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English is a language that often seems to divide rather than unite its speakers from various parts of the former British empire. For example, when Americans speak of ‘boots’ and ‘bonnets’, they are referring to things you wear, but in British English, of course, the words refer to the front and back of a car, […]

So you’ve shortlisted universities, taken the exams you need to take, and even got great scores. And yet, your dream of studying abroad has screeched to a halt. The reason? Your parents aren’t ready to let their precious fledgling fly from the nest. If this sounds like your story, here are a few tips that […]

Languages are often more interconnected than we realize. They reflect centuries, or even millennia, of migration, trade, and cultural borrowing. Although many of us may feel no connection to the Roma people (a.k.a. Gypsies), we do, in fact, share quite a bit of vocabulary with them. If you’re a Hindi or Urdu speaker, for instance, […]

Ever wondered how a city or town gets its name? Places get their names from histories, geographies, and relentless change. For example, several Indian towns and cities have frequently changed names in order to reflect different perspectives. And in the UK, place-names are how invading armies – Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Norsemen & Vikings left their indelible […]

Success is a popular term. It is also a nuanced one; as much a personal definition, as a cultural construct. The word is derived from the Latin successus, which comes from the verb succedere – come close after. The question hidden in the word’s etymology then is – to come close after what? A lot […]

In this Word Nerd, we are talking about balls, because, apparently, we talk about balls a lot! And not just in the context of sports. It is a common metaphor in politics, business, or any kind of conversation. Not surprising, given that humans have been preoccupied with balls for millennia. There are handball drawings on […]

Oxford’s libraries are among the most celebrated in the world for their incomparable collections of books and manuscripts. The main research library which lends the entire group its name is the Bodleian Library. The group includes research libraries, faculty libraries, as well as those attached to the departments and other institutions of the University, and […]

In our Word Nerd blogs last year, we’ve talked about words to use, as well as how and why. For 2017, we start by sharing a list of words that ought to be banned, according to popular opinion. Every year, since 1976, the Lake Superior State University has been publishing the “List of Words Banished […]

Winter is not only coming, it is well & truly here. If not in the Game of Thrones, at least in the northern hemisphere. For Monsoon, we did a piece on how weather is a great source of creative inspiration in literature. So, for this week’s Word Nerd, we will look at 6 idiomatic phrases […]

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a US government-funded research facility, recently issued a serious challenge to other research units: can they beat the nerd quotient of their amazing mannequin challenge? Established by the University of California in 1952, LLNL is a government-funded research and development facility that focuses on national security, especially nuclear weapons. […]