post on word origins. Let us see if you find any of these appealing? Escort – This is a late 16th Century word … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Normans, British history, Great Britain | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Word Origins? Are These Ones You’ve Used Incorrectly?

Writing Historical Fiction? Should You Use That Particular Word?

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

I admit it: I am a bit of a word geek. I am fascinated with how words came into the English language. Some words make sense in their derivation, and others not so much so. Below are some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Regency era, word origins | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Precision in Language Choices

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Precision in Language Choices Choosing the precise word or phrase remains a challenge for all authors, whether they write professionally or for their own pleasure. The majority of those who make a living from writing have knowledge of words they … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Lovely World of the English Language: Do You Know the Origin of These Words and Phrases?

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Nodcock ~ From the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), this is one of many words meaning “fool or idiot” It dates back to the 1500’s. Synonyms include “noddypoop, noddypoll, and niddicock.” [I wish I had known this word when a gentleman told me I … Continue reading →

Posted in etymology | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments