ETYMOLOGY: FROM PHONY TO FAWNEY TO FANNY PART 2
MAYBE THE words phony and fawney are related to the word “fanny”? With regard to fanny, though, be forewarned: This word has two distinct meanings, one English and the other … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: FROM PHONY TO FAWNEY TO FANNY PART 1
THERE ARE times when etymological searches take unexpected turns: I started off with “phony,” certainly an appropriate entry in my Etymology for our Times (EfoT) series. This led, in a … Continue reading
VPS (VIKING POSITIONING SYSTEM) PART 2
MEDIEVAL VIKINGS sailed much of their known world, and even portions of that still unknown, with practical navigation. Yesterday, we learned from an article in The New York Times, April … Continue reading
VPS (VIKING POSITIONING SYSTEM) PART 1
FISH DO it, bees do it. Even medieval Vikings do it: namely, use polarized light to navigate. Navigation skills in the animal kingdom have been recognized for awhile. I just … Continue reading
YOU VOTE, GRRL!
THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of victory for British suffragettes is celebrated in the February 2018 issue of BBC History, though the magazine notes that this victory was a nuanced one. To … Continue reading
TROOPS (AND PLANES) TO THE BORDER PART 2
YESTERDAY WE left U.S Army General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing and Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa poised for interaction in a border squabble. Today, we see how aeroplanes played a … Continue reading
TROOPS (AND PLANES) TO THE BORDER PART 1
“A STORY as timely as today’s headlines,” it has been said. However, this story about the United States versus Mexico took place 100 years ago. The tale involves a U.S. … Continue reading
SCIENTIFIC HUZZAHS!
THERE ARE times when I delight in celebrating multifold aspects of science. Here are three examples appearing in Science magazine, published weekly by the American Association for the Advancement of … Continue reading
CLEARING THE MPG AIR, IF NOT THE AIR ITSELF PART 2
OUR DISCUSSION of the Trump administration’s proposed backpedaling on existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards started here yesterday in Part 1. Today, we touch on states’ rights, international implications, returns … Continue reading
CLEARING THE MPG AIR, IF NOT THE AIR ITSELF PART 1
CORPORATE AVERAGE Fuel Economy (CAFE) has the news all agog with the Trump administration undoing yet another Obama administration action, this one involving fuel economy and emissions of new cars … Continue reading
