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Nov30
TIME Magazine's 100 Best Novels

TIME has gone through the effort of choosing the best novels from 1923 to the present day. How did they go about this endeavor? Read on:

For the books project, Grossman and I each began by drawing up inventories of our nominees. Once we traded notes, it turned out that more than 80 of our separately chosen titles matched. (Even some of the less well-known ones, like At-Swim Two Birds.) We decided then that we would more or less divide the remaining slots between us. That would allow each of us to include books that the other might not have chosen. Or might not even have read. (Ubik? What's an Ubik?) And that would extend the list into places where mere agreement wouldn't take it. (source)

 Gosh, this would make a swell gift idea. After buying one of these books on reprint, I might as well attach a small note that says that this was one of the best novels ever written since 1923.

Nov30
Gift Idea: Moleskine
Revered as the notebooks that true artists are made of, the moleskine has its history back till the Age of the Renaissance. What I love about the Moleskine notebooks is that you can actually keep them flat when they are... Continue Reading
Nov29
WORD ORIGIN: BRIBE
sourced by JMJF The word BRIBE originated from the old European tradition of sharing food. In the New French, the word BRIBES means bits and pieces, odds and ends, or little pieces of junk. The Old French has a... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: LUNATIC
sourced by JMJF Roman mythology gives us the moon goddess LUNA, whose name provides the origin of the word LUNATIC. The ancient Romans believed that the moon goddess created crazy people. Thus the use of her name to describe... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: INCUBUS
sourced by JMJF The word INCUBUS and its sister word SUCCUBUS, both sinister in meaning, essentially can be traced back to immoral and obscene origins.  The word INCUBUS is taken from the Latin incubo, which means “lie upon”. The... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: HERMAPHRODITE
sourced by JMJF The word HERMAPHRODITE is used to describe a human being with both male and female organs. It is not clear whether, in today’s modern world of surgically enhanced or reduced body parts, artificial organs are included... Continue Reading
Nov28
EXPRESSION: IN THE DOGHOUSE
sourced by JMJF Every husband worth his salt knows what it means to be in the doghouse. These days, when a husband or lover gets on the wrong side of his spouse of girlfriend, he is given the cold... Continue Reading
EXPRESSION: CHEW THE FAT
sourced by JMJF The expression CHEW THE FAT describes indulgence by one or more people in idle talk or telling tall tales. The expression has its origins in the experience aboard early sailing ships. Because of the problem inherent... Continue Reading
RIGHT WORD: CAUSE vs REASON
sourced by JMJF The word CAUSE deals with the origin of something, as in the First CAUSE or the Primary CAUSE in Creation. REASON, on the other hand, explains why something is the way it is. Example: The CAUSE... Continue Reading
PROPER USAGE: CARDINAL vs ORDINAL
sourced by JMJF CARDINAL numbers are what we see or pronounce normally: One (1), Two (2), Three (3), and so forth. ORDINAL numbers are expressed accordingly: First, Second, Third, etc. When using Ordinal numbers, it is acceptable to shorten... Continue Reading
PROPER USAGE: CAN vs MAY
sourced by JMJF The word CAN usually implies either “ability” or “possibility” in doing something. The word MAY, on the other hand, suggests a situation wherein one is requesting permission. Example of usage of the word CAN:  “One CAN... Continue Reading
Nov27
WORD ORIGIN: BOWLING
sourced by JMJF The present day game of BOWLING has very interesting origins. First, the word is derived from the Latin word Bulla, meaning “Bubble”. Over time, Bulla evolved into Bowl, which meant either the round ball itself or... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: STEEPLECHASE
sourced by JMJF In today’s world of horses, there is an athletic event that tests the mettle of both rider and mount: the STEEPLECHASE. It has evolved over time into a race over a course prepared with all sorts... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: TRUMP
sourced by JMJF The Donald would probably be pleased to consider the origin of his name, considering that he uses it extensively in his business. Otherwise, the word TRUMP is most often used in the game of Bridge, wherein... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: MARATHON
sourced by JMJF In our modern day world of distance races, triathlons, and Iron Man races, a term has emerged for distance races of most kinds: the MARATHON. Any student of history will probably guess that the word has... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: GOLF
sourced by JMJF There are many theories about where the word GOLF came from, none of them certain. However, one version seems to have credence over the others. It is said that Golf is derived from a Dutch word... Continue Reading
Nov26
RIGHT WORD: CALVARY vs CAVALRY
sourced by JMJF The two words, CALVARY and CAVALRY are so similar in spelling that ordinary Spell-Checks would not flash the Red Alarm if either was to be used in the wrong context. Thus, it is advisable to simple... Continue Reading
RIGHT WORD: PRINCIPLE vs PRINCIPAL
 sourced by JMJF The word PRINCIPLE is always a Noun, as in the description of a “man or woman with a firm set of principles.” A Principle is defined as a truth or a foundation for other truths. It... Continue Reading
WRITE EMAILS AS IF BIG BROTHER WERE WATCHING
sourced by JMJF I am a member of several e-groups, composed mostly of different sets of classmates plus another one delving on matters of a more spiritual nature. Most of what we receive or send, aside from missives or... Continue Reading
WRITING PROPERLY ALL OR MOST OF THE TIME
 sourced by JMJF  Trying to write well with half an eye cocked for proper punctuation and spelling would probably be second nature to those who have had editorial or journalistic experience. But these days, with the increasing use of... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN: ALBUM
Which house or person does not have a personal or photo album stocked away somewhere, a repository for valued images or memories? Even an on-line album of digital photos provides a more modern touch to the storage of precious... Continue Reading
Nov25
RIGHT WORD: BLATANT VS FLAGRANT
The two words seem to imply something unpleasant. However, the word FLAGRANT appears to carry more weight when used to describe an instance of wrongdoing. Thus, FLAGRANT implies a gravity or sense of wrongdoing that the word BLATANT does... Continue Reading
Nov24
WORD ORIGIN: DERIVE
sourced by JMJF When we use the word DERIVE today, we imply a drawing away from a main source. Thus, we see that the Romance languages derive a substantial number of their root words from Latin. In science, Chemistry... Continue Reading
Nov23
WORD ORIGIN: FOLIO
sourced by JMJF Today’s folio, or portfolio, describes a compilation of many pages or sheets containing similar or different subject matters. A budding model, for example, would probably be carrying around a FOLIO of his or her photos for... Continue Reading
Nov20
WORD ORIGIN: BANAL
In these modern times, something written or spoken that is BANAL is said to be trite or commonplace. But the origin of the word is rooted in a feudal practice wherein Lords were allowed economic monopolies on certain things... Continue Reading
Nov19
RIGHT PHRASE: BEFORE / NO LATER THAN
sourced by JMJF It is very easy to confuse the use of these two phrases. In fact, if precision were required, one would have to know exactly how either is to be used. The word BEFORE, when used to denote... Continue Reading
Nov18
When to "BISECT" and when to "DISSECT"
sourced by JMJF The words BISECT and DISSECT probably remind all of us of classes and laboratory experiments in Biology. It is not surprising to find these two words used extensively in the medical profession. An exception would be in... Continue Reading
WORD MEANING: BENEDICT
sourced by JMJF When one scans the society pages, the word BENEDICT sometimes pops up, especially in those pages devoted to nuptials or marriages. It seems that a Benedict is supposed to be a confirmed bachelor recently wed. The origin... Continue Reading
EXPRESSION: BEYOND THE PALE
sourced by JMJF A person is said to be BEYOND THE PALE if he or she is outside the border or sphere of influence in a given situation. In olden times, the word Palings was used to describe a physical... Continue Reading
The origin of "Boat" versus "Ship"
Only nautical types would argue on the right usage of the words BOAT or SHIP.  For the vast majority of English speakers, the two words are synonymous and mean any vessel built to sail over a body of water. The... Continue Reading
Word Origin: Boycott
sourced by JMJF In this modern world we live in, we use the word BOYCOTT so often but most probably do not know where the word comes from. The word has interesting origins. It seems that a certain Captain Charles... Continue Reading
Nov17
RIGHT WORD: BENEFACTOR / BENEFICIARY
by JMJF Again, a bit of precision is required in the use of the two words, because they are polar opposites in a given transaction or exchange.  In one case, the subject is the Giver (BENEFACTOR), whereas the object of... Continue Reading
Nov16
RIGHT WORD: BENEVOLENT / BENEFICENT
sourced by JMJF It seems that the words BENEVOLENT and BENEFICENT are often used interchangeably, despite slight variations in their respective meanings. One may be considered BENEVOLENT if one is a “good-wisher”, one who exudes kindness and consideration for others.... Continue Reading
Nov15
Word Origin: Chauvinist
sourced by JMJF The origin of this word should be of interest especially to those iron maidens who scathingly refer to men who look down on women as male chauvinist pigs. There was this soldier in the army of Napoleon... Continue Reading
Nov14
Word Origin: Dixie
The word DIXIE almost always refers to United States residents who reside or imbibe the spirit of one who lives south of the Mason-Dixon Line. From this arbitrary boundary segregating the American north from the south, we still find today... Continue Reading
Nov13
The Goblin in you
Having just gone through Halloween, it is interesting to find out where the word GOBLIN came from. Interestingly enough, it has nothing to do with witches or warlocks, but in beautiful fabrics. Sometime in the mid-1400s, a bright red fabric... Continue Reading
Nov12
To "Nag!"
During the middle ages, households had to contend with all kinds of misery, among them, household pests like the common rat. Since modern rat killers were not yet known, rats infested all houses, taking possession of all that they surveyed.... Continue Reading
Nov11
Anecdotes and how they can be used
An ANECDOTE usually refers to a very short story describing a person, situation, event, etc. In modern usage, anecdotes are used to spice up a speech or story, or to point out a moral or theme. Unfortunately, the origins of... Continue Reading
Nov10
Word Origins: Blacklist
In olden times, practically all written material were bound in calfskin. These normally came in one color, tan. However, some progress in dyemaking led to the production of maroon and black leather. Since these two colors were more expensive to... Continue Reading
Nov 9
The Source of the FLAME
by JMJF Ever wonder why we sometimes refer to a loved one as a FLAME? Or a former lover or special friend as an OLD FLAME?  Apparently, the word was used for many centuries to mean one’s special someone or... Continue Reading
Nov 7
The Magic of SEO, Technical Writing
I posted something today in my personal blog about how bloggers are like magicians in some way or another. I "borrowed" a little bit from the trailer spiel of The Prestige (if you haven't seen it, stop what you're doing... Continue Reading
Nov 3
EXPRESSION ORIGIN - WIDOW’S PEAK
sourced by JMJF. Image c/o Wikipedia These days, when one is said to have a WIDOW’S PEAK, it refers to one whose hair grows with a point somewhere in the middle of his / her forehead. The origin of this... Continue Reading
EXPRESSION ORIGIN – STUFFED SHIRT
The stuffed shirt – often called a shirtwaist – was a popular form of dress even up to the beginning of the last century. These shirts were starched to almost extreme stiffness, and were laden with all sorts of frilly... Continue Reading
EXPRESSION ORIGIN – LET ONE’S HAIR DOWN
Period pictures of Europe during its age of kings and court life tend to show women with elaborate hair-do’s and showy gowns. Naturally, women spent quite a bit of time fashioning these complicated hair styles in order to upstage one... Continue Reading
EXPRESSION ORIGIN – BEST FOOT FORWARD
sourced by JMJF Once again, we go back to the period when court life dictated that males and females dress grandly.  This was especially true of the noblemen and women who frequented places to be seen. Noblemen and their followers... Continue Reading
WORD ORIGIN – SWEATER
sourced by JMJF The word SWEATER has its origins in Horse Racing or training. During tough workouts, some trainers would drape a heavy blanket over their respective horses to induce free perspiration. Gradually, these blankets became known as SWEATERS. In... Continue Reading

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