Latest News, Blog and Editorial

Why do we give nicknames?

Hello!

There are various reasons why forenames are shortened.

Sometimes a five-syllable name such as Alexandria or Maximilian is considered too long.
You might not like your given name but prefer the shorter version.
There might be two or more people in your class or workplace with the same name, or
You may just want [more…]

Subscriber Sweepstake 23

Congratulations to the latest winners in our Lovatts Subscriber Sweepstake!

These lucky subscribers have shared in over $1000 worth of prizes!
KitchenAid Artisan KSM150 Stand Mixer – Ms Marion Ingram, Bacchus Marsh VIC.
Breville Toast & Melt 4 Slice Sandwich Press – Margaret Sheridan, Ferntree Gully VIC.
Fitbit Inspire – Mrs Mary Carlton, Gordonvale QLD.
Base Collective Magnesium Wellness [more…]

The most complex machine on earth

Hello!

The expression ‘plastic brain’ doesn’t mean your brain is made of a cheap, disposable material. Plasticity means the quality of being easily moulded, and scientists have discovered that the human brain has this capacity, to change continuously. It can modify its connections and rewire itself, at any age, for better or worse.

Scientists agree [more…]

Lovatts go pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Hello!

Unfortunately, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and it is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia. The good news is that research and early detection have been demonstrated to increase the chances of a more positive outcome.

To show our support during Breast Cancer Awareness month, Lovatts [more…]

Where do mermaids come from?

Hello!

Having three little granddaughters, I’m familiar with the favourite topics that little girls are into these days – rainbows, unicorns and mermaids. In fact it’s hard to buy a T-shirt for a toddler that doesn’t have one of these three depicted on the front – or dinosaurs, superheroes and trucks for boys (I have [more…]

Indigenous languages’ contribution to English

Cooee!

2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages and a good time to look at the contribution made to our vocabulary by the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander languages of Australia. There are all the words you might expect, such as budgerigar, koala, billabong, corroboree, bombora, woomera, yabby, boomerang, kookaburra, dingo and currawong. However, [more…]

Words for Family Members

Have you noticed that we have the word orphan for a child whose parents have died, and widow or widower for a person whose spouse has died, but no word for a parent whose child has died? Author Jen Hutchison would like the word motherling to be used for a mother who has lost [more…]

Traitors, treachery and treason

Traitors sometimes pop up in our crossword clues, highlighting the fact that history is full of tales of treason. In some cases, the names of traitors have become words to describe a person who acts treacherously.

The most famous traitor is probably the biblical disciple Judas Iscariot, who indicated Jesus’ identity to the Temple guards [more…]

The left handed life

All left-handed people are evil, worthless, mysterious and bring bad luck. At least, that’s what they used to think in former days. The Latin word for left is ‘sinister’, which has only come to mean evil or treacherous because of its leftist leanings.The old Saxon word for left was ‘lyft’ which also meant worthless. [more…]