QUIZZES

Quizicon web site offers a collection of more than one hundred quizzes about a variety of topics.

Some of them are related to language and literature:
- 10 most common English words.
- 10 most common Spanish words.
- Authors of classic novels.
- Punctuation symbols.
- Cockney alphabet.
- Shakespeare's plays.

Why not try one of them as a means of revision, a mental challenge or just for fun?

Image source: Flickrcc
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GOOD BYE SERIOUSNESS; HELLO WEIRDNESS

It had to happen, sooner or later. The classics revisited by the most disrespectful writers. Are these versions right? Or should literary classics be untouchable? Maybe they should, but then, which classics exactly? How we would tell which one should remain unblemished by these blasphemous versions? This time have been Austen´s Pride and Prejudice (now Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and Sense and Sensibility (Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters), but what comes next?
Anyway, I dare to predict a wave of weird versions of classics for the next months. Or maybe it´ll be a tsunami.

LANGUAGE BLOGS

From this post in Lexiophiles we can access the four sections of a language blog competition (language learning, language teaching, language technology and language professionals). It is still possible to vote for your favourite one in each category by marking your choice among selections of one hundred blogs.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

The term Dog Days refer to the period between July and September when the hottest days of the year usually occur in the northern hemisphere. It also extends its meaning to a period of stagnation and inactivity.

The term "Dog Days" was used by the ancient Romans, who called these days caniculares dies after Sirius, "the dog star", which rose just before or at the same time as sunrise and was believed to increase the heating power of the Sun.

Summer days are an invitation to go strolling, to travel... and, especially, to lazy around. I know that this blog has not as many readers as we liked but I still think that it is worth it, a friendly place for practising English writing a bit, for jotting down interesting resources related to language and literature, for sharing thoughts, news, selected quotes, etc. Summer holidays are near and I will probably keep quiet regarding this blog for the coming two 'dog' months.


Some English idioms related to summer:

An Indian summer
1. A period of warm weather which sometimes happens in early autumn Both the UK and Ireland have been enjoying an Indian summer over the past few weeks.
2. A successful or pleasant period in someone's life, especially towards the end of their life

One swallow doesn't make a summer.
You cannot be certain that more good things will happen and the whole situation will improve just because on good thing has happened.

To make hay while the sun shines.
To do something right away while the situation or conditions are right, with no delay.