10 English words with surprising etymology

The practice of etymology is uncovering the truth by tracing the root of a word. Find out some surprising word origins.

20 October 2021 by Laura Kelly

Feminist placards: the language of protest

Banners have a way of bringing together feminists from all walks of life. We’ll look at a handful of these and examine the power of their feminist language.

8 September 2021 by Laura Kelly

Pandemic clichés and how to avoid them

We’ll explore how pandemic clichés become so prevalent and why you should do your best to avoid them. Then we’ll highlight some useful alternatives.

25 August 2021 by Laura Kelly

10 British English phrases

There are some phrases in British English which anyone who didn’t grow up in the UK would struggle to understand. We’ll outline a handful of these and explain their meanings and origins. 

6 August 2021 by Laura Kelly

Successful authors who started late

To inspire you, we’ve collated key authors who found writing success later in life. It’s never too late to write your magnum opus. 

8 July 2021 by Laura Kelly

Italian words that English really needs

Italian rolls off the tongue and there are many fascinating words that aren’t directly translatable into English. Here are some of our favourites. 

23 June 2021 by Laura Kelly

Writing tips from authors who didn’t mince words

Some writers didn't mince words when it came to advice. We'll highlight lesser-known quotes by writers who told it like it is.

7 May 2021 by Laura Kelly

A very Victorian guide to letter writing

Writing letters is becoming a lost art. But, in an era of “Zoom fatigue”  and “doomscrolling”, receiving correspondence away from the screen can be a real delight. Why not learn from those who did it best? 

17 February 2021 by Laura Kelly

The science of swearing

Why do we swear? We’ll outline some of the science behind swearing. Read until the end to find out how cursing could actually be good for you.

5 February 2021 by Laura Kelly

Forgotten festive English words we need to use this season

As a gift to our fellow word nerds, we’ve compiled some amazing and little-known festive English words. 

16 December 2020 by Laura Kelly

Readable grammar 101: semicolons

The semicolon is a commonly misunderstood punctuation mark. Find out its purpose, appropriateness and how to best use it.  

8 September 2020 by Laura Kelly

Readable grammar 101: That VS Which

Confusing the words ‘that’ and ‘which’ is a common grammar mistake. This is because they can both be used as relative pronouns. Find out how to use both.

2 April 2020 by Laura Kelly