Face Photos from Readers
Thanks to John Whitman for this slightly dismayed face from downtown Ottawa.
This space is available for other submissions.
Photo Memory of the Week
Posted: 2025 Apr 04
Tag Archives: Word Play
Open Sesame?
Waiting in line at a border crossing, I am reminded of, and inspired by, a classical scene from a classic fantasy novel: The Lord of the Rings. Continue reading
The Truth About the “Making Up New Words” Contest
Boration, n., uninteresting and usually lengthy speechifying; also borator, for one so engaged Borate, vt., the act of boring someone through uninteresting and lengthy speechifying; as in, “I don’t know what Joe was thinking. He borated the entire conference. They’ll … Continue reading
Articulation, Vocalization, Localization
A shout of laughter goes up from the auditorium of junior-high-school students, assembled to watch The Great Imposter. The movie starring Tony Curtis is in one of its few set-in-Canada scenes. On this last day of school before Christmas break, … Continue reading
What Do You Mean by That?
Razor sharp after a midnight departure from Vancouver and 15 hours in the air, I squint again at Question 9. The series of 11 questions had started with a seemingly innocuous lead-in: “Are you bringing into Australia . . . … Continue reading
#hashtag
In the eternal-now and never-live-it-down that is the internet, you can see the interaction again and again. What’s more appropriate here than a spoiler alert is a patience-needed alert. Gibbs’ artless question doesn’t come until the 27-second mark of the … Continue reading
Life Is
Life is a bucket brigade: Don’t slop the bucket when it’s your turn. What’s that you say? You’ve never heard that metaphor for life before? You wonder if I made it up? Well, OK. I understand your skepticism. What else? … Continue reading
Doors of Few Words
Washroom or restroom doors might not be the most appropriate venue for concise communication. In some places, clarity trumps all. Shopping for hiking gear at a large huntin’ and fishin’ supply store, I am interrupted, appropriately enough, by nature’s call. … Continue reading
Days of Mateus and Macaroni
A little old lady asks where pasta came from, opening a window into a whole world of food diversification in the last 20 years. Where did pasta come from? I’m puzzled. The speaker, a little old white-haired lady I’ve known … Continue reading
You’re Too Kind
Starting with the expression that “it takes all kinds,” I explore just how many kinds there are. It takes all kinds, or so I hear. Although it’s not when someone is being a fun, thoughtful, or salt-of-the-earth kind. No, … Continue reading