by David West | Oct 18, 2026 | News
The only difficulty I have with my word of the day series is choosing the word. So today I checked the news and saw that Trump has lifted sanctions on Russia that he had only just imposed. The word sanction is a fascinating example of a word that has developed two...
by David West | Oct 17, 2026 | News
Few words in the English language work quite as hard as mean. We use it to describe an average, an intention, a miserly disposition, a mathematical calculation, and even something nasty or unpleasant. Remarkably, these meanings arise from three distinct linguistic...
by David West | Oct 16, 2026 | News
The word sublime has travelled a fascinating linguistic journey, from the physical world of ancient Rome to the heights of artistic and philosophical expression. It derives from the Latin sublimis, meaning “lofty,” “elevated,” or “raised high.” Its precise etymology...
by David West | Oct 15, 2026 | News
Can it be true that attention to good grammar in our writing makes us glamorous? The Greek word graphein (γραʹφειν), to write, is the root of the word grammar. At first glance, the words glamour and grammar seem to have little in common. One conjures images of beauty,...
by David West | Oct 14, 2026 | News
I recently posted about Book 7. I will be publishing Book 5 of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures, Serpent’s Teeth, on the 1st of November. Book 6, Cade’s Point, is awaiting Claire’s scrutiny, and I have just written the first scene of Book 7, working title –...
