The AnswerBank Articles

White wedding

Q. What is it with wedding anniversaries A. The practice of giving successive wedding anniversaries special names has been with us for quite some time. The idea is that the name designates the type00:00 Mon 09th Jul 2001

What's Welsh for Zen

Q. Ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg A. If so, you have access to one of the oldest living languages in Europe, and certainly the one with the longest continuous history on the island of Great Britain,00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

Hey Joe: How do we use the name 'Joe' in sayings

Q. Joe Public Why Joe A. Good question. Although Joseph has always been a popular name, it's never had the the same degree of ubiqitty in the English-speaking world as John or William. John, Jack00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

McNonsense TM: What's the McEmpire up to now

A. Yes, they've McDone it again. The corporate bigwigs of the New World Order, McDonald's Department, have listed 131 words and phrases to which they claim ownership. From 'did somebody say' to 'when00:00 Mon 02nd Jul 2001

Why is the word abbreviate so long

A. There's no reason why words should necessarily reflect in some way the concept they express. Unless, of course, like whistle or splash, a word is an onomatopoeia - something onomatopoeia is not in00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

Red sky at night...

... shepherd's delight A. ...Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning We've all heard this rhyme, and we in Britain are, it seems, obsessed with the weather. How many times have you heard the same00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

What's the difference between a first cousin, once removed and a second cousin

A. A perennial problem this, as almost no-one seems to know how these relationships work. So, here goes: Second cousin = your great-aunt's/uncle's grand-child First cousin, once removed = your first00:00 Mon 25th Jun 2001

I'm looking for as many ways of saying 'Cheers' around the world as I can collect - can anyone help

asks Allan A. Here's a few to get you started... A votre sant ! - Belgium, France Chokdee! - Thailand Geluk! - South Africa Gezondheid! - Belgium G zuar! - Albania Gun-bei! - China Iechyd da! Wales00:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

I know that 'All that glitters is not gold' is a common misquote: are there others we use all the time

asks archiemac:A. Yes, it should be, 'All that glisters is not gold' from The Merchant of Venice, which sounds much nicer, anyway. Misquotations are so common and well-established that correcting them00:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

Any good examples of a pangram

asks Modge: A. A pangram is a sentence or phrase which contains every letter of the alphabet. It comes from the Greek for 'all' and 'letters'. Q. Surely that's not too difficult to do A. Not if it's00:00 Mon 18th Jun 2001

Where does the prase 'Bob's your uncle' meaning very quickly come from

asks Globalcanuck A. This phrase is said to have come about following the controversial and unexpected appointment of Arthur Balfour in 1887 to secretary of State for Ireland. He was given this00:00 Thu 07th Jun 2001

Want to know more about tongue twisters

Q. Tongue tied A. Tongue twisters are a form of entertainment designed around the simple fact that languages are hard. Q. How did tongue twisters develop A. Unlike the latest lab-tested consumer00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Why do we talk 'nineteen to the dozen'

A. A very literal saying: using nineteen words where twelve will do. So, speaking fast or endlessly (or both). There doesn't seem to be any particular reason why nineteen should have been chosen, but00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Is there such a thing as Canadian English

A. Those North Americans south of the 48th parallel stereotype Canadian speech by adding 'eh ' at the end of every sentence, and it is true that citizens of the USA and Anglophone Canada - don't00:00 Mon 04th Jun 2001

Cockney Rhyming Slang

Q. What are the origins of Cockney Rhyming Slang A. Cockney Rhyming Slang evolved in the East End of London. This area, so-called Cockney London, was once defined as being that which was 'within the00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

Who or what is the Curse of Scotland

A. The first mention of the phrase in a book was in the early 18th century, and it referred to Lord Justice Clerk Ormistone, who at the time had become a hate-figure in Scotland. Apparently, when the00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

Cakes in sayings

Q. What's the origin of 'having one's cake and eating it' A. Usually a negative expression - so NOT having one's cake and eating it - it, as we all know, means that you can't have two good things at00:00 Mon 28th May 2001

What is a cryptic crossword

A. A cryptic crossword puzzle is one in which each clue is a little puzzle in itself, as distinct from the more straightforward question-and-answer crosswords. Crosswords were invented in Britain in00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

Who are the great 'nonsense poets'

And why a runcible spoon A. Why not It's from The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, a (semi-)nonsense poem, and made-up words as well as fantastic situations and characters are an essential00:00 Mon 21st May 2001

How did America get its name

A. It was named after - though not by - the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451 or 1454-1512). Vespucci sailed a number of times to what was then known as the Indies under both the Spanish and00:00 Mon 21st May 2001