Have you ever had people enter your home on their own invitation? I’m not talking burglars. I’m talking about people who are “legally” entering your homes, walking around your private zones, such as your bedrooms, and basically see pretty much everything you own. Are you renting in the City of Lakewood, Washington? Then, it’s most […]
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Let’s Talk! – Call of the Wild
Have you settled in comfortably, all screens off, to ponder another prompt which Tyrean Martinsson’s book gives us for today? You might expect me to go for the obvious, Jack London’s novel The Call of the Wild, the story about a pampered dog that gets stolen, sold, abused, and freed, eventually to find out that […]
Across the Fence: Sitzfleisch
The German language has a lot more humorous expressions than most people credit the “people of the poets and philosophers” for. Here’s one of those that has made it into the English language in its abstract meaning: Sitzfleisch (pronounce: ‘zits-flie-sh). It literally means flesh to sit on and describes a specific human body part, namely […]
Let’s Talk! – Cliffs of Despair
There is a place in England west of Eastbourne. It is known as Beachy Head. It is part of the Seven Sisters, a cliff formation on the Channel coast. Beachy Head is also referred to as the “Cliffs of Despair” in Tom Hunt’s book of the same title (Tyrean Martinsson’s book has thrown me another […]
Across the Fence: Mannschaft
Looking into lists of Germanisms in the English language, I recently came across one that astonishes me and that I have never heard anybody use before. “Mannschaft (pronounce: ‘munn-shufft, meaning team) apparently refers to Germany’s national male soccer team whereas “Nationalelf” (pronounce: ‘nut-sea-o-naahl-elf, meaning national eleven) is the nickname for Germany’s national female soccer team. […]
Let’s Talk! – The Moment Before the Alarm Goes Off
It’s only shortly after one in the morning. Why am I awake already? It makes no sense at all. I still have another three hours till my iPhone’s melodious sound will do its work to rouse me from Morpheus’ arms. How lovely to know. How relaxing, right?! Ah, wishful thinking. I change my position in […]
Across the Fence: Bismuth
How do you feel about chemistry? I’m not talking about that between people but that of the periodic tables in your former classrooms. As uncomfortable as I do? I have to admit that I had to look this one up because I knew it was on that table but never had to deal with it. […]
Let’s Talk! – Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
“What’s wrong with gentle?” was my first thought upon reading today’s conversation prompt that popped up in my friend Tyrean Martinson’s book “A Pocket-Sized Jumble of 500 + Writing Prompts.” What context does this line come from? Though well-read, other than “Under Milkwood” and “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”, I can’t remember anything that I […]
Across the Fence: Gesundheit
What do you say when somebody sneezes? Some of you may say “God bless you”. Others will use the Germanism “Gesundheit!” (pronounce: ga-‘zoont-hite), which means health and is a kind wish on the sneezer. How this word made it into American English? Because of the vast numbers of German immigrants, of course. Don’t ask me […]