Hello, holiday season. A friend of mine who works for a California winery provided this month’s blog post. Thank you, Rob! “Harvest is in full swing in California Wine Country.  Most folks don’t realize, Harvest begins in August of each Year!  This is when Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are harvested at lower Brix (sugar level)…

Interesting that the word “hot” has many positive meanings: “trendy,” as in the latest, greatest fashion or places to go; positive personal looks, as in “you look hot;” and being passionate, enthusiastic, or eager, as in being hot to do something. It also has a negative connotation to mean that someone is upset or angry…

More animal expressions?? YES! You all keep sending more animal expressions (thank you to Teresa and Billy B), plus I keep seeing more, so . . . Part III 😊 I understand the “when pigs fly” (not going to happen, yes?) or when something “bugs” me (annoying, like those Florida mosquitoes), but here are some…

Apparently, there are a LOT of expressions using animals, considering all of the comments to my May post! Here are more, plus answers to some of the previous ‘what does that mean’ animal expressions – monkey wrench, the “kitty,” and “don’t let the cat out of the bag.” Read on for (Internet) explanations! Monkey wrench…

Or “buena suerte,” as some of my friends would say. The most commonly celebrated holiday in March is St. Patrick’s Day, often represented by something lucky – the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the leprechaun who brings luck, etc. Which made me think about the word, “luck.” Some Internet research shows…

Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English) Is February (Valentine’s Day) the month for candy? Or is it October (Halloween)? Or is every month, the month for candy? 😏 One chart I reviewed showed that just before Halloween was the busiest week for candy sales, followed by just before Christmas. The week before Valentine’s…

Ever been that child who has fingers crossed, hoping that Santa will bring the wished-for gift? I have used this gesture more in 2022 than I ever remember – hoping a student will pass her citizenship test, hoping my plane flight will not be canceled . . . Hoping a LOT of things. The gesture…

I think of November as the Thanksgiving month when people get together, so I thought it would be fitting to publish this post about expressions with two words that are joined by “and.” Some of these words are opposites and some of the words have similar meanings. Here are the ones I thought about. Let…