Posts

Where does the word dude come from?

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What is FLOTUS? Who is the POTUS?

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FLOTUS is an acronym for ‘First Lady of the United States’.

What is 'the House' in American politics?

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The American political system has three centres of power. These are  the President and the two chambers in the American Congress the -  Senate  and the  House of Representatives .  'The House' - also sometimes known simply as Congress - is the bigger body because congressmen are elected at a local level while the Senate consists of two senators lected from each of the fifty US states. Though the states vary substantially in population size, each has equal representation. The intention of the founders was to ensure that the larger states did not dominate. All laws must originate in Congress. They the must pass up through the Senate and then be approved by the President. This is to ensure that legislation comes directly from local representatives, though the increasing use of presidential 'executive orders'  has been controversial in this regard. The legality of any legislation is ultimately decided by the Supreme Court. Judges are appointed for life by presidents. Their

What is a humble brag?

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"I am well aware that I am the 'umblest person going," said Uriah Heep, modestly .     Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

Five ways Dickens expanded the English language

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After Shakespeare, Charles Dickens has been the writer who most expanded the vocabulary we use.

Why is English not the official language of England?

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58 countries have English as an official language  -   but not  the USA  or the UK.

What is the Rorschach test?

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Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922) invented the 'ink blot' personality test. This uses ten standard black or coloured inkblot designs to assess personality traits and emotional tendencies.

What is Iconoclasm?

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  The word  Iconoclasm  has its origin in  A dispute over the use of religious images (icons) in the Byzantine Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries.  

What is the longest word in English?

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Longest words in English? The Oxford University Press English Dictionary  disqualifies the word nominated by The Readers Digest with this withering put down: 

Most versatile word in English?

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