Anyone who has read The Odyssey has "met" the original Sirens ... the mythological creatures in Greek history who lure sailors to their destruction on rocks with their sweet singing. But I daresay most of us haven't looked too closely at the word. The Greek seirenes is from seira, which means...

I learned way back in my school days that two of our summer months are named for Roman emperors--July (for Julius Caesar) and August (for Augustus Caesar). I imagine you knew that too. Similarly, you probably know that august as an adjective means "solemnly grand, inspiring reverence," as it has...

A week or two ago, that familiar chime of "Word of the Week!" sang out through the house. I looked up--ever eager for a new word to add to the list--and said, "Oo! What?" My husband replied with, "Cult and culture. They're clearly related, but I'd never stopped to wonder how." Neither had I! But...

Revisiting this delicious word today. Originally published August 27, 2018. The heat of summer is fully upon us, and we all know nothing tastes as good on those hot summer days as cool treats. Ice cream, Popsicles, frozen coffees and yogurts and you-name-it. My assistant’s little boy asked where...

Cappuccino. The mere word conjures up images of beautiful coffee, and the mere thought gets my tastebuds dancing. I am a coffee lover, so all kinds of coffee earn this reaction. Latte, mocha...mmm. Yep. I've always loved cappuccinos too, since I was a kid, even before I drank coffee daily. Now,...