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
You, ye, ya’ll & youse
“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 a second person pronoun, the subject of [more…]
Valentine’s Day
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, after all, a many-splendored thing. All you [more…]
New Year New Words
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 foreign origin. Many basic words came from [more…]
New Year and New Things
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 we’ve borrowed, and make new resolutions to [more…]
Christmas Celebrations
In the wake of what has been an unprecedented year, for many of us Christmas is shaping up to look a little different than what we’re used to. With lockdown provisions still a reality for some and social distancing measures encouraged, feeling a sense of connection and harmony with the people around us has perhaps never been trickier.
In the face of [more…]
Santa Claus Abroad
As the year begins to draw to a close and Christmas and New Year approach, it’s a good time to explore how people around the world celebrate.
Did you know that while all countries that celebrate Christmas have Christmas trees, they’re not always fir? Sometimes fig or palm trees are decorated and lit. Nativity scenes are popular inclusions in home decorations, people [more…]