The Writer's Thesaurus
By Dr Oliver Tearle
What does the word ‘sinister’ have to do with being left-handed? And what was the meaning of the word ‘ambidextrous’ when it was first coined? And what do these two questions have to do with each other? Let’s take a closer look at the interesting origins of the word ‘sinister’. Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Word ‘Sinister’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
‘A Robin Redbreast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage.’ This couplet constitutes the other most famous quotation from ‘Auguries of Innocence’ after ‘To see the world in a grain of sand’. But what is the meaning of this quotation? Continue reading “The Meaning of Blake’s ‘A Robin Redbreast in a Cage’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
Where did the word ‘homosexual’ originate? It’s a surprisingly recent coinage, and dates from the second half of the nineteenth century, with a Victorian poet and critic being the first person to use the word in English. Let’s take a closer look at the etymology of ‘homosexual’, and learn what the word has in common with ‘television’, ‘petroleum’, and ‘automobile’. Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Word ‘Homosexual’”