crossword health
crossword health
A brief introduction to the book: The dictionary
Crossword and puzzle books are a classic form of puzzle book, as you can imagine without knowing the correct translation for some of the words used in them. If you like them, they’re definitely worth checking out! The definition of what I mean is, though, as we shall see later, these titles have evolved into something else, which has now come to be known as ‘crossword or word puzzle books’. These aren’t new titles either, but they seem to only recently become popular. Many writers, artists and musicians have been publishing this type of book since the early 1990s, when it became clear that some people wanted to know all about history instead of just the news – this happened as soon as there was an internet connection. While all the previous ones focused on very specific topics, such as geography, politics or science, they were usually written from a perspective of one person, and usually had no personal anecdotes in them. However, more recent types of publications, specifically those on social media, such as Facebook groups and Twitter chatrooms, have given birth to so-called ‘crossover puzzles’ based on different kinds of sources and opinions. This type of publication now encompasses many topics including music, fashion, art and even fiction! Here I will focus mostly on books written by well-known authors, although also a few non-fiction works of my own will be included in this review too. Most of the reviews are available here: The Dictionary - Wikipedia The first one I found was titled ‘Who Wrote That? How Did They Get Where they Are Now?’ by John McPherson, which described its author as being someone who “made his way through multiple jobs as an accountant, before finally landing a full time job as both a journalist as well as writer/editor.” It gives the reader enough information to get started with the article, making it a good starting point. Another article I read called ‘The Story Behind Words’ by Alan Gahan is another good start. The title itself refers to the fact that the author is concerned with words (as opposed to numbers and dates). He studies language structure and how it influences other spheres in life in particular. In addition, he explores historical records to find out how new words come to exist and why we use them, as well as comparing old, traditional names with modern equivalents. When I was reading it, much of it seemed incomplete. For example, he did not tell me much about grammar, punctuation and spelling rules. And while he does mention lots about metaphors, he does not explain anything about similes, personification, clichés and oxymorons. There were no questions or answers either, except some random references to several websites (he mentions Wikipedia in almost every paragraph) and a quick look at the bibliography. At least it gave me a glimpse into the kind of writing he might produce. But this one was also interesting, because it offered the chance to compare my knowledge of various linguistics and communication concepts to his. Another article that caught my attention was by Robert Lee. His name is not mentioned anywhere in the list, however. Instead, this is the link to him’s website. As far as I could tell, his main task was to try to convince us that languages and their meanings do not change over time, despite what we see in movies and TV shows. So you can feel free to click through until the end, where he talks about such important subjects as history and philosophy as well as about culture and social life. In general, his goal was quite clear: To help us appreciate the value of language and its ability to convey meaning, and bring ideas closer together and make things clearer without losing any sense of unity. What I think makes his purpose particularly helpful to me is that, unlike most of the others, he was talking about something real. Even if his work is fictional, it is still meant to be taken seriously. The last thing I found interesting is the one named ‘The Secrets of Language’ by Tom Chorley, which is probably one of the best articles I found on the subject of linguistic research. Although it was published in 2009, his content is still relevant today. Its central argument is that language is not static, and that the meaning of words changes over time, depending on which context they are used and whether a certain emotion is intended. Overall, it was a useful guide for anyone planning to write a scholarly paper or scientific journal article, along with providing links to related literature and further readings. One more interesting text I came across recently was also written by Tom Chorley, though it is not as detailed but nevertheless offers many insights. I think this article was actually put together specifically for the New Scientist magazine. This is the second edition of the textbook for PhD students and post-docs in English language studies, which has long been considered by scholars to be one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date texts. Moreover, this textbook contains many references made by famous researchers in this field of study including Chorley himself. Also, the text deals mainly with a narrow spectrum of topics, focusing on vocabulary, accentual variation, phonology and morphology (as opposed to syntax and pragmatics). Thus, for people looking for a broad introduction to English language that will allow them to build a solid foundation in their professional training, this is indeed the right choice. On the whole, although this source does contain some outdated definitions, it remains interesting and instructive due to the high number of quotes and examples included. Finally, let me share a quote from my favorite author, David Crystal, which comes to mind when thinking about what is wrong with our society for letting ourselves off the hook due to laziness and ignorance. While learning languages is fun, working alongside the world’s top scientists is equally exciting! No wonder people from all over the world are drawn towards studying English and English as a foreign language. Thanks to computers and online communities, a lot of things are getting easier – especially when it comes to finding reliable information on everything from medicine to the weather to technology and business. Today’s readers can often choose not to follow traditional route, preferring to watch or listen to videos on YouTube and Facebook. It seems that a lot of young people have forgotten how to learn the basics without having to take on responsibilities that would require them to memorize a lot of pages filled with complicated terminology. But if you want to be ready for whatever may happen over the next decade, studying your mother tongue is an act of bravery and courage. It is also a great way of gaining professional experience and developing strong communicative skills. Whether you need to polish your presentation skills for a future interview or practice speaking fluently in front of colleagues, you should give yourself credit for giving your brain something new (and fun!) to think about. You are the one behind those words! If this idea appeals to you, then maybe you should check out Linguistic Anthropology course at Lingua Franca University. Thanks for reading! My best regards go to everyone who reads this blog, whether they are experts and casual amateurs or just beginning students interested in linguistics. All the best…and please keep posting!
