Why does the phrase Swan Song mean a farewell or goodbye?
The phrase Swan Song refers to ancient legend.
It was thought that the swan, silent throughout its life, sang aloud in its final minutes.
Similar Posts
How did the word Ain’t become unacceptable in the English Language?
The use of Ain’t as a substitute for am not or are not dates back to the reign of King Charles II, about 300 years. It is unclear how or why it became unacceptable in the English Language.
Where did the phrase to eat Humble Pie originate?
In the eighteenth century, the best meat of any meal went to the men of the house and their friends. The women and children ate the umbles, the tongue and entrails, baked in an umble pie. In time, the dish went out of fashion, but the phrase took on a new life that it still…
Should you say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” or “as we forgive them who trespass against us”?
Say it whichever way you like. The pronouns those and them are both correctly used as objects in this passage.
How did the term Minutes of a meeting originate?
Rather than measuring the time that passes during a meeting, the word minutes refers to the Latin minutus, or “small.” This is because the occurrences of the meeting are meant to be noted shortly and quickly, not that the events themselves are unimportant.
Is gaga the short form for a longer word?
Probably not. In French, gaga means a silly old man, and the meaning may simply have been modified. However, some think it is short for artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), who, it is said, revealed mental imbalance in his work.
Is it permissible to split infinitives?
It depends on whom you ask. Some editors will still change “to boldly go where no man has gone before” to “to go boldly . . .” But other pundits now consider the taboo against split infinitives all but passé. The taboo was introduced by eighteenth and nineteenth-century grammarians for unknown reasons.