Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

There's a syndicated newspaper puzzle called "Wordy Gurdy" that's been around for almost 50 years. It involves rhyming phrases like "history mystery" and "charity rarity." It's made now by Mark Danna, who celebrated his 30th anniversary with the puzzle last week. So today I thought I'd do some "wordy gurdys." Every answer is a rhyming two-word phrase, like "history mystery," in which each word has three syllables.   1. How-to guide that comes out once a year   2. One who totes around an object that blocks passage   3. Eyeglass that's shaped like a dunce cap   4. Better-looking guy who pays a kidnapper   5. Sweepstakes for some earthenware   6. Some garden flowers from the capital of Austria         <Answer Keys> a   1.   annual manual      2.   barrier carrier      3.   conical monocle      4.   handsomer ransomer ...

I'm going to give you clues for two words or phrases. Add the letters A-T consecutively somewhere inside the first word to get the second one.   Ex. Experience again / Aunt or uncle --> RELIVE, RELATIVE     1. Play, as a guitar / Layer of rock   2. Hunter constellation / Grand speech   3. Pierce slightly, as with a needle / Saint celebrated on March 17   4. Spanish mister / Certain legislator   5. Piece of furniture to sit in / Certain allergen (2 wds.)   6. Comedian Ellen / Sinks in quality   7. Organs that smell / What "Standing room only" means (2 wds.)   8. [add AT twice consecutively inside the first word to get the second one:] Shaped like a dunce cap, geometrically / In an immobile or unresponsive stupor   Answer Keys     1.   strum, str at um     2.   Orion, or at ion     3.   prick, P at rick     4.   senor, sen ...

American English vs. British English Are you a proficient English speaker? Which English are you more familiar with: American English or British English? Today, let us go over some differences between the two. Can you fill in the following blanks?       1.   The party before getting married In the UK, the word bachelorette (a combination of the word bachelor and the feminine noun suffix -ette) for an unmarried young woman is less commonly used than it is in the US and Canada. So, a bachelorette party in the UK is instead referred to as a ______________party. Interestingly, unmarried UK men must also be party animals because the term ________________ party is more commonly used there than bachelor party.       2.   The name of a board game The American and Canadian name for the game of checkers seems to be based on the checkerboard surface the game is played on. In the UK, the game is instead known as _______________________after a pl...

February comes from the Latin word februa , which means “to cleanse”. The month was named after the Roman Februalia , which was a monthlong festival of purification and atonement. Fill in the following blanks.    A.__________     ___________ - also known as Shrove Tuesday – will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Do you know the meaning of B._________   __________ and why it is celebrated? From its origins as a spring fertility rite to the masked balls of medieval Italy to today’s Carnival festivities, learn about this fascinating holiday. This takes place annually on the Tuesday before C.____________ Wednesday – the beginning of the Christian observance of Lent, which lasts about six weeks and ends just before Easter. This means that D._________    _________ is a moveable holiday that can take place in either February or March.   In French language, E.__________   __________ means fat Tuesday. This name comes from the tradi...