Tag archives: nice

What could be nicer than nice?

Picture the scene. I’m cooking lunch and put on some music to accompany the chopping when in comes Masie, who’s over from Washington. She picks up the CD case and looks at it with the sophistication that only a nine-year-old can manage. ‘Miss Harrison says you shouldn’t say that word.’ ‘Which word’s that?’ I say, [...]

Posted on: August 2 2011 | Posted by: | Comments: 2 | Categories: English in use, Word origins | Tags: , ,

Shifted meanings: nice and egregious

Many of the words that have been in the English language for more than a few hundred years have shifted their meaning somewhat. The first meaning of the word secretary was exactly what it looks like it should be – someone who keeps secrets. And similarly, principal meant ‘of or belonging to a prince’ well before it [...]

Posted on: February 22 2011 | Posted by: | Comments: 0 | Categories: Word trends and new words | Tags: , ,