Tragedy is from the Greek word tragoidia meaning ‘goat-song’. Hmm, sounds a bit strange but in ancient Greece, groups of men joined together in a chorus to sing poetry, wearing goat-skins. The chorus would tell a story in song, and one man would separate from the chorus to argue against the story – and [more…]
From April Fools’ Day to Earth Day and Easter to Ramadan, there are several important dates and anniversaries commemorated in April all over the world.
Did you know that the ancient Romans called April Aprilis, from the verb aperire meaning “to open”? This is thought to allude to April being a season of Spring in the northern hemisphere, [more…]
Since his first appearance in Lewis Carrol’s classic Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, the March Hare has become a well-recognised and much loved literary figure. A wacky co-host of the tea party that Alice stumbles across, fond of nonsense, jokes, and puns, the March Hare is just one character that reflects the zany madness of [more…]
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8 to recognise women for their achievements, to both highlight and work towards addressing barriers that continue to perpetuate gender inequality, and to reflect on the progress that has been made.
The very first International Women’s Day was held on March 19th, 1911, born from [more…]
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You” – Dr Seuss. One of the most important words we use in conversation is ‘you’. It exists in several different forms and acts in different roles in languages from all over the globe – as [more…]
Happy Valentine’s Day puzzle lovers!
If there’s one topic that has inspired writers, artists, poets, and wordsmiths across cultures for generations, it’s love. From first love to last love, romantic to platonic, unrequited love to love that is returned, the love shared between friends, family members, and spouses – love is all around. It is, [more…]
CONGRATULATIONS to the latest winners in our Lovatts Subscriber Sweepstake!
These lucky subscribers have shared in £250 worth of prizes!
Tiffany & Co Perfume – V Hawkes, Bury St Edmunds
Ezoware Spice Rack – J White, Sutton-in-Ashfield
Russel Hobbs Kettle – E Mitchell, Aberdeen
Procook Casserole Dish – J Marchbank, Wallasey
The Sweepstake is our way of saying thank you [more…]
The arrival of the New Year provides us an excellent excuse to explore some of the newest words and concepts that have been added to the English language from our everyday vernacular – from deepfake and fan art to WFH and PPE.
Most of the words we use in the English language today are of [more…]
What does the New Year mean to you? Some people promise themselves they’ll lose those extra kilos, or tackle that pile of junk in the shed…
For thousands of years, it’s been traditional to see the New Year as a chance to start over. To wipe the slate clean, forgive enemies, give back the tools [more…]
