Welcome to my Desk, where you’ll find all sorts of items to hold your interest. Unlike my real office desk, which is cluttered with books, files, news cuttings and the remnants of my lunch, this Online Desk will be efficient and easy to navigate.
Learn some of the tricks of solving those weird cryptic crosswords on my tutorials page.
If you wonder about the origins of some of our wonderful English expressions, Words & Phrases is the place to find out more.
Read about the puzzling but positive effect Lovatts has on your health in Puzzles & your Health. We’d love to hear from you, so write a letter to Christine’s Mailbag. You might want to comment on my regular column @ Christine’s Hello.
There’s something for everyone here, so come on in!
Latest Posts
Christmas Then and Now
Back in the 4th century, Christmas began as a religious celebration to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Nowadays we expect Christmas Day to come without any fuss, and everybody aims to have a joyful but fairly normal day. If you have ever suffered from the stress of buying gifts, writing cards, Christmas cooking, or the gut-wrenching decision of which in-laws to [more…]
Against the Grain
Keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel. Both these expressions, meaning to work hard, come from the flour-milling trade, an activity we’re no longer as familiar with.
In the past however, the miller was the third most important person in the village, after the lord of the manor and the priest. Without a mill, the villagers would [more…]
A Positive Attitude
The English language has many words for that sparkly, spirited attitude to life, which have been adopted from various languages.
Panache was originally a French term for a tuft of feathers on a helmet and now means flamboyance.
Pizzazz, meaning glamour or vitality, is of unknown origin. Some describe it as ‘an indefinable dynamic quality’.
Brio is vivacity, from Italian, and probably came into [more…]
Good Day & Other Greetings
As regular readers would know, I usually start my columns with ‘Hello!’, which is a much newer word than you might think.
It first came into use because of the telephone. The first telephone call was made in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell, who wanted to use the word ‘ahoy’ as the telephone greeting. ‘Ahoy’ was originally a Viking battle cry, so [more…]
Who is William Shakespeare?
Considered to be the greatest writer of the English language and the most well-known dramatist in the world, William Shakespeare was born over 450 years ago, and lived to the age of 52. Celebrations are planned around the world to remember the great man known as the Bard.
He must be the most quoted writer in the history of the English-speaking world [more…]
Writing For Wellness
I’ve often said that one of the best parts of my job is reading your letters and you tell me how much you enjoy reading other puzzlers’ letters. Your feedback (both positive and negative) helps me to maintain and improve the quality of our puzzle magazines.
But on a personal level and just as importantly, your letters allow me to get to [more…]