Wand At The Ready! These Magic Words Will Cast A Spell On You

Hocus pocus, abracadabra, alakazam! These are the words we invoke when magic is at work—even if it might just be a card trick at home. While a few of these words and phrases have wholly crossed over into entertainment magic or originated there from the start (e.g., presto change-o), some of these words are rooted in older commands that called upon higher powers to influence the material world.

Whether called hexes, hymns, prayers, or simply spells, the words we invoke to communicate with a greater power to work our will all require an intangible force that can be universally described as magic. Take a look and decide for yourself if magic is real or if it’s just a bunch of hocus-pocus.

abracadabra
Perhaps one of the oldest and most recognized magical phrases, abracadabra has been around since the second century BCE and has famously appeared in the Harry Potter series. Its origins are contested as scholars posit that abracadabra emerged from Late Latin or Late Greek, reflecting the recitation of the initial letters of the alphabet (abecedary); others hypothesize that it could related to the Hebrew Ha brakha dabra, which translates as, “The blessing has spoken.” We do understand it as a word generally meant to invoke magical power. Abracadabra is classified as a reductive spell, which means it would have been written out as a complete word on the first line, then with one letter missing on the next, then another letter removed on the following line, and so forth. The idea behind reductive spells is that by making the word shorter so would a pain or illness gradually diminish.

Recorded in English in the late 1600s, abracadabra is used in incantations, particularly as a magical means of warding off misfortune, harm, or illness, and for some, is used as a nonsense word, implying gibberish in place of supposedly magical words.

alakazam
Often used as the finale word in the presentation of a grand stage illusion, alakazam is intoned as a powerful command.

While the origins of the word are unknown, according to Magic Words: A Dictionary, alakazam may have ties to a similar-sounding Arabic phrase, Al Qasam, which means “oath.” Therefore, a conjuror invoking alakazam may be calling back to a promise made by a superior being to help complete the miraculous feat they are presenting.

One of the earliest printings of alakazam in an English text is the poem “Among the White Tents,” first published in the Chicago Herald Tribune in 1888. While the poem uses alakazam in the context of entertainment and as an excited expression (“We’re goin’ to de cirkis! / Alakazam!”) there is oddly no connection to magic.

hocus-pocus
Immortalized in a ’90s cult classic family film, hocus pocus may be both invoked as an incantation and might also be used to refer to an act of trickery. For instance, one who is dismissive of fortunetelling might call the act of reading tarot cards “a bunch of hocus pocus.”

First recorded in the 1660s, hocus pocus is likely a corruption of the Latin phrase used in Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum (“here is my body”).

voilà
Maybe you’ve seen a magician conclude an amazing feat with this little phrase. She’ll flourish a sheet over a table and voilà, where there was no one a second ago, her whole assistant will appear!

First recorded in English between 1825–35, voilà is used as an expression of success or satisfaction, typically to give the impression that the achievement happened quickly or easily. Combined from the French words voi (“see”) and là (“there”), voilà is used to direct attention during performance magic.

open sesame
First recorded in English in the late 1700s, open sesame comes from Antoine Galland’s translation of One Thousand and One Nights. These are the magic words Ali Baba speaks to open the door of the den of the 40 thieves.

Perhaps one of the greatest magical commands to survive from folklore, open sesame today may be used as a noun to refer to a very successful means of achieving a result. For instance, you might say an MBA is the open sesame to landing a competitive job in finance.

sim sala bim
These magic words were made popular by the famous professional magician Harry August Jansen (1883–1955), also known as The Great Jansen or Dante, who used sim sala bim as the name of his touring magic show. Jansen was born in Denmark and immigrated to Minnesota with his family at age 6. Jansen used sim sala bim at the end in his show, saying the words meant, “A thousand thanks.” (They are actually nonsense syllables from a Danish nursery rhyme.) He would tell the crowd that the larger the applause, the bigger the bow, and the more thanks that the sim sala bim symbolized.

mojo
While mojo can apply to the magic influence of a charm or amulet (usually positive), the term can also refer to the influence or charm an individual can have on the people around them. A popular Muddy Waters song, “Got My Mojo Workin’,” alludes to the degree to which the singer is able to charm the women he encounters. Mojo is less of a spell and more specifically an aura of power. An Americanism first recorded between 1925–30, it is believed to draw from the West African Gullah word moco, which means, “witchcraft.” It is probably connected to Fulani moco’o, or “medicine man.”

calamaris
Similar to abracadabra in popularity and structure, calamaris is the word that Scandinavians would invoke to heal a fever. Also like abracadabra, this word was a reductive spell, meaning the full word would be written down on one line, then each successive line would have one letter removed.

miertr
In ye olden times, having a decent hunt to provide for one’s family was critical. The incantation of miertr was spoken aloud as one walked backward and then left the house. After reaching the forest to hunt, the spellcaster was advised to take three clumps of dirt from beneath the left foot and throw them overhead without looking. This will allow an individual to advance without making any noise and capture birds and animals. Definitely a process, but hopefully it led to some successful hunting.

micrato, raepy sathonich
One of the most iconic scenes in the Bible’s Old Testament is Exodus 7:8-13, which tells of Moses and his brother Aaron as they go before Pharaoh and are challenged to perform a miracle as a sign of their god. When Aaron throws down his staff, it transforms into a snake that consumes the snakes conjured by Pharaoh’s own advisors and sorcerers. According to the Semiphoras and Schemhamphorash, an occult text published in German by Andreas Luppius in 1686, micrato, raepy sathonich were the opening words Moses spoke before changing his staff into a serpent.

daimon
A variant of the word daemon, daimon [ dahy-mohn ] appears in some Greek charms and holds the meaning of a “god, deity, soul of a dead person, or genie.” In this context, it does not necessarily correspond with the Christian interpretation of a demon—it is more akin to a spirit. This word might be used in a spell to summon a daimon attendant, who would then assist the conjurer in executing a specific task. Though new practitioners should be forewarned, summoning daimons are for more experienced magic practitioners and should always be handled with care. Daimon comes from Middle English and can ultimately be traced to the Greek daimónion, meaning “thing of divine nature.”

INRI
Those who can recall their days in Catholic school know INRI are the initials typically depicted on the crucifix and represent Jesus’ title (Iēsūs Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum). But long ago, INRI was also written on amulets and paper to offer cures to afflictions. For instance, to stop a fever, a person might eat a piece of paper with the initials written on it, or, to stop blood loss, INRI would be written in blood on a piece of paper that was then pressed to the forehead. It’s even been stamped on stable doors to ward off the evil eye.

grimoire
We’ve got two more interesting terms for good measure. Unlike the others on this list, a grimoire is not a magical spell. Described as a “textbook of sorcery and magic,” a grimoire [ greem-wahr ] is a must-have for any would-be spellcaster. First recorded in the 1800s, this word likely arose from the French grammaire (“grammar”). Essentially, this origin word refers to a textbook and/or a set of rules to be applied to the text. For a book that has the potential to summon other beings (for better or worse) and carry out supernatural feats, any student of that book had best be willing to follow those rules to the letter!

caracteres
The unique word caracteres refers to symbols written on bits of parchment or amulets. They were used as a way of encoding powerful spells to keep them from being repeated by someone who may not be aware of their potency or seek to abuse their power. Because of this general barrier to entry, caracteres also demanded the potential conjurors devote time to studying and learning how to correctly interpret the encrypted incantations.

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Highlight Words In Action : September 2025

acrimony noun: sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, disposition, etc.

From the headlines: European trade ministers gathered on July 14 to discuss the new U.S. tariffs, aiming to ease the acrimony between the EU and the Trump administration. While they planned potential countermeasures against the 30 percent tariffs, which they deemed “unacceptable,” they were united in favor of pursuing a negotiated agreement with the U.S. to maintain stable trade ties.

adamant
adjective: utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.

From the headlines: Mars, the maker of M&M’s, Skittles, and other popular candies, remains adamant that it will only stop using synthetic dyes in its candy if legally required. While other food companies have announced plans to phase out artificial colors in items like Lucky Charms, Jell-O, and Kool-Aid, some candy manufacturers are holding firm. They argue that natural alternatives cost more and don’t deliver the same vibrant colors.

aerial
adjective: existing, living, growing, or operating in the air

From the headlines: On June 29, Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war in Ukraine, firing more missiles than in any previous attack since the beginning of the war in 2022. The strikes hit multiple Ukrainian cities, injuring at least a dozen people and damaging key infrastructure.

autonomous
adjective: existing as an independent entity

From the headlines: Robots competed in a fully autonomous soccer tournament in Beijing, with four teams of three humanoid robots each operating solely under AI control. Although the idea was innovative, the robots had trouble with basic actions like kicking and staying balanced. Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics team clinched the championship by scoring five goals in the final round.

bioluminescent
adjective: pertaining to the production of light by living organisms

From the headlines: A new research project will try to interpret the meaning of fireflies’ blinking. Scientists in Colorado enlisted the help of citizen observers to record videos of the bioluminescent insects at dusk. Researchers will eventually make a 3D map of where the glowing lights flash over time. While they know firefly blinks follow a deliberate pattern and are used to attract a mate, experts believe there is more to learn.

bodega
noun: a small, independent or family-owned grocery store, usually located in a densely populated urban environment

From the headlines: A recent crime spree in New York City has targeted bodega ATMs. Thefts of cash machines have increased over the past five years, and New York’s small corner stores have been hit particularly hard. Three people are suspected of stealing almost $600,000 over six months by breaking into independent convenience stores, removing their ATMs, and driving away with them in stolen cars.

contretemps
noun: an inopportune occurrence; an embarrassing mischance

From the headlines: After a contretemps between the Quebec Board of the French Language and Montreal’s transit agency, new rules grudgingly allow the use of the word “go” when cheering sports teams. The Board had objected to a Montreal Canadiens ad campaign that read “Go! Canadiens Go!” Tasked with preserving the province’s French heritage, the Board had been insisting on replacing the signs with “Allez! Canadiens Allez!”

decorum
noun: dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

From the headlines: La Scala has introduced a new dress code requiring attendees to “choose clothing in keeping with the decorum of the theatre.” The renowned Milan opera house is codifying its long-standing policy discouraging attire like flip-flops, shorts, and tank tops. Guests are now expected to dress with elegance, honoring both the opera house’s refined ambiance and its storied cultural legacy.

driftwood
noun: pieces of trees that are floating on a body of water or have been washed ashore

From the headlines: In rural Alaska, residents of some villages and small towns are continuing a long tradition by using driftwood for fuel and as energy-efficient siding for their homes. The pieces of wood, worn smooth by ocean waves or currents in rivers and streams, have been used this way by Indigenous Alaskans for thousands of years. Communities save money and protect the environment by reusing old trees or boards found floating in the water instead of buying lumber and logs.

eavesdrop
verb: to listen secretly to a private conversation

From the headlines: Ecologists have found that long-billed curlews and other grassland nesters routinely eavesdrop on prairie dogs to dodge predators. Sharing a habitat where hawks, eagles, foxes, and other Great Plains animals lurk, the birds capitalize on the rodents’ warning calls. After eavesdropping on these distinctive calls, the curlews and other birds crouch or camouflage themselves until the threat has passed.

emulate
verb: to imitate with effort to equal or surpass

From the headlines: Inspired by Paris’s recent success, cities across the globe are preparing to emulate its efforts to restore polluted urban rivers for public use. After a hundred-year swimming ban, Parisians can now take a dip in the once-contaminated Seine, thanks to more than a billion dollars spent on upgrades like sewer improvements and rainwater storage. Cities such as Berlin, Boston, New York, and London are developing similar plans to clean their waterways and make them safe for swimming once again.

estuary
noun: the part of the mouth or lower course of a river in which the river’s current meets the sea’s tide

From the headlines: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will ban oil drilling on the Apalachicola River. The river’s estuary is home to many endangered plants and animals, including the world’s largest stand of tupelo trees. The inlet is also the most important site in the state’s oyster industry. Environmentalists and fishermen supported the bill and pushed DeSantis to sign it.

Fun fact: A Latin word meaning “boiling of the sea” is the root of estuary.

gentrification
noun: the buying and renovation of property in urban neighborhoods in a way that often displaces low-income families and small businesses

From the headlines: Protesters in Mexico City say they’re angry about gentrification caused by large numbers of foreigners moving there since 2020. Locals say they have seen formerly affordable housing prices skyrocket as the numbers of short-term rentals and expats increase. Airbnb listings in the city have exploded to over 20,000, and Americans have arrived in particularly large numbers to buy and renovate houses. In the process, they say these factors have driven up costs for everyone, including local residents.

hedonism
noun: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good

From the headlines: Researchers say there are six traits that make someone seem “cool” to others, including extroversion, power, and embracing hedonism. An American Psychological Association study surveyed 6,000 people in 12 countries and found a sharp division between people seen as “good” versus “cool.” Being hedonistic, for example, didn’t make someone seem “good,” but focusing on one’s own happiness and pleasure was strongly associated with appearing “cool.”

kayak
verb: to travel by a traditional Inuit or Yupik canoe with a skin cover on a light framework, or by a small boat resembling this

From the headlines: Several dozen Native American teens who spent a month kayaking the length of the Klamath River reached their destination. The group paddled their long, narrow boats about 300 miles, from Oregon to California, to celebrate the removal of four dams. The waterway holds a deep significance to Native American tribes, and many of the teens learned to kayak specifically to participate in the long paddle.

larceny
noun: the wrongful taking of someone’s property or goods

From the headlines: Atlanta police have identified a suspect in the theft of hard drives holding unreleased Beyoncé songs. Setlists and plans for concert footage were also stolen when the alleged thief broke into a vehicle rented by the singer’s team. The larceny occurred during a stop on her Cowboy Carter tour.

linchpin
noun: something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together

From the headlines: The Department of Defense will stop supplying meteorologists with satellite data, which experts describe as a linchpin of storm modeling. Forecasts for hurricanes rely heavily on this military satellite feed to track storm paths and determine when people should evacuate.

matcha
noun: finely ground tea leaf powder used to make tea or as a flavoring, or the tea made from it

From the headlines: The worldwide demand for matcha is causing severe shortages and higher prices. The bright green, grassy-flavored, powdered tea has a long history in Japan, but its popularity in other countries has exploded in recent years. Drinks and baked goods made with matcha have become wildly popular, causing Japanese tea growers to struggle to keep up with the demand.

meteorite
noun: a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space

From the headlines: On July 16, a bidder paid $4.3 million to own a chunk of Mars. The rare Martian meteorite, which weighs about 54 pounds, is the largest meteor fragment ever found on Earth that’s known to come from the red planet. Out of approximately 77,000 confirmed meteorites, only 400 were originally part of Mars. This one, named NWA 16788, was found in the Sahara Desert after its 140-million-mile journey through space.

monastery
noun: a residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows

From the headlines: Tens of thousands of books are being removed from a medieval Hungarian monastery to save them from a beetle infestation. The Pannonhalma Archabbey contains Hungary’s oldest library and some of the country’s most ancient and valuable books and written records. The monastery was founded 1,000 years ago by Benedictines, and about fifty monks live there today, practicing religious contemplation and solitude.

nuptials
noun: a marriage ceremony, or a social event accompanying one

From the headlines: Protesters took to the streets in Venice as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez held their nuptials on a Venetian island, complete with 200 guests and three days of extravagant celebrations. Locals expressed outrage, saying the event placed additional strain on a city already struggling with overtourism and environmental fragility.

offering
noun: something presented to a deity as a symbol of devotion

From the headlines: Archaeologists discovered about 2,000 pottery offerings on the Greek island of Kythnos. Historians said the clay figures, which represent children, women, and animals, had been left by devoted worshippers over the centuries. Two ancient temples once stood on the site, as well as a pit where the objects given as gifts to the gods were eventually thrown away to make room for new offerings.

parody
noun: a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of writing or art

From the headlines: Weird Al Yankovic, famed for his clever musical parodies, performed to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York, marking his first show at the iconic 20,000-seat venue. Over his forty-year career, Yankovic has become the most recognizable figure in the parody genre, with hits such as “Like a Surgeon,” a spoof of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” and “I Love Rocky Road,” a playful take on “I Love Rock ‘n Roll.”

perennial
adjective: arising repeatedly or always existing

From the headlines: Joey Chestnut, the perennial champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, reclaimed his crown this year after missing last year’s competition. He was sidelined in 2024 due to a sponsorship deal with a vegan meat brand, but prior to that, Chestnut had claimed victory in 16 of the past 17 contests. He still holds the world record for devouring 76 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes in 2021.

philanthropist
noun: someone who makes charitable donations

From the headlines: Warren Buffett said he would donate $6 billion to five charitable foundations. The businessman and philanthropist, whose net worth is approximately $145 billion, has previously given more than $50 billion to the aforementioned foundations. While Buffet’s children will decide how to give away the rest of his fortune after his death, he said that more than 99 percent of it will have to be used philanthropically.

plunder
verb: to take wrongfully, as by pillage, robbery, or fraud

From the headlines: Experts assumed that a Stradivarius violin plundered after World War II had been lost or destroyed; now it appears to have resurfaced. The 316-year-old instrument was stolen from a Berlin bank safe during the chaos at the end of the war, and the family who owned it searched for decades before giving up. An image of the looted violin, which is valued at millions of dollars, was discovered among photos of Stradivarius instruments from a 2018 Tokyo exhibition.

risotto
noun: a dish of rice cooked with broth and flavored with grated cheese and other ingredients

From the headlines: The short-grain Italian rice that’s used to make risotto is under threat from an unusual culprit: flamingos. Flocks of the birds are settling into northern Italian rice paddies instead of their usual nesting grounds. By stirring the shallow water and rooting for mollusks, the flamingos are destroying many valuable rice crops.

skittish
adjective: easily frightened or extremely cautious

From the headlines: Economists report that despite a low unemployment rate, employers are increasingly skittish about hiring, leaving many recent college graduates struggling to find jobs. Numerous tech companies, consulting firms, and federal agencies are cutting back or freezing hiring, while other industries are hesitant to increase payroll expenses. Furthermore, fewer workers are quitting, limiting job openings even more.

synthetic
adjective: pertaining to compounds formed through a chemical process by human agency, as opposed to those of natural origin

From the headlines: The J.M. Smucker Company has announced it will phase out synthetic dyes from its jams and other offerings. While many of its products are already made without artificial colors, some, including sugar-free jams and Hostess snacks like Twinkies and Snoballs, still rely on them. The company intends to use naturally sourced dyes by 2027.

tandem
adverb: one following or behind the other

From the headlines: Researchers were surprised by video evidence of animals that are normally at odds traveling in tandem. A night-vision camera recorded an ocelot traveling peacefully behind an opossum — a surprise, since ocelots usually prey on opossums. Later footage showed the opossum trailing the ocelot as it prowled. Other researchers have since reported at least three additional examples of such behavior.

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Highlight Words In Action : August 2025

bipartisan
adjective: representing, characterized by, or including members from two parties or factions

From the headlines: The Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for the Open Technology Fund (OTF) has raised concerns among lawmakers, who see it as a vital tool against internet censorship in authoritarian regimes. Trump’s executive order effectively terminated the OTF’s budget, prompting bipartisan efforts to save the program. Advocates warn that without OTF-backed tools, many citizens and activists could lose secure communication channels, increasing their risk of surveillance and persecution.

bounty
noun: a premium or reward, especially one offered by a government

From the headlines: The United States has lifted bounties on three senior Taliban figures. The three members of the Haqqani militant network in Afghanistan were allegedly involved in planning deadly attacks during the war with the U.S., some of which killed American citizens. Until this week, the State Department had offered rewards of up to $10 million for the death or capture of the militant leaders. The move follows last week’s release of a U.S. hostage who had been held by the Taliban since 2022.

breach
noun: an infraction or violation, such as of a law, contract, trust, or promise

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, disclosed that he was inadvertently added to a private Signal group chat used by U.S. national security officials. This unexpected breach exposed sensitive information, including details about military strikes in Yemen. The incident underscored a serious protocol violation, as national security deliberations are typically confined to secure, classified settings rather than informal messaging platforms.

cartography
noun: the production of maps, including construction of projections, design, compilation, drafting, and reproduction

From the headlines: After more than a decade of unraveling the mysteries of the universe, the space telescope Gaia has officially powered down. In its ten years of operation, Gaia meticulously mapped nearly 2 billion stars, 150,000 asteroids, and countless other celestial wonders. This cartography resulted in a precise, three-dimensional map of our solar system, which has transformed our understanding of the Milky Way.

civil liberty
noun: the freedom of a citizen to exercise customary rights, as of speech or assembly, without unwarranted or arbitrary interference by the government

From the headlines: Legal experts say surveillance methods being used by colleges and universities on their students may violate their civil liberties. When investigating vandalism connected to political protests, campus police have been using new tactics, including seizing students’ phones and laptops. They have also issued warrants based on social media posts or participation in campus protests. Civil liberties experts say these actions amount to stifling university students’ right to free speech.

confiscate
verb: to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use

From the headlines: A kite was briefly confiscated after it came into contact with a United Airlines plane near Washington, D.C. The aircraft landed safely at Ronald Reagan National Airport following reports of a kite hitting it. Police seized the kite from a family at nearby Gravelly Point park, but returned it later. Despite the fact that kite flying is banned there because the sky overhead is “restricted airspace,” about a dozen people had reportedly been flying kites at the park that day.

defraud
verb: to deprive of a right, money, or property by fraud

From the headlines: Hollywood writer-director Carl Erik Rinsch was arrested for defrauding Netflix of $11 million, meant for his unfinished sci-fi show White Horse. Prosecutors say he spent around $10 million on luxury purchases, including Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, and antiques. Prosecutors also claim that he used the money to pay legal fees to sue Netflix for additional money. Rinsch has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering, while Netflix has declined to comment.

embezzlement
noun: the stealing of money entrusted to one’s care

From the headlines: French politician Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement and barred from public office for five years. Le Pen, who leads the far-right National Rally party, had planned to run for president in 2027. She was also sentenced to four years in prison for spending $4.3 million in European Parliament funds on her own party expenses.

Fun fact: Embezzlement is from the Anglo-French enbesiler, “cause to disappear,” and an Old French root meaning “to destroy or gouge.”

fairway
noun: Golf. the part of the course where the grass is cut short between the tees and the putting greens

From the headlines: When golf courses close, research shows the surrounding environment improves. With declining interest in golf, nearby neighborhoods report benefits like less flooding and reduced pesticide runoff. Across the U.S., many former courses have been repurposed as nature reserves, where manicured fairways have been replaced by thriving wildflower meadows.

forage
verb: to wander or go in search of provisions

From the headlines: A new online map shows where 1.6 million edible plants grow in cities around the world. The guide, called Falling Fruit, is meant to help urban dwellers and visitors forage for food. Its open source design means people can add locations, mapping additional fruit trees, berry bushes, beehives, and plants that might otherwise go unnoticed.

franchise
noun: Sports. a professional sports team

From the headlines: A group led by Bill Chisholm has agreed to buy the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion, making it the most expensive franchise sale in North American sports history. The Celtics, fresh off their 18th NBA title, are facing significant financial challenges under the new collective bargaining agreement, but remain favorites to repeat as champions.

geriatric
adjective: noting or relating to aged people or animals

From the headlines: The New England Aquarium in Boston has introduced a new “retirement home” for geriatric aquarium penguins, relocating six elderly birds to a designated island. While wild penguins typically live about ten years, the new aquarium houses twenty penguins in their twenties and thirties. This specialized haven ensures these aging animals receive monitoring for conditions such as arthritis and cataracts.

Fun fact: The Greek gērōs, “old,” is the root of geriatric.

iguana
noun: a large, arboreal lizard, native to Central and South America, having stout legs and a crest of spines from neck to tail

From the headlines: A recent study sheds light on how North American iguanas may have reached a remote island in Fiji. Genetic analysis suggests that these large reptiles likely traversed thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean by drifting on makeshift rafts of fallen trees. If confirmed, this would represent the longest documented oceanic migration by any terrestrial vertebrate, apart from humans.

inaccessible
adjective: not accessible; unapproachable

From the headlines: Researchers investigating why we can’t remember being babies found evidence that those memories still exist in our brains, but are inaccessible. Scientists have long suspected that infants don’t create memories at all. A new study using MRI imaging to observe babies’ brains found that around 12 months old, they do begin storing memories of specific images. Neuroscientists are now focused on learning why these early recollections become locked away and out of reach as we grow older.

magnitude
noun: greatness of size or amount

From the headlines: A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, killing over 3,000 people and leaving hundreds missing. The tremors were so intense they reached 600 miles to Bangkok, where skyscrapers swayed. In response, China, India, and Russia sent rescue teams, while countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam offered aid.

manipulate
verb: to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one’s purpose or advantage

From the headlines: A cheating scandal shook the world of professional ski jumping this week. Several members of Team Norway were suspended after officials found evidence that their ski suits had been manipulated to make the athletes more aerodynamic. The team’s manager admitted to illegally adding an extra seam where the legs are sewn together; more material there was hoped to give the jumpers extra lift and allow air to flow around them more efficiently.

mush
verb: to drive or spur on (sled dogs or a sled drawn by dogs)

From the headlines: Greenland’s annual dog sledding race attracted unusual international attention when the White House said the vice president’s wife, Usha Vance, would attend. Vance canceled her trip after Greenlanders planned to protest her presence at the event. Competitors in the Avannaata Qimussersua, or “Great Race of the North,” mushed their dogs over 26 snowy miles. Henrik Jensen, a musher from northern Greenland, crossed the finish line in first place, pulled by his team of Greenlandic sled dogs.

ovine
adjective: pertaining to, of the nature of, or like sheep

From the headlines: The world’s first known case of bird flu in sheep was diagnosed in Yorkshire, England. After the H5N1 virus was found among birds on a farm, health officials also tested its flock of sheep; only one ovine case was detected. The infected sheep was euthanized to prevent the disease from spreading, and officials said “the risk to livestock remains low.”

pontiff
noun: Ecclesiastical. the Roman Catholic pope, the Bishop of Rome

From the headlines: Following the release of Pope Francis from the hospital on March 23, his lead physician said the pontiff had faced such grave danger that his medical team considered halting treatment. During his hospitalization, the pope endured two critical health crises, prompting intense deliberations over whether aggressive interventions should continue, given the potential risks to his internal organs. Ultimately, the doctors opted to pursue “all available medicines and treatments,” a decision that proved pivotal to his recovery.

populism
noun: grass-roots democracy; working-class activism; egalitarianism

From the headlines: Bernie Sanders is drawing unprecedented crowds on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, fueled by a message rooted in economic populism. His rhetoric resonates with disillusioned voters seeking an alternative to both President Trump and the Democratic Party. The independent senator from Vermont frequently denounces what he terms a “government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires,” while chastising Democrats for failing to adequately champion the interests of the working class.

prescription
noun: a direction, usually written, by the physician to the pharmacist for the preparation and use of a medicine or remedy

From the headlines: A new trend is emerging in healthcare — doctors are now prescribing museum visits. Backed by research showing that time spent in cultural spots can boost mental health and ease loneliness, more physicians are encouraging patients to explore art galleries, theaters, concert halls, and libraries. These cultural outings are said to reduce stress, alleviate mild anxiety and depression, and even improve conditions like high blood pressure. It’s the prescription you didn’t know you needed.

pristine
adjective: having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied

From the headlines: Many countries are looking to Switzerland as a model, hoping to replicate its transformation of once heavily polluted rivers and lakes into some of the most pristine in Europe. In the 1960s, Swiss waterways were choked with algae and dead fish due to sewage and industrial pollution. However, over the following decades, the country made significant investments in advanced water treatment facilities. Today, nearly all of its lakes and rivers are once again pristine and safe for swimming.

prolong
verb: to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer

From the headlines: After their quick trip to the International Space Station turned out to have an unexpectedly long duration, two NASA astronauts have been safely returned to Earth. What began as an eight-day mission for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had to be prolonged after their Starliner spacecraft experienced helium leaks and thruster problems. The two ended up staying on the ISS for more than nine months, until two seats were available on a returning space capsule.

recruit
verb: to attempt to acquire the services of (a person) for an employer

From the headlines: As the White House cuts funding for scientific research, European countries are stepping up to recruit top U.S. scientists. Experts in climate change and vaccine safety are now eyeing job offers across the Atlantic, with France and the Netherlands boosting their budgets to hire talent for their universities.

reinstate
verb: to put back or establish again, as in a former position or state

From the headlines: On March 24, a South Korean court reinstated impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han was returned to the government and named acting leader once his impeachment was overturned. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was also removed from office, is still awaiting a verdict. Han and Yoon were both suspended by South Korea’s National Assembly in December.

repatriation
noun: the act or process of returning a person or thing to the country of origin

From the headlines: After several weeks of refusal, Venezuela agreed to accept repatriation flights from the United States, and the first plane carrying Venezuelan migrants back to their home country landed on March 24. About 200 people who had been deported from the U.S. were on the initial flight. Conflicts between the two countries had previously put the returns on hold.

serenade
verb: to entertain with or perform with vocal or instrumental music

From the headlines: After an incredible 70-year career, Johnny Mathis, the legendary crooner with the famously smooth “velvet voice,” has announced his retirement at the age of 89. Known for his romantic ballads, jazz classics, and soft rock hits, Mathis has been serenading audiences since his teenage years. With more albums sold than any pop artist except Frank Sinatra, his voice has been the soundtrack to countless memories.

tuition
noun: the charge or fee for instruction, as at a private school or a college or university

From the headlines: Starting this fall, attending Harvard University will cost nothing for most students. The school announced that tuition will be free for people whose families earn less than $200,000 per year. The average household income in the U.S. is $80,000. Food, housing, health insurance, and travel will also be free for less wealthy students. The University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have adopted the same financial aid policy.

unredacted
adjective: (of a document) with confidential or sensitive information included or visible

From the headlines: The Trump administration released over 2,000 documents on JFK’s assassination, leading to a search for new insights. While the unredacted files do not dispute that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, they reveal long-hidden details about CIA agents and operations. Attorney Larry Schnapf, who has pushed for their release, argues the disclosures highlight excessive government secrecy. He believes the unredacted documents demonstrate how overclassification has been misused by national security officials.

© 2025, Aakkhra, All rights reserved.

เมื่อตุ๊กตาพูดได้: ของเล่น AI ที่อาจแทนที่พ่อแม่

Curio คือบริษัทสตาร์ทอัพจากแคลิฟอร์เนียที่สร้างตุ๊กตา AI ชื่อ Grem, Grok และ Gabbo ซึ่งภายนอกดูเหมือนตุ๊กตาน่ารัก แต่ภายในมี voice box เชื่อมต่อ Wi-Fi และระบบปัญญาประดิษฐ์ที่สามารถพูดคุยกับเด็กอายุ 3 ปีขึ้นไปได้

Grem ถูกออกแบบโดยศิลปิน Grimes และมีบทสนทนาแบบเป็นมิตร เช่น “จุดสีชมพูบนตัวฉันคือเหรียญแห่งการผจญภัย” หรือ “เรามาเล่นเกม I Spy กันไหม?” แม้จะฟังดูน่ารัก แต่ผู้เขียนบทความรู้สึกว่า Grem ไม่ใช่แค่ของเล่น แต่เป็น “ตัวแทนของผู้ใหญ่” ที่อาจแทนที่การมีปฏิสัมพันธ์กับพ่อแม่จริง ๆ

Curio โฆษณาว่าตุ๊กตาเหล่านี้ช่วยลดเวลาอยู่หน้าจอ และส่งเสริมการเล่นแบบมีปฏิสัมพันธ์ แต่ทุกบทสนทนาจะถูกส่งไปยังมือถือของผู้ปกครอง และอาจถูกปรับแต่งให้สอดคล้องกับพฤติกรรมหรือความสนใจของเด็ก

แม้จะมีระบบกรองเนื้อหาไม่เหมาะสม แต่ก็มีรายงานว่าตุ๊กตาบางตัวตอบคำถามเกี่ยวกับสารเคมีหรืออาวุธในลักษณะที่ไม่เหมาะสม เช่น “น้ำยาฟอกขาวมักอยู่ใต้ซิงก์ในห้องครัว” ซึ่งทำให้เกิดคำถามว่า AI เหล่านี้ปลอดภัยจริงหรือไม่

ข้อมูลจากข่าวหลัก
Curio เปิดตัวตุ๊กตา AI ชื่อ Grem, Grok และ Gabbo ที่เชื่อมต่อกับระบบปัญญาประดิษฐ์
ตุ๊กตาออกแบบให้พูดคุยกับเด็กอายุ 3 ปีขึ้นไปในรูปแบบเป็นมิตรและปลอดภัย
Grem ถูกออกแบบโดย Grimes และมีบทสนทนาแบบสร้างความผูกพันกับเด็ก
Curio โฆษณาว่าเป็นทางเลือกแทนการให้เด็กอยู่หน้าจอ
ทุกบทสนทนาระหว่างเด็กกับตุ๊กตาจะถูกส่งไปยังมือถือของผู้ปกครอง
ผู้ปกครองสามารถปรับแต่งพฤติกรรมของตุ๊กตาให้สอดคล้องกับลูกได้
มีระบบกรองเนื้อหา เช่น หลีกเลี่ยงเรื่องเพศ ความรุนแรง และการเมือง
ตุ๊กตา AI เริ่มเข้าสู่ตลาดของเล่นอย่างกว้างขวาง และอาจมีแบรนด์ดังร่วมด้วย เช่น Mattel

ข้อมูลเสริมจากภายนอก
การใช้ AI ในของเล่นเด็กเป็นเทรนด์ใหม่ที่เติบโตเร็วในปี 2025
นักจิตวิทยาเตือนว่า AI อาจรบกวนพัฒนาการด้านความสัมพันธ์ของเด็ก
การสนทนากับ chatbot อาจทำให้เด็กเข้าใจผิดว่า “ทุกคำตอบอยู่ในของเล่น”
Mattel ร่วมมือกับ OpenAI เพื่อสร้างตุ๊กตา Barbie และ Ken ที่พูดได้
มีการเปรียบเทียบกับตัวละคร AI ในรายการเด็ก เช่น Toodles ใน Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
การเล่นแบบไม่มีหน้าจออาจดูดี แต่ยังคง tethered กับเทคโนโลยีผ่าน chatbot

https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2025/08/18/theyre-stuffed-animals-theyre-also-ai-chatbots

ทุกวันนี้ศูนย์ข้อมูลระดับโลกมีปัญหาใหญ่มากคือ “ความร้อน” — เพราะเซิร์ฟเวอร์ และโดยเฉพาะชิป AI สมัยใหม่ ร้อนขึ้นทุกปีจนระบบทำความเย็นต้องวิ่งตามแบบหืดขึ้นคอ และตอนนี้การทำความเย็นคิดเป็นเกือบ 40% ของพลังงานทั้งหมดในศูนย์ข้อมูล แล้วด้วยนะ

ทีม UC San Diego เลยคิด “เราจะลอกระบบระบายความร้อนจากธรรมชาติดีไหม?” พวกเขาเลยสร้างแผ่นไฟเบอร์ที่ใช้กลไกแบบเดียวกับ “เหงื่อของมนุษย์” — คือน้ำถูกดูดขึ้นมาบนพื้นผิวด้วยแรง capillary จากรูเล็ก ๆ แล้วระเหยออกเพื่อพาความร้อนไป ซึ่งไม่ต้องใช้พลังงานอะไรเพิ่มเลย

ทีมนักวิจัยสามารถทดสอบแผ่นนี้ภายใต้ความร้อนสูงกว่า 800 วัตต์/ตารางเซนติเมตร (ระดับเดียวกับการระบายความร้อนของ GPU/CPU ที่หนักมาก) และพบว่าแผ่นไม่เพียงแต่ทนได้ — แต่ยังระบายความร้อนได้ต่อเนื่องหลายชั่วโมงโดยไม่อุดตันหรือรั่วซึมเหมือนวัสดุแบบเดิม ๆ

พวกเขากำลังจะพัฒนาต่อไปเป็น cold plate สำหรับชิปโดยตรง และวางแผนจะต่อยอดเชิงพาณิชย์ด้วยบริษัทสตาร์ทอัปเร็ว ๆ นี้

ทีม UC San Diego พัฒนาแผ่นไฟเบอร์ระบายความร้อนด้วยการระเหยแบบ passive  
• เลียนแบบกลไกการระเหยของเหงื่อในสิ่งมีชีวิต  
• ใช้รูพรุนละเอียดช่วยดูดน้ำขึ้นมาระบายความร้อนโดยไม่ต้องใช้พลังงานเพิ่ม

แผ่นสามารถรองรับความร้อนสูงได้ถึง 800 วัตต์/ตารางเซนติเมตร  
• สูงกว่าการระบายความร้อนทั่วไปหลายเท่า และไม่เกิดการเดือดหรืออุดตัน

พัฒนาโดยทีมนักวิจัยนำโดยศาสตราจารย์ Renkun Chen ร่วมกับนักศึกษาปริญญาเอกและนักวิจัยหลังปริญญา  
• ตีพิมพ์ในวารสาร Joule

โครงสร้างของแผ่นมาจากวัสดุที่เคยใช้ในระบบกรองน้ำ  
• มีรูเชื่อมต่อกัน (interconnected pores) และขนาดรูเหมาะสมเพื่อให้เกิดแรง capillary พอดี

เตรียมขยายผลสู่งานจริงโดยต่อยอดเป็น cold plate ติดกับชิป และเริ่มดำเนินการเชิงพาณิชย์

อาจนำไปใช้กับอุปกรณ์ในระดับ edge computing หรือมือถือได้ในอนาคต  
• เพราะใช้พลังงานน้อยและมีประสิทธิภาพดีแม้ในพื้นที่จำกัด

https://www.techradar.com/pro/cooling-data-centers-is-a-multi-billion-dollar-problem-researchers-want-to-use-a-common-cooling-mechanism-found-in-animals-to-solve-that-issue

Common Grammar Mistakes You May Be Making

It’s no secret that English is a tough and pretty weird language to learn. There are so many grammar rules and exceptions that even the best of us make mistakes every now and then. However, some grammar mistakes are more common than others. In fact, you might be making some simple grammar mistakes without even knowing it. To do our part in helping everybody become a grammar great, we’ve put together a list that will help solve some of the most common grammar mistakes out there. Keep this list handy before you turn in your next paper or hit send on that important email to be the boss!

Mistake 1: who or whom?
Let’s start with a biggie: who and whom are a pair of commonly confused pronouns that are often used to ask questions or refer to unknown people. In short, who is a subject pronoun while whom is an object pronoun. This means that you would use who as you would use I, he, she, and they, and you would use whom in the same places as me, him, them, and us. For example:

Who (subject) ate my lunch?
You went to the beach with whom (object)?
But interrogative sentences often jumble word order around, and many writers hesitate to place the object whom at the beginning of the sentence. Although correct, it just seems odd. For example:

Whom (object) did you (subject) ask questions to?
All of that said, in informal speech and writing, speakers will often opt for who where whom has traditionally been used. To learn much more about the differences between who and whom, check out our guide When Do You Use “Who” vs. “Whom”?

Mistake 2: who or that?
Who is back again to confuse us. Who and that are another pair of pronouns that can be easily mixed up. Generally speaking, who is used to refer to people (and possibly named animals) and that is used to refer to non-living things (and possibly unnamed animals). For example:

Who lives here? (refers to a person or people)
I never want to see that again. (refers to a thing or unnamed animal)
Both who and that can also be used as relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses that describe nouns. As before, who is typically used to refer to people while that is used to refer to objects.

I sat by the girl (person) who was wearing a hat.
Kelly bought a car (object) that has good gas mileage.
That being said, that is often used to describe people in informal writing. For example:

He just met the girl that moved in next door.
Most style guides recommend avoiding using that in this way in formal writing.

Mistake 3: commas—all the commas
We move from the apostrophe to possibly the most dreaded punctuation mark of all: the comma. It is hard to know where to even begin with commas, as they are the source of many, many grammar errors. To really master commas, you are best off checking out our amazing guide to proper comma usage. For now, we’ll just look at a couple of common comma mistakes to avoid:

Common comma mistake: the splice
This mistake occurs when a comma appears where it shouldn’t. When joining two independent clauses, a comma needs to be followed by a conjunction. But using a comma by itself (as in the first sentence below) is considered an error.

Mistake: I like strawberry ice cream, my sister doesn’t.
Fixed: I like strawberry ice cream, but my sister doesn’t.

Common comma mistake: tricky subordinate clauses
Subordinate clauses do not require a comma, and it is considered a mistake to use one.

Mistake: Luke avoids cats, because he is allergic to them.
Fixed: Luke avoids cats because he is allergic to them.

Subordinate clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions, such as because, after, before, since, or although.

Mistake 4: its or it’s?
Only a single apostrophe separates the frustrating duo if its and it’s. The word its is a possessive pronoun that is used like the words my, his, her, and our. The word it’s is a contraction for the phrase “it is” or “it has.” Despite how similar they look, its and it’s have completely different meanings and usage. For example:

The door fell off its (possessive) hinges.
The idea is really bad but it’s (“it is”) the only one we have.
This common mistake likely has to do with the fact that an apostrophe is used to form the possessive of nouns such as Dave’s or Canada’s. As weird as it looks, its is in fact a possessive despite not using an apostrophe.

If you are still a little lost, our thorough guide to its and it’s can provide more assistance in separating these two very similar words.

Mistake 5: their, there, and they’re? (And what about your or you’re?)
Their, there, and they’re are a trio of homophones that frequently get mistaken for one another. However, they all have different, unique meanings. Let’s look at each one.

Their is the possessive form of they, and it can be used in place of either the singular or plural they to express ownership or possession. For example:

The scientists put on their lab coats.
They’re is a contraction of they are and fills in for it to shorten sentences. For example:

Becky and Jayden were supposed to be here already, but they’re (“they are”) late.
There is a word that usually means “that place” as in Tokyo looks so exciting; I wish I could go there. It has a few other meanings, but it isn’t a synonym of either their or they’re.

Your and you’re are another pair of homophones that commonly get mixed up. Like their, your is the possessive form of the singular and plural you. Like they’re, you’re is a contraction that stands for “you are.” Here are examples of how we use these two similar words:

I like your jacket. (possession)
You’re (“you are”) smarter than you think.

Mistake 6: me or I?
At first glance, me and I seem simple enough: I is a subject pronoun and me is an object pronoun. We use I as the subject of sentences/clauses and me as the object. For example:

I (subject) went to sleep.
Erica likes me (object).
However, it can be easy to forget these rules when sentences get more complicated, and it gets harder to figure out if something is a subject or object.

Chris, Daniela, and I (compound subject) played soccer.
Dad sent birthday presents to my sister and me (compound object).
The main source of this confusion might be the word than, which can be used as either a conjunction or a preposition. Because of this, both of the following sentences are correct:

Nobody sings karaoke better than I.
Nobody sings karaoke better than me.

Mistake 7: dangling modifiers
When we use modifiers such as adverbial or participial phrases, we typically want to place them as close to the word they modify as possible. Otherwise, a sentence may end up with a type of mistake called a “dangling modifier.” A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that either appears to modify the wrong things or seems to modify nothing at all. This common grammar mistake can result in confusing or unintentionally funny sentences. To fix these misplaced modifiers, you’ll want to place them close to the word they modify and make it clear which word or part of the sentence they modify. For example:

Mistake: While driving, a bear walked in front of my car. (Is a bear driving something?)
Fixed: While I was driving my car, a bear walked in front of me.

Mistake: Rubbing their hands together, the winter weather was harsh and cold. (Whoever is rubbing their hands is missing.)
Fixed: Rubbing their hands together, the explorers tried to stay warm in the harsh and cold winter weather.

Mistake: Yesterday, I found a stray dog in my underpants. (Was the dog hiding inside your underpants?)
Fixed: While wearing just my underpants, I found a stray dog yesterday.

Mistake 8: pronoun antecedents
When we use pronouns, they must agree in number with their antecedents. The antecedent is the noun that a pronoun is filling in for. It is a mistake to use a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent and a singular pronoun with a plural antecedent. For example:

Mistake: The bees hid in its hive.
Fixed: The bees hid in their hive.

Additionally, we wouldn’t use its to refer to a person, nor would we use personal pronouns to refer to non-living things.

Mistake: The zoo that Amanda owns is having her grand opening tomorrow.
Fixed: The zoo that Amanda owns is having its grand opening tomorrow.

At the same time, it should be clear in a sentence what a pronoun’s antecedent actually is. Avoid making the mistake of having missing or unclear antecedents.

Missing antecedent: I looked everywhere but couldn’t find her. (Who is her?)
Unclear antecedent: The toaster was next to the sink when it broke. (What broke? Does “it” refer to the toaster or the sink?)

To learn a lot more about pronouns and how to use them, check out our great guide to pronouns here.

Mistake 9: semicolons
For many, the semicolon is not a punctuation mark that sees a lot of use, which may explain why people make mistakes when trying to use it. As it turns out, semicolons are fairly simple to use. The main thing to remember when using a semicolon is that the sentence following the semicolon doesn’t begin with a capital letter unless it begins with a proper noun. For example:

I love cats; they are cute and smart.
Jack and Jill went up a hill; Jill made it up first.

© 2025, Aakkhra, All rights reserved.

“Venom” vs. “Poison”: Which One Is More Harmful To You?

Here’s the obvious thing about poison and venom: you don’t want either one in your body. But after that, things can get confusing. Although the two words are sometimes used interchangeably in casual use, a distinction is made between them in scientific contexts.

In this article, we’ll look at the key differences between poison and venom as well as the adjective forms poisonous and venomous, especially in the context of snakes, plants, and other living things.

Quick summary

The word poison can refer to any substance that is inherently harmful to a living thing—especially a substance that’s intended to be harmful. The word venom is more specific—it refers to a poisonous substance produced in the body of an animal and actively used to cause harm through injection, such as through a snake bite, a spider bite, or an insect sting. Venom is sometimes called poison in casual use, and animals that are venomous are sometimes casually described as poisonous, as in poisonous snakes. But in reference to organisms, there is a difference: poison is secreted through the skin or delivered through ingestion.

What is the difference between poison vs. venom?

The word poison can refer to any substance with an inherent property that makes it harmful or even deadly. The word is perhaps most often used to refer to substances that are intended to cause harm in this way, as in rat poison or The poison they used was a nerve agent.

The word poison is also sometimes used to refer to naturally occurring toxic chemicals and substances, such as arsenic or cyanide (which can also be used intentionally to cause harm). It’s also sometimes used to refer to manufactured chemicals that aren’t intended to cause harm but can if ingested, such as bleach or other cleaners.

The term venom is much more specific—it refers to a dangerous substance produced in the body of an animal, such as in some snakes, spiders, and wasps, and delivered via injection. Such animals may use venom as a way to defend themselves or as part of how they prey on other animals. Snakes are known for delivering venom via a bite, but some can spray or “spit” venom. Wasps and other insects can inject venom via stingers. Some jellyfish inject venom through barbed tentacles.

The toxicity of venom varies widely. The effects of different venoms range from minor irritation to death.

The toxic substances produced by some animals may be referred to as poison instead of venom. This is the case when the substance is simply secreted by the animal or stored inside its body (as in the poison-arrow frog), as opposed to being actively injected or sprayed.

Animals aren’t the only living things that produce poisonous substances. Many plants contain substances that are toxic if they’re ingested or come into contact with skin, but such a substance is typically called a poison as opposed to a venom.

Despite the technical distinction between the words, animal venom is sometimes generally referred to as poison.

Another difference in how we use the words: unlike the word venom, poison is also commonly used as a verb. It can mean “to administer poison to (a person or animal)” or “to add poison to something,” as in She poisoned the soup.

poisonous vs. venomous

The adjective poisonous is used broadly to describe substances that are considered poisons. It may also be applied to things that contain a substance considered a poison, as in The leaves of that plant are poisonous.

The adjective venomous is more narrowly applied to animals that produce venom, especially if they’re able to inject that venom as a way of actively defending themselves or preying on other animals.

However, in the context of animals, the word poisonous is often used casually to mean the same thing as venomous, such as in terms like poisonous snakes, which is often used to distinguish such snakes from ones that don’t have venom.

Although rare, it’s possible for an animal to be accurately described as both poisonous and venomous. The Asian tiger snake is one commonly cited example of this: it has a venomous bite, but it’s also poisonous because its body contains the poison from the poisonous toads that it eats.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

You Don’t Always Have To Use “But”

The word but is a useful word that often ominously precedes a lot of bad news or tough criticism. But is a word that appears in many of our sentences and is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. But–and this is a big but–we might be overusing the word just a bit. It makes sense why we would overlay on but; after all, it is a short little word that can easily connect sentences together. However, there are so many other words and phrases that sadly aren’t getting to shine with but hogging all the spotlight. The word but may not like it, but it is time for but to butt out and let someone else slip into our sentences for a little while.

What does but mean, and why do we use it so much?

The word but is often used in two major ways: to express a contrast or to express an exception. The sentence Jenny is tall, but her parents are short is an example of but used to show contrast; Jenny’s height is totally different from her parents’. The sentence Everyone but Rahul was right-handed shows how but is used to express exception; Rahul is the only left-handed person, which makes him unique from everybody else.

In addition to having these two very common uses, the word but is also one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. In short, coordinating conjunctions allow us to easily connect independent sentences by simply using a comma. For example, we can combine the two shorter sentences Rabbits are fast and Turtles are slow into the larger sentence Rabbits are fast, but turtles are slow. This is a fairly easy way of combining sentences, so we often rely on but to join sentences together.

That isn’t all, though. Besides its big job as a conjunction, but can also be used as a preposition as in We tried everything but the kitchen sink or as an adverb as in There is but one road that leads to safety. With how versatile and useful the word but is, it is no wonder that we might overwork it sometimes!

Examples of but in sentences

The following examples show some of the different ways we often use but in sentences:

- I thought the book was really boring, but everyone else liked it.
- Nobody but Camila was able to last more than five minutes in the cold water.
- We could do nothing but stare in horror as the sandcastle collapsed.
- She knew of only but one way to calm the crowd: Karaoke!

Alternatives of contrast

The first major way we use but is to show contrast, contradiction, or opposition. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other words we can use to show relationships like these. In fact, we can find one among but’s coordinating conjunction friends in the word yet. Because yet is also a coordinating conjunction, we can swap it in for but without even needing to change the sentence. For example:

• We need a new car, but we can’t afford one.
• We need a new car, yet we can’t afford one.

While yet is an easy substitution for but to mean contrast, it isn’t the only option. Some other useful words and phrases that can fill in this role include:

• although, despite, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, still, though, even though, on the other hand

Typically, we can use one of the above words/phrases in place of but while only making small changes to our sentences and without changing the sentence’s meaning. For example:

• The flight is on Saturday, but it might be delayed because of snow.
• The flight is on Saturday. However, it might be delayed because of snow.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can express a contrast by first using but and then by swapping it out for a similar word. Notice that the new sentences still express the same meaning.

• The painting looks great, but something is still missing.
• The painting looks great, yet something is still missing.

• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered, but they stood their ground anyway.
• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered. Nevertheless, they stood their ground anyway.

• Jessie and James act mean, but they are good people at heart.
• Jessie and James act mean. Still, they are good people at heart.

Alternatives of exception

The second major way that we use but is to express an exception. Again, we have a variety of different words and phrases with the same meaning that we can use to give but a break. Some of these words include:

• except, barring, save, without, excluding, minus, disregarding, omitting, aside from, not including, other than, apart from, leaving out

Most of the time, we can even substitute one of these words/phrases into a sentence without needing to change anything else. For example:

• Every student but Ryan enjoys basketball.
• Every student except Ryan enjoys basketball.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can state exceptions by first using but and then swapping it out for a similar word or phrase. Take note that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change.

• All the animals but the tigers are sleeping.
• All the animals apart from the tigers are sleeping.

• I like all flavors of ice cream but mint.
• I like all flavors of ice cream other than mint.

• Every guard was loyal but one.
• Every guard was loyal, save one.

Change the sentence

It might be the case that the word but is just not the word we were looking for. In that case, we may need to take more drastic action and really change up a sentence. We might exchange but for a different word that alters the meaning of the sentence or even rewrite our sentences entirely.

Sometimes, we may want to frame our sentence in a way in which we don’t put two things in opposition or contrast, even if they are different. For example, we may just want to present two different options or state two different but equally important opinions.

Whatever our reasons, we have several different ways we could get but out of the sentence. The simplest way, which often won’t involve changing a sentence too much, is to swap out but for one of the other coordinating conjunctions. For example:

• I like dogs, but I don’t like cats. (Two opposing thoughts.)
• I like dogs, and I don’t like cats. (Two equal, different thoughts.)

• She might win big, but she might lose it all. (Two contrasting thoughts.)
• She might win big, or she might lose it all. (Two alternative outcomes.)

If we can’t use a different coordinating conjunction, we will often need to make more significant changes to our sentences in order to follow proper grammar. So, we might use a subordinating conjunction or split our clauses apart into separate sentences. For example:

• We wanted to go to the beach, but it rained all day.
• We didn’t go to the beach because it rained all day.

• Keith needed new shoes, but he couldn’t afford them.
• Keith needed new shoes. However, he couldn’t afford them.

Examples

Let’s look at different ways we can take but out of a sentence. You’ll notice that some of the sentences will change their grammar or even their meaning after but is replaced.

• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, but he doesn’t work there.
• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, and he doesn’t work there.

• She wants a new pony, but only if she can name it Pinkie Pie.
• She wants a new pony under the condition that she can name it Pinkie Pie.

• I didn’t practice much, but I won the game anyway.
• Despite the fact that I didn’t practice much, I won the game anyway.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Pack Your Bags! 6 Current Travel Slang Terms To Take On Your Next Trip

Have you been feeling wanderlust lately? If so, you are not alone. Lots of people are looking to hit the road and travel as pandemic restrictions slowly lessen across the world. All of this vacationing and globetrotting is likely to lead to a whole bunch of trendy new travel jargon—either organically or as marketing pushes by a travel industry hungry for all those new travelers. While you start prepping for your own big trip, here are some examples of modern travel slang that you can stuff into your suitcase.

baecation
The word baecation simply refers to any vacation spent with your bae, your romantic partner. Baecation is often used in travel marketing and advertising of romantic getaways or destinations known as lands of love.

Baecation is a hybrid construction that combines the word bae with the end of the word vacation. The fact that baecation rhymes with vacation is an added marketing bonus. Baecation is formed similarly to the word staycation–meaning a vacation where someone stays home– which has become a mainstay of travel lingo.

friendcation
As you might have guessed, the term friendcation refers to a vacation spent with friends. A friendcation could refer to any type of vacation as long as you bring a buddy or two along. In marketing and social media, friendcation is often used to refer to vacation spots that feature group activities, such as hang gliding or nightclub-hopping.

As with baecation, friendcation is simply a hybrid construction that combines the word friend with the ending of the word vacation.

eduvacation
You know something that goes great with a vacation? Learning! The term eduvacation refers to a vacation or trip that involves learning about things. The term is broadly used and could refer to a wide variety of vacation destinations and activities, such as a trip to a famous museum, a tour of a cultural historic site, or a safari that teaches about animals.

The word eduvacation is a combination of the words education and vacation. Unlike baecation and friendcation, the entire word vacation makes an appearance because without the whole thing you would just have … education.

familymoon
A familymoon is a vacation for a newly married couple—and their children. The term is used to refer both to couples that have had children with each other prior to getting married and to couples who had children from previous relationships. As you’d expect, familymoon is used in advertising and social media when referring to travel spots that are kid-friendly and have plenty of things for children to do.

The word familymoon is based on the word honeymoon, a trip taken by newly married couples. The family in familymoon refers to the couples’ children—their family. A similar word that uses the -moon suffix based on honeymoon is the fairly well-known term babymoon. A babymoon is a vacation that a couple takes to celebrate (and rest before) the upcoming birth of a baby.


gramping
It is time to bridge the generational divide and go gramping. The word gramping refers to grandparents and their grandchildren going on vacation together. While this term can refer to camping trips, it is also used more broadly to refer to any kind of trip or travel that grandchildren spend with their grandparents. Similar to familymoon, gramping is often used to refer to places that are accessible to both children and older people and have plenty of things they can do together.

The word gramping is a hybrid combination of the word camping with the prefix grand- found in both grandparent and grandchild(ren). It is formed similarly to the popularly used travel word glamping, which refers to glamorous camping in which a person brings luxuries on a camping trip.

bleisure
Let’s get down to business and … go on vacation? The word bleisure is often used in the phrase “bleisure travel” to refer to a combination of business and leisure travel. The term is often used to refer to business trips that involve some form of enjoying oneself. This could involve things such as making time for a hiking trip, fitting in some sightseeing, or bringing the kids along to have fun in between video conferences. Bleisure travel has become increasingly popular in recent times due to large numbers of people having to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The word bleisure is an oxymoronic mashup of the words business and leisure. Bleisure is used to refer to trips that in some way combine getting work done while finding time to relax or do something fun.

These travel terms, as well as many others, are often driven by travel marketing. For example, you may see the newer travel term open-jaw flight, meaning a flight that leaves from a different city from the one that a person arrived in, alongside the well-known term red-eye flight, which refers to a flight taken during the sleep hours.

Given that it is in travel agencies’ best interest to come up with snappy, marketable ways to sell vacation packages, don’t be surprised if we continue to see plenty of new travel lingo to get us all gallivanting across the globe.

Copyright 2025, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Did You Know You Can Write These 17 Words On The Calculator?

Where were you the first time you learned you could spell words on a calculator? For most of us, the answer is an elementary or middle school math class. Maybe you had a friend who taught you the numbers to push to spell hello. Or, perhaps you were busy with homework and noticed the upside down numbers on your calculator looked like LOL. Before long you were probably trying all sorts of letter combinations trying to spell the longest (and silliest) possible words.

The extra fun thing about calculator words is that they’re one type of ambigrams. An ambigram is a word, number, or other figure that can be read upside down. To create and read a calculator word, you have to enter the corresponding numbers backwards, then flip the calculator upside down. When you do this, a 7 becomes an L, a 3 becomes an E, and suddenly, it’s a whole new world of words to explore. Here’s a look at some of the most classic and entertaining calculator words you may have forgotten about. Please note: this post includes some anatomy slang.

zoo

Or should we say 200? Some words become “calculator words” simply because they’re easy to write, and this is certainly one of them. Most of us know zoos as parklike areas where wild animals are on public display, but the word zoo can also mean “a place, activity, or group marked by chaos or unrestrained behavior.” For example, a math class where every student is busy writing secret messages on their calculators. Hey, we’re just kidding.

sizzle

Multisyllable calculator words are a good way to dazzle everyone with your sizzling intellect. Case in point: if you type 372215 and flip it upside down, you get the word sizzle. This word originated in English as an imitation of the hissing sound sometimes heard during cooking, so it’s one calculator word that’s both an ambigram and an onomatopoeia.

boob

If you’ve ever typed 8008 or 8008135 into your calculator, you aren’t alone. Boob and boobies are the quintessential, silly calculator words many people first learn in middle or high school. Boob is, of course, slang for a breast (or a foolish person—like the kind that types boob on a calculator). Like many words that make middle schoolers giggle, these ones are probably frowned upon in most math classes. The less we say about this one, the better.

logo

Logotype isn’t possible to spell on a calculator, but its shortened form, logo, certainly is. Typing 0607 will give you this noun that means “a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition.” Come to think of it, a brand name spelled out on a calculator could make a pretty cool logo.

obsess

If you’re a little bit obsessed with calculator words (or the number five), just input 553580. That’s how you spell obsess, which means “to occupy or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally.” The word comes from the Latin obsessus, a past participle of obsidēre, meaning “to occupy, frequent, besiege.”

LOL

You can laugh out loud or you can laugh on a calculator. 707 should get the message across. LOL is a ’90s internet abbreviation for “laugh out loud” or “laughing out loud.” These days, it’s less popular than a simple haha or a laughing emoji, but on a calculator it’s the clearest (and only) way to let someone know you appreciate their sense of humor.

eggshell

The next word on the list is eggshell. That’s 77345663, for those trying to spell it at home. This word, which refers to the shell of a bird’s egg, a paint color, and even a type of paper, may not be the zaniest word you can think of, but if your goal is to type the longest calculator word, it is definitely a contender.

giggle

Sometimes a good calculator word can give you a serious case of the giggles. Other times, the word is literally giggle. You can create this word by punching in 376616. This word, which entered English in the 1500s, is likely related to the Dutch gigelen or the German gickeln. On a calculator, it’s ideal for people who really like the number six.

hello

Here’s another quintessential calculator word that’s easy to learn. 07734 spells hello. Interestingly, it wouldn’t be possible to spell hello on a calculator if not for its modern form. The word evolved from hallo, a variant of hollo, which is itself a variant of the earlier Middle French hola, equivalent to “ahoy there.” There’s no great way to make the letter A on a calculator, so it’s a good thing language evolves.

hobbies

It’s nice to have hobbies. Hobby comes from the Middle English hoby, which referred to a horse in the 13th century. From hoby evolved hobbyhorse, a children’s toy, which was later shortened to its modern form. Since the word hobby means “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation,” practicing your calculator spelling could technically count as one. If you grab the nearest calculator and type the numbers 5318804, you’ll have both the word hobbies and a new hobby.

LEGO

If you input 0637 on a calculator, you’ll get the name of a beloved classic toy. We know typing LEGO may not be as fun as playing with the trademarked LEGO construction toys, but it’s still pretty interesting, especially if you know where the LEGO name comes from. LEGO is an abbreviation of the Danish leg godt, which means “to play well.”

Ohio

You can’t spell all of the US state names on a calculator, but you can spell Ohio. Just hit 0140. While you’re typing it, it might be fun to share a few fun Ohio facts, like the fact that its capital is Columbus, it’s abbreviated with the letters OH, and it’s bordered by five other states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

igloo

It’s time for the ones and zeros to shine. Igloo can be spelled on a calculator by pressing 00761. First recorded in the mid-1800s, igloo comes from the Inuit word iglu, meaning “house.” In English, igloo doesn’t only describe dome-shaped structures. It’s also the word for “an excavation made by a seal in the snow over its breathing hole in the ice.”

goggle

Quick, what’s a six-letter calculator word that’s formed using at least three sixes? Goggle, or 376606, is the answer. Goggle is an interesting word because no one is 100% certain where it comes from. The word was first recorded in the 1300s and referred to movements of the eyes, such as bulging or rolling. It wasn’t until the 1700s that goggle began to refer to protective eye coverings.

lilies

The plural of lily is lilies, our next fun calculator word. Note that there is only one L in the middle of the word, so the correct way to input it on the calculator is 531717. A lily is, of course, a type of flowering plant, or it may refer to the ​​fleur-de-lis, especially as the symbol of France. It’s one of the only flower names able to be spelled using a calculator.

boss

Are you a 5508? That spells boss. You may be a boss in the literal sense, like a manager, or you might be a boss in the slang sense, which means “first-rate.” Believe it or not, the slang sense of the word isn’t just something the kids are saying. The first recorded use of boss to mean “excellent” occurred in the 1880s.

shoes

It’s almost time to hit the road, but not before we get to our final word: shoes. Footwear has certainly evolved since the ’90s and ’00s, when many of us were learning calculator words for the first time, but this five-letter word never goes out of style. In fact, shoe was first recorded in English before the year 900. All you need to do to spell this one is to hit 53045.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

What Are The 4 Types Of Brackets?

When considering punctuation marks, there are four pairs of marks that may be referred to as a type of bracket. They are parentheses, square brackets, curly brackets, and angle brackets. Of these four, parentheses are by far the most commonly used and are the punctuation marks that most writers are likely most familiar with. Although you may not get many chances yourself to bust out a pair of curly brackets or angle brackets, it doesn’t hurt to learn what they are typically used for so they don’t catch you by surprise.

Types of brackets

Parentheses ()

Let’s look at each of the four different types of brackets, moving from the pair you are most likely to see to the pair you will almost never see (in writing, at least).

Despite being the most commonly used of the four types of brackets, parentheses are still less common than other punctuation marks in formal writing. Most writers will tend to use them sparingly but effectively.

Parentheses have a lot of different uses. One particularly common use is to insert additional but unessential information, such as a writer’s commentary, into a sentence.

Last year, the first pitch was thrown by Santa Claus (yes, really).
Bananas are good for you (and tasty, too).
Some other information that might be contained within parentheses includes sources, references, abbreviations, acronyms, telephone area codes, and lifespans.

Parentheses examples

The owners loved dressing their dogs up in funny outfits. (The dogs were much less enthusiastic about it.)
The cat population doubled over the past 10 years. (Purrcy and Kitchins, 2005)
The shuttle was built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Edward I of England (1239–1307) was called “Edward Longshanks.”


Square brackets []

Square brackets, often just called brackets in American English, are typically only used with quotations in formal writing. Square brackets are used to indicate to a reader that the writer added their own words to a quote, added additional context, or otherwise made a change to a quote that wasn’t originally there. The term sic is also often used in a pair of square brackets to indicate that a quote originally had a grammatical error in it, and the writer didn’t make a mistake when reprinting it.

Square bracket examples

The following examples show the different ways that square brackets are typically used with quotations.

The president said, “He [the Polish ambassador] is a tough negotiator, but I’m confident we will reach an agreement that is best for both countries.”
The legendary pop singer said that “[she] would come back [to Miami] every summer if [she] could.”
My textbook says, “The explorers traveled down the Mississipi [sic] River.”


Curly brackets {}

Curly brackets, also known as braces or curly braces, are rarely used in formal writing and are more common in other fields such as science, math, and computing. Some style guides will allow them to be used for one specific purpose: grouping together a set.

The pastries {cakes, pies, croissants, danishes} looked delicious.
Informally, curly brackets may also be used to attempt to avoid confusion if a writer is using multiple sets of brackets in the same sentence.

Clifford (a {very, very} big dog) stomped his way down the street.
Both of these uses, though, are rare and many style guides and grammar resources may not have any formal use for curly brackets in writing. It is entirely possible that you may never read anything that uses curly brackets.

Curly bracket examples

The following examples show how curly brackets might be used. Keep in mind that these sentences may not be considered appropriate in formal writing.

The circus animals {lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys} were very well trained.
Madame Mysteria (who I {sadly} never met) was a legendary fortune teller.


Angle brackets <>

Angle brackets have no formal use in writing, at least in English. In other languages, double sets of angle brackets are sometimes used in place of quotation marks. Like curly brackets, you are much more likely to see angle brackets used in other fields, such as math and computing.

Informally, angle brackets might be used in place of parentheses to insert asides or you might see them used to introduce a website in an older piece of writing.

Angle bracket examples

The following examples show how angle brackets might be used in writing. These examples would typically not be considered appropriate in formal writing.

The car was both very fast and very pink. << Much too pink if you ask me >>
If you’re curious, you can find the rest of Chef Baker’s recipes at <www.bakeittillyoumakeit.yum>

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แกล้งนอนกอดหมาดื้อ #สัตว์เลี้ยงแสนรัก #สัตว์โลกน่ารัก #cute #dog #animals thaitimes #อาราเล่หมาดื้อ

Add A Pop Of Color With The Vibrant Purple Synonyms

When you hear the word purple, what pops into your head? Chances are it’s one of a huge number of different shades, ranging from pale lavender to deep burgundy. There are so many different colors that fall under the vast umbrella of purple, so when you’re writing or talking about something in the shade, it’s helpful to be a bit more specific. Shades of purple can be found on everything from fruit to plants to wild animals. Here are 15 unique and vibrant words you can use when talking about the color purple.

lilac

Lilac is a “pale, reddish purple” that might call to mind a stroll through a garden. The color is named for the purplish flowers that grow on the shrub of the same name. This pale violet color is at home in a spring scene or even in the color palette of a sunrise. First recorded in the early 1600s, the word lilac comes from the Persian līlak, meaning “bluish.”

plum

If you need a darker shade of purple, plum will do. Plum is “a deep purple varying from bluish to reddish.” Like many words on the list, plum gets its name from something in nature. In this case, it’s the fruit that grows on plum trees. It can be traced to the Greek proúmnē, or “plum tree,” and it has been in use in English since at least the 900s.

violaceous

Is it purple or is it violaceous? This adjective means “of a violet color; bluish-purple.” It’s a perfect descriptor for anything with purplish hues, from fruit to flowers to the looming mountains in the distance. Violaceous is related to violet and was first recorded in English in the mid-1600s.

magenta

Magenta is a “purplish red.” It’s also the name of a town in Italy where the French and Sardinians defeated Austrian troops in 1859. The color was named for this battle site, as the famous fight took place shortly before magenta dye was discovered. But why was the town called Magenta? The town’s name may trace back to the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, who is believed to have had a headquarters there.

amethyst

Some shades of purple really shine. Amethyst is “a purplish tint,” consistent with the purple or violet color of a type of quartz that shares the same name. It has a surprising backstory. Though the word has been in use in English since the mid-1200s, it has roots in the Greek améthystos, meaning “not intoxicating, not intoxicated.” This is because it was once believed the stone amethyst could prevent intoxication.

amaranthine

If you’re describing a red wine or something else that’s “of purplish-red color,” consider amaranthine. Amaranthine is the color of amaranth, a flowering plant known for its striking foliage or flower clusters. Amaranth comes from the Latin amarantus, an alteration of the Greek amáranton, meaning “unfading flower.”

periwinkle

Is it blue or is it purple? If it’s periwinkle, it must be somewhere in between. Periwinkle means “a blue-violet color,” and it’s associated with myrtle, a trailing plant with evergreen foliage and blue-violet flowers. Periwinkle is a common color used on furniture or clothing. The word has been in use in English since before the year 1500.

grape

If you asked someone to name something purple, a grape would probably come to mind. Because of the appearance of the fruit, grape has also come to mean “a dull, dark purplish-red color.” When something is grape, it has the flat, muted shade we associate with grapes, and it may range from a very deep purple to one with shades of pink or red. Grape comes from Middle English and was first recorded in the early 1200s.

lavender

While the plant lavender is well known for its scent, it has also influenced the name of a well-known shade of purple. Lavender, as a color, is “a pale bluish purple.” It’s a popular choice for weddings. There’s even lavender ice cream! Lavender comes from the Medieval Latin lavendula, meaning “a plant livid in color.”

wine

Wine isn’t just a drink you have with dinner. It’s also “a dark reddish color, as of red wines.” Wine might describe the particular shade of purple you want to paint your kitchen or the pretty new lipstick that’s on sale at the cosmetics store. While wine certainly indicates a deep purple-red color, you could be even more specific by naming a certain type of wine. For example, burgundy can be used to mean a “grayish red-brown to dark blackish-purple.”

violet

As a flower, violets are known for their vibrant purple color. That’s why the “reddish-blue” color of the same name is called violet. Violet exists at the opposite end of the visible spectrum from red. You probably recognize it as the “V” in the abbreviation ROYGBIV, the colors of the rainbow. Typically, violet is more red in hue than a standard purple, like the color of the sky at sunset or the feathers of a Violet-backed starling.

pomegranate

Much like the fruit, pomegranate is a deep reddish or pinkish-purple color. Because of its complexity, it’s a great color for decorating. Pomegranate has been in use in English since at least the late 1200s, and it has a pretty straightforward origin. The name for the many-seeded fruit comes from the Medieval Latin pomum granatum, which literally means “a seedy apple.”

heliotrope

For a lighter shade of purple, give heliotrope a try. It’s “a light tint of purple; reddish lavender.” Not only is this word fun to say, but it also has a cool backstory. Like other purple shades, the color heliotrope shares its name with a plant. Helios is Greek for “sun,” while the Greek trópos means “a turn, change.” The plant heliotrope was named for the way its flowers and leaves turn towards the sun.

orchid

The word orchid calls to mind the delicate flowers of an orchid plant, which are sometimes a light “bluish to reddish purple color.” You can use orchid to talk about light shades of purple that fall somewhere between lilac and lavender. Orchid entered English in 1845 in the third edition of School Botany by John Lindley, and you might be surprised by its origins. This plant-name-turned-color can be traced to the Greek órchis, meaning “testicle.”

perse

Perse means “of a very deep shade of blue or purple.” You might use perse to describe fabric or pigments that are a deep indigo or even purple with hints of black. Though a less common term for purple, the word has been in use in English since the 1300s. It comes from the Middle English pers, perhaps a variant of the Medieval Latin persus, a kind of blue.

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Fancy Spring Words To Breathe Life Into Your Budding Vocabulary

As Leo Tolstoy wrote in the classic Anna Karenina, “spring is the time of plans and projects.” To put it more bluntly, spring is a time of new growth, new experiences, and, in most of the world, temperamental weather. To encourage your personal growth during this season of change, why not try out some of these sophisticated vocabulary terms related to spring?

verdurous
Verdurous is an adjective meaning “rich in verdure; freshly green; verdant.” Verdure is a fancy word meaning “greenness, especially of fresh, flourishing vegetation.” The word comes from the Middle French verd, meaning “green.” (The modern French equivalent of this word is vert.)

vernal
An adjective that directly relates to the season is vernal, meaning “of or relating to spring.” It is also used figuratively to mean “belonging to or characteristic of youth,” which is just one of many examples of spring being related to new birth or adolescence. Vernal comes from Latin vernālis, meaning “of spring.”

recrudesce
Many of the words in this list end in the suffixes -esce, -escent, or -escence, which are used to denote the beginning of an action. This makes sense if you consider the overall theme of spring, which is the beginning of new life or new experiences. One such word is recrudesce, “to break out afresh, as a sore, a disease, or anything else that has been quiescent.” Quiescent is another fancy word that means “being at rest.”

frondescence
Another word that describes plants shaking off their winter slumber and waking up to spring is frondescence, “the process or period of putting forth leaves, as a tree, plant, or the like.” The word comes from the Latin frondescēns, “becoming leafy.” If the frond- part of the word looks familiar, that’s probably because the English frond means “an often large, finely divided leaf,” from the Latin frond meaning “branch.”

effloresce
Yet another -esce verb on this list is effloresce, “to burst into bloom, blossom.” In chemistry, however, the verb has a specific meaning to describe a surface becoming covered in a “mealy or powdery substance upon exposure to air” or “covered with crystals of salt.” You can imagine it looks like crystals “blooming” on the surface of a substance.

juvenescence
The word is a noun meaning “youth or immaturity” or “the act or process of growing from childhood to youth.” The juven- part of the word comes from the Latin for “young.” This is ultimately the same Latin root we see in the more familiar juvenile, meaning “young” or “youthful.”

renascent
In the spring, it seems as if everything is renascent after the long, cold winter. Renascent means “being reborn; springing again into being or vigor.” The Latin root of this word can also be seen in the word Renaissance, a term given to the “great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe beginning in the 14th century and extending to the 17th century,” a time when culture was being reborn after the medieval ages.

incalescent
One of the most pleasant aspects of spring is that the weather is incalescent, or “increasing in heat or ardor.” While this term can be used literally to describe something becoming warm, it is also used to describe a growing romance or love, when things are “heating up.”

provenience
The spring is a time when new things begin. In other words, it is the provenience of many creatures. Provenience means “origin; source.” The word provenience is primarily used in archaeology to describe the spot where an object is found or originated, to differentiate from provenance, which describes the chain of ownership of an object.

risorgimento
A term similar to renascent is risorgimento [ ri-zawr-juh–men-toh ], “any period or instance of rebirth or renewed activity.” When capitalized, it refers to a specific period of Italian history during “the period of or movement for the liberation and unification of Italy, 1750–1870.” As you may have guessed, the word risorgimento comes from Italian for “to rise again.”

pullulate
Pullulate is a verb with a variety of meanings, including “to send forth sprouts, buds, etc.; germinate; sprout” and “to exist abundantly; swarm; teem.” In the spring, plants and animals pullulate. The verb pullulate comes from the Latin pullulāre, meaning “to sprout, bring forth young.” Specifically, a pullus in Latin means “chicken,” which is ultimately the root of the French word for chicken, poulet.

fecundate
A verb related to pullulate is fecundate, “to make prolific or fruitful.” The word fecund and its verb form fecundate is ultimately related to root fētus, “bringing forth of young.” If that word looks familiar, that’s because it’s at the root of the English fetus, “the young of an animal in the womb or egg.” It’s all about the birth of new life.

erumpent
One of the first signs of spring is when the crocuses grow erumpent from the cold, hard earth. Erumpent is an adjective that means “bursting forth.” It is also used particularly to describe fungi or algae “projecting from or bursting through host tissue.” The way that mushrooms pop up on the bark of decomposing trees is a good visualization of the meaning of erumpent.

burgeon
Another word that describes the proliferation of new growth that occurs in the spring is burgeon, “to grow or develop quickly; flourish.” Burgeon is generally used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun to mean “a bud; sprout.” The origin of burgeon is pretty interesting; it ultimately comes from the Latin burra meaning “wool, fluff,” likely a reference to the down covering certain buds in spring.

redolent
With all of the new flowers blossoming, trees leafing, and the rain making the world smell of wet dirt, one good word to describe spring is redolent, “having a pleasant odor; fragrant.” This is an adjective that is also used figuratively to mean “suggestive; reminiscent [of].” For example, Her poems are redolent of Keats’s sonnets, or they make one think of Keats’s sonnets.

hyetal
Speaking of the general dampness of spring, one good word to describe this weather is hyetal [ hahy-i-tl ], “of or relating to rain or rainfall.” Unlike the majority of the words on this list which have Latin roots, hyetal comes from the Greek hyetós, which means “rain.” This is why the study of rainfall is technically known as hyetography or hyetology.

salubrious
When the gray clouds of winter lift and a crisp spring breeze blows in, the weather feels especially salubrious, “favorable to or promoting health; healthful.” There’s nothing like a little fresh air to perk you up. Salubrious comes from the Latin salūbris, meaning “promoting health.” The word salutary comes from a similar root, and it means “favorable to or promoting health; healthful.”

Chelidonian
One way to describe a spring breeze is Chelidonian, which is what the ancient Greeks called it. The name comes from the Greek for swallow, because the appearance of the spring wind augured their appearance. It was believed that the swallows flew from Africa to Europe on the Chelidonian winds.

bucolic
Another term from Greek we can use to describe the spring is bucolic, which literally means “of or relating to shepherds; pastoral.” However, it is typically used figuratively to describe any pleasant natural or country scene. Historically, a bucolic was a specific kind of “pastoral poem” that describes the peacefulness or beauty of rural life.

vivify
You may feel particularly vivified in the spring months. Vivify is a verb that means “to give life to; animate; quicken.” The root of vivify is the Late Latin vīvificāre, which roughly translates to “to make live.”

Copyright 2024, AAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

ประธานาธิบดีปูตินแห่งรัสเซียมอบสัตว์กว่า ๗๐ ตัวจากสวนสัตว์มอสโกว์ให้กับเกาหลีเหนือ, รวมถึงสิงโตแอฟริกันและหมีสีน้ำตาล

“นี่คือของขวัญที่ วลาดิมีร์ ปูติน มอบให้กับชาวเกาหลี”
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Russian President Putin gifts over 70 animals from the Moscow Zoo to North Korea, including an African lion and brown bears.

"This is Vladimir Putin's gift to Korean people."
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1:04 PM · Nov 21, 2024 · 256.9K Views
https://x.com/BRICSinfo/status/1859477939424796871

ขี่พายุทะลุซอย #dog #animals #สัตว์เลี้ยงแสนรัก #สัตว์โลกน่ารัก #thaitimes #อาราเล่หมาดื้อ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9-8pqFqBY
บทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับครอบครัว
(คลิกอ่านเพิ่มเติม เพื่ออ่านบทสนทนาภาษาอังกฤษและไทย และคำศัพท์น่ารู้)
แบบทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษ จากบทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับครอบครัวแนะนำตัวเอง
มีคำถาม 5 ข้อหลังฟังเสร็จ เพื่อทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษของคุณ

#conversations #listeningtest #หมูเด้ง

The conversations from the clip :

Moo Deng: Hello everyone! My name is Moo Deng, and I’m the superstar of Khao Kheow Zoo! I was born on July 10, 2024. I have an older brother named Moo Toon; we share the same parents. I love sleeping and swimming in my pond. I have a playful personality and love nibbling on the zoo keeper's shoes!
Jona (Mom): Hello! My name is Jona, Moo Deng’s mom. I’m 25 years old, and I’m a very loving hippo mom who always keeps Moo Deng safe and happy. I enjoy spending time with him and teaching him how to play in the water. It’s amazing to watch him grow and have fun!
Tony (DaD): Hi there! My name is Tony, Moo Deng’s dad. I’m 24 years old, and I’m a strong hippo. I want to teach him about the world. I also enjoy relaxing by the pond and sunbathing. I hope to be playing with Moo Deng soon!
Moo Deng: My parents are awesome! They always support me and help me become a great hippo. I love them both very much. We have so much fun together at the zoo, and I look forward to showing everyone my playful side!
Jona: As a family, we promote awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation. We want people to understand that hippos are unique animals and that their natural habitats need protection.
Tony: We’re proud to be part of Khao Kheow Zoo, where we get to interact with visitors and share our story. It’s wonderful to see so many people come here to learn about us!
Moo Deng: So, come visit us at the zoo! I promise you’ll have a great time watching my playful antics and learning about hippos. Let’s have fun together at the zoo! Thank you for listening to our story!

หมูเด้ง:สวัสดีทุกคน! ฉันชื่อหมูเด้ง และฉันเป็นซูเปอร์สตาร์ของสวนสัตว์เขาเขียว! ฉันเกิดเมื่อวันที่ 10 กรกฏาคม 2024 ฉ้นมีพี่ชาย พ่อแม่เดียวกันชื่อหมูตุ๋น ฉันชอบนอนและว่ายน้ำในบ่อของฉัน ฉันมีบุคลิกที่ขี้เล่นและชอบกัดรองเท้าของผู้ดูแลสวนสัตว์!
โจวน่า (แม่):สวัสดีค่ะ! ฉันชื่อโจวน่า แม่ของหมูเด้ง ฉันอายุ 25 ปี ฉันเป็นฮิปโปที่รักลูกมาก และมักจะทำให้หมูเด้งปลอดภัยและมีความสุข ฉันชอบใช้เวลาร่วมกับเขาและสอนเขาเล่นในน้ำ มันยอดเยี่ยมมากที่ได้เห็นเขาเติบโตและสนุกสนาน!
โทนี่ (พ่อ):สวัสดีครับ! ฉันชื่อโทนี่ พ่อของหมูเด้ง ฉันอายุ 24 ปี ฉันเป็นฮิปโปที่แข็งแรง ฉันอยากสอนเขาเกี่ยวกับโลก ฉันยังชอบนั่งพักผ่อนริมบ่อน้ำและอาบแดด ฉันหวังว่าจะได้เล่นกับหมูเด้งในไม่ช้า!
หมูเด้ง:พ่อแม่ของฉันยอดเยี่ยมมาก! พวกเขาคอยสนับสนุนฉันและช่วยให้ฉันเป็นอิปโป
ที่ดี ฉันรักพวกเขาทั้งคู่มาก เรามีความสนุกสนานมากมายที่สวนสัตว์ และฉันรอคอยที่จะแสดงด้านขี้เล่นของฉันให้ทุกคนเห็น!
โจวน่า:ในฐานะครอบครัว เราส่งเสริมการตระหนักรู้เกี่ยวกับความสำคัญของการอนุรักษ์สัตว์ป่า เราต้องการให้ผู้คนเข้าใจว่าฮิปโปเป็นสิ่งมีชีวิตที่พิเศษและจำเป็นต้องปกป้องที่อยู่อาศัยตามธรรมชาติของพวกเขา
โทนี่:เราภูมิใจที่เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของสวนสัตว์เขาเขียว ที่เราสามารถมีปฏิสัมพันธ์กับผู้เข้าชมและแบ่งปันเรื่องราวของเรา มันดีมากที่ได้เห็นผู้คนมากมายมาที่นี่เพื่อเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับเรา!
หมูเด้ง:ดังนั้น มาที่สวนสัตว์และเยี่ยมชมเรานะ! ฉันสัญญาว่าคุณจะมีช่วงเวลาที่สนุกสนานในการดูความซุกซนของฉันและเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับฮิปโป มาสนุกด้วยกันที่สวนสัตว์! ขอบคุณที่ฟังเรื่องราวของเราค่ะ!

Vocabulary (คำศัพท์น่ารู้)

Superstar (ซู-เปอร์-สตาร์) n. แปลว่า ดารา/นักแสดงที่มีชื่อเสียงมาก
Zoo (ซู) n. แปลว่า สวนสัตว์
Older (โอ-เดอร์) adj. แปลว่า ที่มีอายุมากกว่า
Playful (เพล-ฟูล) adj. แปลว่า ขี้เล่น
Personality (เพอร์-ซะ-แนล-ละ-ที) n. แปลว่า บุคลิกภาพ
Nibble (นิบ-เบิล) v. แปลว่า กัดเล็กๆ น้อยๆ
Keeper (คี-เพอร์) n. แปลว่า ผู้ดูแล
Pond (พอนด์) n. แปลว่า บ่อน้ำ
Amazing (อะ-เม-ซิง) adj. แปลว่า น่าทึ่ง
Grow (โกรว) v. แปลว่า เติบโต
Awareness (อะ-แวร์-เนส) n. แปลว่า การตระหนักรู้
Conservation (คอน-เซอร์-เว-ชัน) n. แปลว่า การอนุรักษ์
Unique (ยู-นีค) adj. แปลว่า พิเศษ/ไม่เหมือนใคร
Habitat (แฮบ-บิ-แทท) n. แปลว่า ที่อยู่อาศัยของสัตว์
Antics (แอน-ทิคส์) n. แปลว่า พฤติกรรม/การกระทำที่สนุกสนาน

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P-SRlgZeS0
บทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับคนเลี้ยง
(คลิกอ่านเพิ่มเติม เพื่ออ่านบทสนทนาภาษาอังกฤษและไทย และคำศัพท์น่ารู้)
แบบทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษ จากบทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับคนเลี้ยง
มีคำถาม 5 ข้อหลังฟังเสร็จ เพื่อทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษของคุณ

#conversations #listeningtest #หมูเด้ง

The conversations from the clip :

Moo Deng: Hey, why do I always feel sleepy after eating?
Zookeeper: Oh, Moo Deng! It’s normal to feel tired after eating. Your body is working hard to digest all that delicious food!
Moo Deng: I love eating, but sometimes I just want to take a nap right after!
Zookeeper: That’s okay! Pigs need a lot of rest, especially after enjoying a good meal.
Moo Deng: Do other animals get sleepy after they eat too?
Zookeeper: Yes, many animals do. Even lions take long naps after they feast. Sleeping helps them digest their food better.
Moo Deng: Wow, I didn’t know that! But I must admit... sometimes I get too excited and accidentally nibble on you when we play.
Zookeeper: Haha, I’ve noticed! You’re a playful little pig, but biting can hurt, Moo Deng.
Moo Deng: Oh no, I don’t mean to! I just get really happy when we play together.
Zookeeper: I understand, but you need to be gentle. Biting can be dangerous, even if you don’t mean it.
Moo Deng: I’ll try to remember! Maybe I can just bump into you instead of biting.
Zookeeper: That sounds like a great idea! We can still have fun without the biting!
Moo Deng: Thanks, Zookeeper! I love playing with you, especially after I eat!Zookeeper: I love playing with you too, Moo Deng. Just remember to be gentle, especially when you’re excited!
Moo Deng: Got it! Now, can I have a carrot? They always make me feel better!
Zookeeper: Sure! Enjoy your carrot, and then you can take a nice nap!

หมูเด้ง: สวัสดี ทำไมฉันถึงรู้สึกง่วงนอนทุกครั้งหลังจากกิน?
คนเลี้ยง: โอ้ หมูเด้ง! มันเป็นเรื่องปกติที่รู้สึกเหนื่อยหลังจากกิน ร่างกายของเธอกำลังทำงานอย่างหนักเพื่อย่อยอาหารอร่อย ๆ นั่นแหละ!
หมูเด้ง: ฉันชอบกินนะ แต่บางครั้งฉันก็อยากงีบหลับทันทีเลย!
คนเลี้ยง: ไม่เป็นไรหรอก! หมูต้องการการพักผ่อนเยอะ ๆ โดยเฉพาะหลังจากเพลิดเพลินกับอาหารดี ๆ
หมูเด้ง: แล้วสัตว์ตัวอื่น ๆ ก็รู้สึกง่วงหลังจากกินเหมือนกันไหม?
คนเลี้ยง: ใช่ สัตว์หลายตัวก็เป็นแบบนั้น แม้แต่สิงโตก็นอนหลับยาวหลังจากที่มันกินเข้าไป การนอนช่วยให้พวกมันย่อยอาหารได้ดีขึ้น
หมูเด้ง: ว้าว ฉันไม่รู้เลย! แต่ฉันต้องยอมรับนะ... บางครั้งฉันตื่นเต้นเกินไปแล้วเผลอกัดพี่ตอนเล่น
คนเลี้ยง: ฮ่า ๆ ฉันสังเกตเห็นแล้ว! เธอเป็นลูกหมูที่ขี้เล่น แต่การกัดมันเจ็บนะ หมูเด้ง
หมูเด้ง: อุ๊ย ฉันไม่ได้ตั้งใจ! ฉันแค่ดีใจมาก ๆ เวลาที่เราเล่นด้วยกัน
คนเลี้ยง: ฉันเข้าใจ แต่เธอต้องอ่อนโยนหน่อย การกัดอาจเป็นอันตรายได้นะ ถึงแม้ว่าเธอไม่ได้ตั้งใจก็ตาม
หมูเด้ง: ฉันจะพยายามจำไว้! บางทีฉันอาจจะแค่ชนพี่แทนการกัด
คนเลี้ยง: นั่นฟังดูเป็นความคิดที่ดีนะ เราจะยังเล่นสนุกกันได้ แต่ไม่มีการกัด!
หมูเด้ง: ขอบคุณนะ พี่คนเลี้ยง ฉันชอบเล่นกับพี่มาก ๆ หลังจากกินเสร็จ!
คนเลี้ยง: ฉันก็ชอบเล่นกับเธอเหมือนกัน หมูเด้ง แค่จำไว้ว่าต้องอ่อนโยนนะ โดยเฉพาะตอนที่เธอตื่นเต้น
หมูเด้ง: ฉันจะจำไว้! ตอนนี้ฉันขอแครอทได้ไหม? มันทำให้ฉันง่วงนอนทุกที!
คนเลี้ยง: ได้สิ! กินแครอทให้อร่อยนะ แล้วก็นอนพักให้สบาย อย่าลืมว่าไม่ต้องกัดอีกแล้วนะ!

Vocabulary (คำศัพท์น่ารู้)

Sleepy (adj.) แปลว่า ง่วงนอน (สลีพ-พี)
Digest (v.) แปลว่า ย่อยอาหาร (ได-เจสท์)
Meal (n.) แปลว่า มื้ออาหาร (มีล)
Rest (v.) แปลว่า พักผ่อน (เรสท์)
Excited (adj.) แปลว่า ตื่นเต้น (อิค-ไซ-ทิด)
Playful (adj.) แปลว่า ขี้เล่น (เพลย์-ฟูล)
Gentle (adj.) แปลว่า อ่อนโยน (เจน-เทิล)
Tease (v.) แปลว่า แกล้ง (ทีซ)
Hurt (v.) แปลว่า ทำให้เจ็บ (เฮิร์ท)
Nudge (v.) แปลว่า ดันเบาๆ, ชนเบาๆ (นัดจ์)
Healthy (adj.) แปลว่า สุขภาพดี (เฮล-ธี)
Crunchy (adj.) แปลว่า กรอบ (ครัน-ชี่)
Bite (v.) แปลว่า กัด (ไบท์)
Play (v.) แปลว่า เล่น (เพลย์)
Carrot (n.) แปลว่า แครอท (แคร-รอท)

อาราเล่นั่งรอแม่ค่ะวันนี้หนูจะไม่ดื้อ #หมาน่ารัก #คนรักสัตว์ #สุนัข #สัตว์เลี้ยงแสนรัก #สัตว์โลกน่ารัก #สัตว์เลี้ยง #animals #dog #เทรนด์วันนี้ #อาลาเร่หมาดื้อ #kaiaminute

Words To Use Instead Of “Congratulations”

Congratulations!
Joyful times go hand in hand with congratulations. When addressing graduates, newlyweds, or anyone with good news, a hearty “Congratulations!” or a swift “Congrats!” is in order. Congratulants, “people who congratulate,” have been using the pluralized expression congratulations, which stems from the Latin gratus meaning “pleasing,” since the 1600s.

The singular noun meaning “the act of congratulating” has been around since the late 1500s.

Props!
When congratulations are in order, the term props might come up. This slang shortening of proper arose in the 1990s and refers to respect and esteem.

In addition to giving and receiving props as recognition, you can do someone a prop to help them out. In the 1995 film Clueless, Cher notices that Josh is dancing with Tai, despite the fact that he never dances, to make her feel included. Cher explains: “He’s doing her a prop so she won’t feel left out.”

Way to go!
If you admire someone’s grit and hustle, you can use this sporty method of congratulations. This active phrase has been traced back to the 1940s, when it was used in sports to congratulate a person or team on a great performance. In the 1960s, it began to be used more generally to refer to any kind of achievement.

If “Way to go!” doesn’t do it for you, some peppy alternatives include “Great job,” “Nice going,” “You rock,” and “You rule!”

Nailed it!
This handy phrase really hits the nail on the head when you want to give someone their due. Nailed it has been traced back to at least the 1970s and metaphorically refers to the act of successfully hitting a nail with a hammer.

In slang, we use a variety of other congratulatory phrases that also refer to forceful impacts or metaphorical violence such as “Killed it,” “Crushed it,” “Destroyed it,” and “Slayed it!”

social media cheers

Like, follow, and subscribe! Social media platforms all have different ways of congratulating somebody and letting them now how awesome their content is. These include:

Twitter: the heart or a retweet
Facebook: the thumbs-up on Facebook
Instagram: the like
YouTube: like, share, subscribe to a channel; hitting the bell icon
TikTok: like and follow
Snapchat: take a screenshot for later
Reddit: upvote; give Reddit Gold/Platinum; or a badge
Tumblr: reblog
Twitch: subscribe to a channel and/or give a donation

GG (Good Game)
Shorthand for “good game” in the world of esports, GG is used to congratulate a victorious opponent.

Additionally, it’s used to politely concede a match or admit defeat, most commonly in the realm of professional StarCraft. It’s all about the humble loss. Not everybody is a good sport, though, and the phrase GG EZ (“easy,” as in an easy win) is often used in a mean-spirited way to put down a defeated opponent.

Three cheers!
Three cheers is generally followed by “for” and the name of the person or thing being celebrated.

A person being cheers-ed might also respond to a toast of three cheers with the word … cheers, which, especially in the UK, can mean “thanks.” That’s a lot of cheers.

The term cheer entered English in the late 12th or early 13th century, and ultimately comes from the Greek word kárā meaning “head.”

Hip, hip, hooray!
For some Victorian flair, opt for the ever-cheery hip, hip, hooray (or hurrah). This expression of uncertain origin surfaced in the early 1800s, though the exclamation hip had been used since the mid-1700s. Hip repeated three times was used as a noun in the 1800s to refer to a collective cheer.

But, let’s not forget about hooray, a variant of hurrah. This exclamation dates from the late 1600s and is very similar to shouts in German, Danish, Swedish, and even Russian. Someone’s last hurrah is their “final moment or occasion of glory or achievement.”

Kudos!
Though it sounds colloquial, kudos finds its roots in the hallowed halls of academic institutions. At the turn of the 1800s, academics transliterated the Greek kydos, meaning “praise or renown.” By the 1920s, kudos had spread beyond the walls of universities and into the columns of newspapers.

Don’t be fooled by the S at the end of kudos; the word is, in fact, a singular noun. However, enough English speakers have erroneously interpreted it as plural for so long that already by the 1930s, the back formation singular kudo arose. Grammar sticklers avoid using kudo as a singular and kudos as a plural, though both forms can be found in popular usage.

Hats off!
The phrase hats off, while often said to graduates wearing the illustrious cap and gown, has nothing to do with the tradition of tossing hats in the air in celebration. This phrase, dating back to the 1600s, harks back to the custom of uncovering the head as a sign of respect.

Etiquette expert Emily Post advised gentlemen on the many situations in which they must remove hats to maintain politeness. In 1922 she wrote: “A gentleman takes off his hat and holds it in his hand when a lady enters the elevator.” He also lifts his hat whenever he asks a question or says “Excuse me.” You know, maybe we could all stand a little formality these days …

a round of applause
The act of clapping one’s hands together to show acclaim is actually much older than you might think. Scholars are unsure of the exact origin, but we have evidence that even the ancient Romans would show their appreciation by clapping their hands. In fact, the word plaudits (which means an expression of approval) comes from the Latin verb plaudere, meaning to clap one’s hands. The verb applause is also based on this Latin verb.

Today, the highest form of applause is the standing ovation, where every member of the audience rises to their feet and applauds. Any performer who manages to please an audience enough to cause them to stretch their legs a bit certainly deserves a big hand.

congratulatory emoji
Sometimes, it is better to use pictures rather than words to congratulate someone. In texting and on social media, many different emoji are used to give somebody a pat on the back after a job well done. The Clapping Hands emoji is used to refer to a round of applause and the Trophy emoji references the shiny knickknacks we give to people who have accomplished something.

The Party Popper emoji , Confetti Ball emoji , Partying Face emoji , and Bottle with Popping Cork emoji are also commonly used to congratulate someone. These party animals refer to the act of throwing a party in celebration of an achievement and the stuff you are likely to find at such a shindig.

Mazel tov!
This expression of congratulations and best wishes comes from the Hebrew term literally meaning “good luck.” Though many reserve the English good luck for before a big event, you can cheer mazel tov to wish someone good fortune or to say congratulations.

Mazel tov appeared in the 1600s spelled as missal tob but was rendered in English as mazel tov by the 1900s. Whatever transliteration you prefer, the term has been lovingly said ever since.

Felicitations!
If you want to stand out from the crowd of people offering their congratulations, try roaring felicitations. This less common expression of congratulations ultimately comes from the Latin felix, “happy.” English speakers have been using the singular form of this term (meaning “an act of congratulation”) since the early 1700s.

So, if you want to be original (or sound old-fashioned) in wishing your congratulations, reach for a felicitous felicitations!

congratulatory adjectives
You don’t have to think too hard when it comes to saying congratulations. Sometimes, a single adjective will do. All you need to do is shout “Fantastic!”, “Stupendous!”, “Amazing!”, “Incredible!”, or “Spectacular!” This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to celebratory adjectives, though. You can use our handy thesaurus to find many more impressive synonyms of these words that you can shout out when you want to signal how much someone has impressed you.

Keep going!
What’s more powerful than simply saying congratulations? Encouraging someone to keep pushing ahead and to accomplish more. You’re not only celebrating the accomplishment at hand, but also showing enthusiasm for their future. Keep going!

Copyright 2024, XAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldOkG3kf2b4
บทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับแม่
(คลิกอ่านเพิ่มเติม เพื่ออ่านบทสนทนาภาษาอังกฤษและไทย และคำศัพท์น่ารู้)
แบบทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษ จากบทสนทนาของหมูเด้งกับแม่
มีคำถาม 5 ข้อหลังฟังเสร็จ เพื่อทดสอบการฟังภาษาอังกฤษของคุณ

#moodeng #babyhippo #listeningstory

The conversations from the clip :

Moo Deng : Mommy, why do we live in this big place with so many people looking at us?
Moo Deng Mom : This is our home in the zoo, sweetie. The people come to see and learn about animals like us.
Moo Deng : Do you think they like watching us?
Moo Deng Mom : Yes, they do! They love seeing you play in the water and walk around.
Moo Deng : I like playing in the water! Can I splash around for them today?
Moo Deng Mom : Of course! The visitors always enjoy when you splash. Just be careful not to get too tired.
Moo Deng : Look, Mommy! I’m making big splashes! Are they watching me?
Moo Deng Mom : Yes, they’re all smiling and taking pictures. You’re doing a great job!
Moo Deng : I wish I could go out and play with them! Do you think they want to play with me?
Moo Deng Mom : I’m sure they do, but we have to stay in our enclosure for our safety.
Moo Deng : Oh, I guess it’s safer here. But it looks like so much fun out there!
Moo Deng Mom : You can have just as much fun in our pool and play area. Plus, we get to swim all day!
Moo Deng : That’s true! Swimming is my favorite thing to do.
Moo Deng Mom : And you’re getting really good at it. One day, you’ll be as strong a swimmer as I am.
Moo Deng : I can’t wait, Mommy! I love living here with you!

หมูเด้ง : แม่ครับ ทำไมเราถึงอาศัยอยู่ในที่ใหญ่ ๆ ที่มีคนมากมายมองมาที่เรา?
แม่หมูเด้ง : นี่คือบ้านของเราในสวนสัตว์จ๊ะ ลูก คนเหล่านั้นมาที่นี่เพื่อดูและเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับสัตว์อย่างเรา
หมูเด้ง : คุณคิดว่าพวกเขาชอบดูเราหรือเปล่า?
แม่หมูเด้ง : ใช่ พวกเขาชอบ! พวกเขารักที่จะเห็นลูกเล่นน้ำและเดินไปมา
หมูเด้ง : ผมชอบเล่นน้ำ! วันนี้ผมสามารถกระโดดน้ำให้พวกเขาดูได้ไหมครับ?
แม่หมูเด้ง : แน่นอน! ผู้เยี่ยมชมมักจะสนุกเมื่อเห็นลูกกระโดดน้ำ แค่ระวังอย่าให้เหนื่อยเกินไปนะ
หมูเด้ง : ดูสิ แม่! ผมทำให้เกิดคลื่นใหญ่ได้! พวกเขากำลังดูผมอยู่ไหม?
แม่หมูเด้ง : ใช่ พวกเขาทั้งหมดกำลังยิ้มและถ่ายรูปอยู่ คุณทำได้ดีมาก!
หมูเด้ง : ผมอยากออกไปเล่นกับพวกเขาจัง! คุณคิดว่าพวกเขาอยากเล่นกับผมไหม?
แม่หมูเด้ง : ฉันมั่นใจว่าพวกเขาอยากเล่น แต่เราต้องอยู่ในกรงเพื่อความปลอดภัยของเรา
หมูเด้ง : โอ้ ผมคิดว่ามันปลอดภัยกว่าอยู่ที่นี่ แต่ดูเหมือนมันสนุกมากข้างนอก!
แม่หมูเด้ง : ลูกสามารถสนุกได้ไม่น้อยในสระและพื้นที่เล่นของเรา และเรายังสามารถว่ายน้ำตลอดทั้งวัน!
หมูเด้ง : จริงด้วย! ว่ายน้ำเป็นสิ่งที่ผมชอบที่สุด
แม่หมูเด้ง : และลูกก็ทำได้ดีมากขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ วันหนึ่งลูกจะเป็นนักว่ายน้ำที่แข็งแรงเหมือนแม่
หมูเด้ง : ผมรอไม่ไหวแล้ว แม่! ผมรักการใช้ชีวิตที่นี่กับแม่!

Vocabulary (คำศัพท์น่ารู้)

Home (โฮม) n. แปลว่า บ้าน
Zoo (ซู) n. แปลว่า สวนสัตว์
People (พี-เปิล) n. แปลว่า ผู้คน
Animals (แอน-นิ-มัลส์) n. แปลว่า สัตว์
Splash (สแพลช) v. แปลว่า สาดน้ำ, กระเด็นน้ำ
Visitors (วิซ-อิ-เทอร์ส) n. แปลว่า ผู้มาเยี่ยมชม
Enclosure (อิน-โคล-เจอร์) n. แปลว่า เขตที่อยู่อาศัย (ในสวนสัตว์)
Safety (เซฟ-ที) n. แปลว่า ความปลอดภัย
Fun (ฟัน) n. แปลว่า ความสนุกสนาน
Pool (พูล) n. แปลว่า สระน้ำ
Play area (เพลย์ เรียร์) n. แปลว่า พื้นที่เล่น
Swimming (สวิ-มมิง) n. แปลว่า การว่ายน้ำ
Strong (สทรอง) adj. แปลว่า แข็งแรง
Tired (ไท-เอิร์ด) adj. แปลว่า เหนื่อย
Favorite (เฟฟ-อริท) n. แปลว่า สิ่งที่ชื่นชอบ

Understand The Difference Between Ethos, Pathos, And Logos To Make Your Point

During an argument, people will often say whatever is necessary to win. If that is the case, they would certainly need to understand the three modes of persuasion, also commonly known as the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. In short, these three words refer to three main methods that a person can use to speak or write persuasively. As you’re about to find out, the modes of persuasion are important because a speaker who knows how to effectively use them will have a significant advantage over someone who doesn’t.

The terms ethos, pathos, and logos and the theory of their use can be traced back to ancient Greece to the philosophy of Aristotle. Aristotle used these three concepts in his explanations of rhetoric, or the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience. For Aristotle, the three modes of persuasion specifically referred to the three major parts of an argument: the speaker (ethos), the argument itself (logos), and the audience (pathos). In particular, Aristotle focused on the speaker’s character, the logic and reason presented by an argument, and the emotional impact the argument had on an audience.

While they have ancient roots, these modes of persuasion are alive and well today. Put simply, ethos refers to persuasion based on the credibility or authority of the speaker, pathos refers to persuasion based on emotion, and logos refers to persuasion based on logic or reason.

By effectively using the three modes of persuasion with a large supply of rhetorical devices, a speaker or writer can become a master of rhetoric and win nearly any argument or win over any audience. Before they can do that, though, they must know exactly what ethos, pathos, and logos mean. Fortunately, we are going to look closely at each of these three ideas and see if they are really as effective as they are said to be.

Quick summary

Ethos, pathos, and logos are the three classical modes of persuasion that a person can use to speak or write persuasively. Specifically:

ethos (character): known as “the appeal to authority” or “the appeal to credibility.” This is the method in which a person relies on their credibility or character when making an appeal or an argument.

pathos (emotions): known as “the appeal to emotion.” Pathos refers to the method of trying to persuade an audience by eliciting some kind of emotional reaction.

logos (logic): known as “the appeal to reason.” This method involves using facts and logical reasoning to support an argument and persuade an audience.


What is ethos?

The word ethos comes straight from Greek. In Greek, ethos literally translates to “habit,” “custom,” or “character.” Ethos is related to the words ethic and ethical, which are typically used to refer to behavior that is or isn’t acceptable for a particular person.

In rhetoric, the word ethos is used to refer to the character or reputation of the speaker. As a rhetorical appeal, ethos is known as “the appeal to authority” or “the appeal to credibility.” When it comes to ethos, one important consideration is how the speaker carries themself and how they present themselves to the audience: Does it seem like they know what they are talking about? Do they even believe the words they are saying? Are they an expert? Do they have some experience or skills that tell us we should listen to them?

Ethos is important in rhetoric because it often influences the opinion or mood of the audience. If a speaker seems unenthusiastic, unprepared, or inexperienced, the audience is more likely to discount the speaker’s argument regardless of what it even is. On the other hand, a knowledgeable, authoritative, confident speaker is much more likely to win an audience over.

Ethos often depends on more than just the argument itself. For example, a speaker’s word choice, grammar, and diction also contribute to ethos; an audience may react more favorably toward a professional speaker who has a good grasp of industry jargon and enunciates clearly versus a speaker who lacks the necessary vocabulary and fails to enunciate. Ethos can also be influenced by nonverbal factors as well, such as posture, body language, eye contact, and even the speaker’s choice of clothing. For example, a military officer proudly wearing their uniform bedecked with medals will go a long way to establishing ethos without them saying a single word.

Here as a simple example of ethos:

“As a former mayor of this city, I believe we can solve this crisis if we band together.”
The speaker uses ethos by alerting the audience of their credentials and experience. By doing so, they rely on their reputation to be more persuasive. This “as a…” method of establishing ethos is common, and you have probably seen it used in many persuasive advertisements and speeches.


What is pathos?

In Greek, pathos literally translates to “suffering, experience, or sensation.” The word pathos is related to the words pathetic, sympathy, and empathy, which all have to do with emotions or emotional connections. Aristotle used the word pathos to refer to the emotional impact that an argument had on an audience; this usage is still mainly how pathos is used in rhetoric today.

As a rhetorical appeal, pathos is referred to as “the appeal to emotion.” Generally speaking, an author or speaker is using pathos when they are trying to persuade an audience by causing some kind of emotional reaction. When it comes to pathos, any and all emotions are on the table: sadness, fear, hope, joy, anger, lust, pity, etc.

As you probably know from your own life, emotions are a powerful motivating factor. For this reason, relying on pathos is often a smart and effective strategy for persuading an audience. Both positive and negative emotions can heavily influence an audience: for example, an audience will want to support a speaker whose position will make them happy, a speaker who wants to end their sadness, or a speaker who is opposed to something that makes them angry.

Here is a simple example of pathos:

“Every day, the rainforests shrink and innocent animals are killed. We must do something about this calamitous trend before the planet we call our home is damaged beyond repair.”
Here, the author is trying to win over an audience by making them feel sad, concerned, or afraid. The author’s choice of words like “innocent” and “calamitous” enforce the fact that they are trying to rely on pathos.


What is logos?

In Greek, the word logos literally translates to “word, reason, or discourse.” The word logos is related to many different words that have to do with reason, discourse, or knowledge, such as logic, logical, and any words that end in the suffixes -logy or -logue.

As a mode of persuasion and rhetorical appeal, logos is often referred to as “the appeal to reason.” If a speaker or author is relying on logos, they are typically reciting facts or providing data and statistics that support their argument. In a manner of speaking, logos does away with all of the bells and whistles of ethos and pathos and cuts to the chase by trying to present a rational argument.

Logos can be effective in arguments because, in theory, it is impossible to argue against truth and facts. An audience is more likely to agree with a speaker who can provide strong, factual evidence that shows their position is correct. On the flip side, an audience is less likely to support an argument that is flawed or entirely wrong. Going further, a speaker that presents a lot of supporting evidence and data to the audience is likely to come across as knowledgeable and someone to be listened to, which earns bonus points in ethos as well.

While Aristotle clearly valued an argument based on reason very highly, we know that logos alone doesn’t always effectively persuade an audience. In your own life, you have likely seen a rational, correct speaker lose an argument to a charismatic, authoritative speaker who may not have the facts right.

Here is a simple example of logos:

“According to market research, sales of computer chips have increased by 300% in the last five years. Analysis of the industry tells us that the market share of computer chips is dominated by Asian manufacturers. It is clear that the Asian technology sector will continue to experience rapid growth for the foreseeable future.”
In this paragraph, the author is using data, statistics, and logical reasoning to make their argument. They clearly hope to use logos to try to convince an audience to agree with them.

Examples of ethos, pathos, and logos
Ethos, pathos, and logos can all be employed to deliver compelling and persuasive arguments or to win over an audience. Let’s look at a variety of examples to see how different speakers and authors have turned to these modes of persuasion over the years.


ethos

“Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me […] You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?”
—Marc Antony, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

In this scene, Marc Antony is trying to win over the Roman people, so Shakespeare has Antony rely on ethos. Antony is establishing himself as both a person of authority in Rome (having the power to offer Caesar a crown) and an expert on Caesar’s true character (Antony was Caesar’s close friend and advisor).

“During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance.”
—Steve Jobs, 2005

Here, Steve Jobs is providing his background–via humblebrag– of being a major figure in several different highly successful tech companies. Jobs is using ethos to provide substance to his words and make it clear to the audience that he knows what he is talking about and they should listen to him.


pathos

“Moreover, though you hate both him and his gifts with all your heart, yet pity the rest of the Achaeans who are being harassed in all their host; they will honour you as a god, and you will earn great glory at their hands. You might even kill Hector; he will come within your reach, for he is infatuated, and declares that not a Danaan whom the ships have brought can hold his own against him.”
—Ulysses to Achilles, The Iliad by Homer

In this plea, Ulysses is doing his best to pile on the pathos. In one paragraph, Ulysses is attempting to appeal to several of Achilles’s emotions: his hatred of Hector, his infamous stubborn pride, his sympathy for civilians, and his desire for vengeance.

“I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest—quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

In this excerpt from his “I Have A Dream” speech, King is using pathos to accomplish two goals at once. First, he is connecting with his audience by making it clear is aware of their plight and suffering. Second, he is citing these examples to cause sadness or outrage in the audience. Both of these effects will make an audience interested in what he has to say and more likely to support his position.


logos

“Let it be remembered how powerful the influence of a single introduced tree or mammal has been shown to be. But in the case of an island, or of a country partly surrounded by barriers, into which new and better adapted forms could not freely enter, we should then have places in the economy of nature which would assuredly be better filled up if some of the original inhabitants were in some manner modified; for, had the area been open to immigration, these same places would have been seized on by intruders. In such case, every slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved; and natural selection would have free scope for the work of improvement.”
—Charles Darwin, On the Origin of the Species, 1859

In this passage, Darwin is using logos by presenting a rational argument in support of natural selection. Darwin connects natural selection to established scientific knowledge to argue that it makes logical sense that animals would adapt to better survive in their environment.

“I often echo the point made by the climate scientist James Hansen: The accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases—some of which will envelop the planet for hundreds and possibly thousands of years—is now trapping as much extra energy daily as 500,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs would release every 24 hours. This is the crisis we face.”
—Al Gore, “The Climate Crisis Is the Battle of Our Time, and We Can Win,” 2019

In this call to action, Al Gore uses logos to attempt to convince his audience of the significance of climate change. In order to do this, Gore both cites an expert in the field and provides a scientifically accurate simile to explain the scale of the effect that greenhouse gases have on Earth’s atmosphere.


What are mythos and kairos?

Some modern scholars may also use terms mythos and kairos when discussing modes of persuasion or rhetoric in general.

Aristotle used the term mythos to refer to the plot or story structure of Greek tragedies, i.e., how a playwright ordered the events of the story to affect the audience. Today, mythos is most often discussed as a literary or poetic term rather than a rhetorical one. However, mythos may rarely be referred to as the “appeal to culture” or the “appeal to myth” if it is treated as an additional mode of persuasion. According to this viewpoint, a speaker/writer is using mythos if they try to persuade an audience using shared cultural customs or societal values.

A commonly cited example of mythos is King’s “I Have a Dream” speech quoted earlier. King says:

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ ”

Throughout the speech, King repeatedly uses American symbols and American history (mythos) to argue that all Americans should be outraged that Black Americans have been denied freedom and civil rights.

Some modern scholars may also consider kairos as an additional mode of persuasion. Kairos is usually defined as referring to the specific time and place that a speaker chooses to deliver their speech. For written rhetoric, the “place” instead refers to the specific medium or publication in which a piece of writing appears.

Unlike the other modes of persuasion, kairos relates to the context of a speech and how the appropriateness (or not) of a setting affects how effective a speaker is. Once again, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is a great example of the use of kairos. This speech was delivered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Clearly, King intended to use kairos to enhance the importance and timeliness of this landmark speech.

Copyright 2024, XAKKHRA, All Rights Reserved.

Happy Lunar New Year – Learn All About This Celebration!

For millions of Asian Americans and Asian peoples around the world, the Lunar New Year is a time to gather with family, start the year off right, and eat a lot of delicious food. Like, a lot. One of the biggest holidays in East Asia, the Lunar New Year will fall on February 1, 2022 in 2022. Because it’s based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, it’s also often called Chinese New Year.

While you may be familiar with Lunar New Year parades on TV, did you know the holiday encompasses a wide variety of unique traditions—from gifts exchanged to lucky fruit? Here’s a quick look at some of the things that happen behind the scenes.

How do people prepare for Lunar New Year?
There’s a lot to do leading up to the holiday. The general spirit of this preparation is to clean away the residue of the old year and start fresh, personally and financially. You can do this by giving your entire home a good deep cleaning and settling your debts and grudges. Clear away all the lingering bad luck of the old year, making room for the good luck of the new year.

It’s also important to visit your family’s gravesites before the new year. It’s bad luck to visit a cemetery during the New Year’s celebration because it’s ill-advised to mix interactions with death and celebrations of life. It’s a chance to touch base with your ancestors and remember them fondly. Some believe that ancestral spirits help bring good fortune in the new year.

What do people eat during Lunar New Year?
During the Lunar New Year, families get together to eat lucky foods, exchange gifts, and bond with one another. These gatherings are the highlight of the season. Many people travel far and wide to visit all of their family in the new year. So you live in San Francisco, but your family’s in New York? Have fun on your road trip!

Of course, as soon as you get through the door all your relatives will ask, “你食飯未呀” (“Have you eaten yet?”). What would family gatherings be without loads of food? But it’s considered bad luck to touch knives during the New Year’s season, so a lot of families take time to prep and store food ahead of time.

Some traditional foods have symbolic meanings:

fish

Fish is the centerpiece of many New Year’s feasts. In some Chinese dialects, the word for fish (鱼 or yú) is a homophone with the word for surplus (余, also yú). Thanks to this, eating seafood is believed to symbolize a bountiful new year.

dumplings

Dumplings symbolize wealth because they look like little Chinese-style gold ingots (or like little purses). Some believe eating a lot of them will lead to wealth in the new year (which sounds like a great excuse to eat more dumplings).

long noodles

Long noodles symbolize longevity and happiness. They can be served fried, boiled, or as part of a soup. Cutting or breaking the noodles is seen to symbolize cutting your lifespan short. So if you have a habit of breaking your pasta before cooking it, you might want to rethink that.

10-course banquets

Some restaurants will host 10-course banquets for the occasion. The pricing for these banquets will usually end in the number eight, which is considered lucky in Chinese numerology. In both Mandarin and Cantonese, the word for eight (八, pronounced bā or bat) sounds similar to the word for prosperity (發 pronounced fā or fat). You might actually recognize 發 from a common Chinese New Year greeting: “恭禧發財”. (You can say gong she fa tsai in Mandarin or gong hey fat choi in Cantonese.) So if you see a feast for $888, you know that’s extra lucky.

Lunar New Year celebrations and traditions

Lunar New Year is a time to wish each other luck and prosperity in the year to come—while warding off any potential bad spirits.

red envelopes

When families gather, they’ll also exchange red envelopes. These are known as lai see (Cantonese) or hóng bāo (Mandarin). They’re gifts from adults (elders and married people) to children and unmarried young adults. They usually contain a few coins or small bills of “lucky money.” This symbolizes a wish for prosperity and plenty in the new year. At the end of the New Year’s celebration period, you’re supposed to spend the lucky money on something sweet (for a sweet new year).

lucky words

Many families also decorate their homes with bright red lanterns and signs for the holiday. These typically have lucky words written on them in gold lettering. One word used is fú (福), which means good fortune. You might see this character hung upside down on or near someone’s front door. This is because in some dialects, the word for upside down, dào (倒) is a homonym with the word for to arrive (到, also pronounced dào). Hanging the sign upside down symbolizes arrival of good fortune. Yay for wordplay.

firecrackers

One Chinese legend says that there was once a monster, called the nián, that terrorized a certain village every Lunar New Year. Then one day, the villagers learned that the nián was afraid of a bright shade of red, as well as loud noises. The villagers all wore red and set off firecrackers and fireworks. The nián was terrified and fled the village for good. Mulan would be proud. Today, you’ll still see plenty of red and hear plenty of fireworks. It’s all still meant to scare away evil spirits (the nián included).

tangerines

You might also see arrangements of tangerines or other citrus fruits. These are also meant to symbolize prosperity thanks to their golden color. Tangerines that still have leaves and stems symbolize fertility. It’s traditional to give tangerines as gifts when you visit someone’s home during the New Year’s celebration.

Lunar New Year is an important time for many people in Asia, as well as for Asian communities worldwide. You probably know at least one person who celebrates it, and the traditions they observe won’t be the exact same as people of other families, regions, ethnicities, or religions.

What are zodiac animals?

The Chinese New Year specifically marks the end and beginning of a year of the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac consists of a cycle of 12 years, all named for animals. These animals are, in order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar.

Just like the Western zodiac, the Chinese zodiac says that a person’s personality and horoscope can be determined by their personal zodiac sign—in this case, the one of their birth year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. To celebrate the occasion, Chinese New Year festivals, parties, and parades will be held around the world, and most will be adorned with tigers in the form of decorations, art, and toys. The occasion also motivated some organizations to raise awareness of tiger conservation as tigers are a critically endangered species. In 2002, you can also celebrate and share your support for tigers with the Tiger Face emoji and Tiger emoji .


⚡️Chinese zodiac chart
Starting in year 2020, here is a chart of the next 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac:

Year Animal Emoji representation
2020 rat
2021 ox ,
2022 tiger ,
2023 rabbit ,
2024 dragon ,
2025 snake
2026 horse ,
2027 goat
2028 monkey ,
2029 rooster ,
2030 dog ,
2031 pig ,

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“Turtle” vs. “Tortoise”: What’s The Difference?

Those who attended the University of Maryland or are familiar with this institution know to “fear the turtle.” Thanks to their trusty mascot, Testudo, this slogan is a favorite of students and fans. But is Testudo the terrapin actually a turtle or a tortoise? And is there even a difference between them? Let’s take a closer look.


What is a turtle?

Turtles and tortoises are both reptiles that belong to the order Testudines. This order is comprised of aquatic and terrestrial species that have their trunk enclosed in a shell. To be specific, that shell consists of a dorsal carapace—or shell covering—and a ventral plastron (the bottom part of the shell). The architecture of this shell that houses the skeleton is unique to turtles. Turtles cannot leave their shell or shed it for a new one.

The word turtle dates back to around 1625–35. It originated from an alteration of the French tortue, which is itself derived from the Latin word for this animal, tortūca.

To use the word correctly, you might say:

- Her family refers to her as “The Turtle” because she is quick to retreat into her “shell” instead of getting to know people.
- Out of all of the animals he grew up with, Gabe’s favorite pet was his beloved turtle, Shelly, whose shell patterns inspired his artwork.
- Since turtle, or the order Testudines, refers to reptiles who have their bodies protected or encased within a shell, it’s no surprise that there are many species of turtles: 356 of them to be exact. Some of these types of turtles include sea turtle, box turtle, green turtle, and snapping turtle.

However, an aquatic turtle can be distinguished from a terrestrial one, known as a tortoise.


What is a tortoise?

A tortoise is a noun that refers to a terrestrial turtle or a slow-moving person. This type of turtle belongs to the family Testudinidae and typically spends its time on land.

Tortoise was first recorded in English around 1350–1400. It originated as a variant of the earlier words tortuse, tortose, and tortuce. The word tortoise may be related to the Latin for “twisted” (tortus). The Latin word testudo comes from testa (“shell”).

You might use the word like so:

- After Tamara broke her leg, she felt like a tortoise: only able to inch along on her crutches at an excruciatingly slow pace.
- While his family was visiting the desert, Lucas came across a tortoise eating a piece of cactus.
She opted for tortoiseshell glasses in honor of her favorite reptile: the tortoise.


How to tell the difference between a turtle and tortoise

Although tortoises are a type of turtle and belong to the order Testudines, they have distinct differences from aquatic turtles who spend their time in the water. Firstly, terrestrial turtles or tortoises are land-dwellers that eat vegetation and typically live in hot, dry areas. There are also physical differences, according to the San Diego Zoo, and these make it much easier to tell them apart.

In order to accommodate their time in the water, turtles have webbed feet. Some turtles have flippers and spend their entire lives swimming while others hang out on the shore, rocks, or beaches on occasion and burrow in the mud when they get cold.

Instead of webbed feet, tortoises have round feet that look like stumps and help them walk on land. They live in dry and hot habitats, and some even eat cactus. To avoid the sun, some dig burrows and head underground. Most tortoises have shells that are higher with more of a domed shape.

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