May Day
Bills
Wills
The Right Side
Malls
Chronicles
Holy Days and Holidays
French
Tomatoes
Wild/Wilderness
Scotland/Scotch
Graduation Ceremony
Decoration Day
May Day
04/05/01
After typing the above title, I realized that there are many English words with three letters, ending in a-y that begin with a consonant. How many of those words can you think of and define? Consider the following sentence: On her way to the bay along the river Tay under the sun's ray to look for a cay on a spring day, Kay saw a gay fay and a blue jay as they lay in the hay and heard someone say that she may have to pay, but she said,"nay." This fifth month of the year is called "May," which may be derived from a Latin word meaning "elders" to honor older people, in contrast with the following month which honors "juniors." Other scholars, however, consider the name to be derived from the name of a goddess. May is a month when days become warmer and many flowers are in bloom. The first day of May, called "May Day," ranks as one of the oldest holidays in the West. On this day in England, it is customary for people to dance around a "maypole," while holding on to streamers attached to the pole. In many industrialized countries, May 1st is celebrated by workers as "Labor Day" for it was on that day in 1884 that American trade unions launched an intensive campaign for an eight-hour working day. The U. S. Veterans of Foreign Wars has designated May 1st as "Loyalty Day." For the American Bar Association, it is "Law Day," and in the state of Hawaii, it is known as "Lei Day" and people are encouraged to wear the pretty flower necklace called a "lei." Regardless of the name it is called, I hope it is a happy day for you. (729)
Bills
04/05/05
There are many different kinds of bills, depending on whether we are thinking about financial or political matters. One kind of bill is a piece of legal paper money. At the present time, I usually have some five-dollar or ten-dollar bills in my wallet, but when in Japan, I would have some one thousand or five thousand-yen bills. Another kind of bill is the statement of charges one must pay for items purchased or services rendered. Every month, we receive bills from a telephone company, an electric power company and a television company. Another kind of bill is a proposed law submitted for approval of a legislative body or an official document that has been approved. In the United States, the first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights, the first of which guarantees citizens freedom of religion and freedom of speech. A completely different kind of bill denotes the beak of a bird and we are surprised at the long bills of the hummingbirds that visit the bird feeder outside the window by our dining room table. Bill is also a nickname for William. Some Bills may be unable to pay their bills because they do not have enough bills on hand and hope that Congress will pass a bill that will lower their bills. In the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told a strange story of a dishonest manager who told debtors to change the amounts on their bills in order to ensure a brighter future for himself. The dishonest manager was commended for his shrewdness because he was preparing for the future--which is important for all of us to do. (730)
Wills
04/05/07
The previous message about bills stimulated this one about wills. Both Bill and Will are nicknames for William, which was, at one time, the most popular male name in England. Once, at a festival in the court of King Henry II, 120 knights named William gathered together. There have been four kings of England and four presidents of the U. S. A. named William. Another meaning of "will" is the legal statement of a person's wishes concerning the disposal of his property after his death. It is important for those of us who are getting old to have a will that will assist our children and others as they consider what to do with our possessions following our death. Still another meaning of "will" is the power of conscious and deliberate action or choice, a strong purpose. If we have the will to do something, we need to find the way to accomplish it. According to a Chinese proverb, "Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." In the view of the ancient Greek philosopher, Epictetus, "There is nothing good or evil save in the will." In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, is the story of Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman. When his disciples brought him some food to eat, he surprised them by saying, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." While his disciples wondered who had brought him food, he said to them: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." In the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, which is repeated regularly by Christians today, are the words "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 5:10), but many prayers do not think deeply about the words when they pray this prayer. (731)
The Right Side
04/05/10
There are three different English words pronounced RAIT, spelled r-i-g-h-t, r-i-t-e and w-r-i-t-e, with completely different meanings. In the past, it was common to use a pencil or pen to write, but nowadays, many people in industrialized countries make use of a computer to write. In every culture and religion, there are certain traditional ceremonies or rituals that are followed. Such a ceremony may also be called a "rite." But the word spelled r-i-g-h-t is the one with the most varied meanings, with moral, political or physical implications, depending on its context. In a moral sense, "right" denotes that which is conformable to justice, law or morality and its opposite is "wrong." In the physical sense, "right" is the side of the body away from the heart and its opposite is "left." In the British Parliament, representatives of conservative parties are seated on the right side of the House and those of liberal parties are seated on the left. Because of this custom, "right" became associated with conservatism (which, I presume, was considered "right") and "left" was used for liberalism. In Japan and a number of former members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, it is right to drive on the left side of the road, but in most countries the left side is the wrong side and the right side is the right side. And if we write a rite in a foreign language, we must be careful to write in the right direction. According to the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 45, verse 19, it is the Lord who speaks the truth and declares what is right. (727)
Malls
04/05/12
The Penney Retirement Community, where my wife and I reside, is located in a quiet rural area, surrounded by trees and greenery. We usually do our shopping at a mall, about half-an-hour away. A mall is a shopping center, a covered street lined with shops and closed to vehicles. This name is derived from the name of a broad thoroughfare in London, called the Mall because it was there that King Charles II and his attendants played pall-mall, an old game in which a boxwood ball was struck by a mallet through an iron ring hung at the end of an alley. According to a recent magazine article, by some estimates, there are now more than 50,000 malls in the United States of America. The first such mall, having 72 shops and restaurants, was opened in 1956 in a well-to-do Minneapolis suburb. Since that time, malls have become popular, not only for shopping but for many other activities as well. In the famous Mall of America, which is also located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, there are more than 500 stores, 20 sit-down restaurants, 14 movie screens, an aquarium and an amusement park. This mall now draws 40 million visitors a year, almost a third of whom come from more than 250 kilometers away. Northwest Airlines even offers package deals to shopper-tourists from Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. Because there is a roof over the shop-lined street and a parking area nearby, people visit the mall in all kinds of weather and enjoy walking and talking with others, whether or not they do any shopping. (732)
Chronicles
04/05/14
Some scholars think that the name of this month of May was derived from a Latin word meaning "elders" to honor senior members of the population and that the following month of June was derived from a word meaning "juniors." In the United States of America, May is recognized as "Older Americans Month" and in this Penney Retirement Community, an annual celebration is held in May in honor of residents who have passed their 90th birthday. At the recent celebration, 30 of the 48 residents who were 90 or older were present and on the wall, a chronicle of important events from 1900 to 2004 was posted. A "chronicle" is "a historical record according to date." There are various kinds of "chronicles" and a couple of books in the Old Testament have this name. I recently received a book from Japan entitled "A Chronicle of Contemporary English Words and Phrases in Use." Prepared for the School of Contemporary International Studies at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, it includes headline news items in chronological order from January through December 2003, taken from the English language news which is broadcast twice daily on NHK, the national radio station. Following every headline, there are three definitions or explanations of words or expressions in Japanese. The editor, Tomoyasu Kimura, was a faithful listener to the "Daily Word" telephone service I had in Japan and has made use of both "Daily Word" and "Timely Words" messages in his teaching. I am sure that many Japanese students of English will find this book very helpful. (735)
Holy Days and Holidays
04/05/17
A "holiday" was originally a "holy day," but now it is not only spelled differently but pronounced differently also. According to Jewish tradition, the seventh day of the week is a holy day set apart for rest and worship. In Genesis 2:1, it is written: "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." And in Exodus 35:2: "For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord." For Christians, the day of rest and worship was changed to the first day of the week, in commemoration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead on that day. In both Jewish and Christian traditions, there are other "holy days" that have special significance. Some of them have become "holidays" in which the religious significance is no longer recognized by many observers. In the United States of America, public holidays are determined by the individual states, but most states include the federal holidays designated by the president and Congress for the District of Columbia and federal employees. At the present time, there are ten federal holidays: two in the months of January and November and one in the months of February, May, July, September, October and December. Four of them are set by date (New Year's Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Christmas Day), the other six are set by a day of the week and month: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. All but the last are celebrated on Mondays to create three-day weekends. (734)
French
04/05/19
The English language has been greatly influenced by other languages, including French. The spelling or pronunciation of some French words has been changed in the anglicization process while others have remained the same. Consequently, students of English may be confused about the correct spelling or pronunciation of such words as "depot,""detente" or "chasse." There are also a number of English expressions that begin with the word "French," not all of which are derived from France. In fact, "french" is a verb meaning to cut into thin strips before cooking, so "French fries" or "French fried potatoes" are thin strips of potatoes fried in deep fat, but "French toast" is sliced bread soaked in a milk and egg batter and lightly fried. "French dressing" is a seasoned oil and vinegar salad dressing and a "French cuff" is a wide cuff on a shirt that is folded back and fastened with a cuff link. "French chalk," made of a soft, white variety of talc, is used by tailors for marking fabrics and by dry cleaners for removing grease spots. In contrast to traditional British custom, Frenchmen did not consider it necessary to bid a formal farewell to the host or hostess before leaving a party, so "French leave" signifies an informal, unannounced or abrupt departure and American servicemen may consider "French leave" to be the same as "AWOL," or "absent without leave." Finally, a "French horn" is a valved brass wind instrument with a circular shape, tapering from a narrow mouthpiece to a flaring bell at the other end and producing a mellow tone. (736)
Tomatoes
04/05/21
In Japan, before the development of large grocery stores or supermarkets, the common place to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables was called a "yaoya." The Chinese characters used in this word literally mean "eight hundred shop." The term "eight hundred" signified a great variety and "yaoya" is translated into English as "a greengrocer's shop" or a "fruit and vegetable shop." In such a shop, there was a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the distinction between these two kinds of foods is sometimes unclear. For example, is a tomato a "fruit" or a "vegetable?" In one of my dictionaries, the following definition is given: "a red or yellowish fruit, more or less round, with a juicy pulp, used as a vegetable: botanically it is a berry." Thus, it may be considered a "fruit," a "vegetable" or a "berry." Tomatoes were once known as "love apples." Some people mistakenly interpreted that to mean that they were an aphrodisiac and stimulated sexual desire. However, the reason for this misunderstanding was the result of another misunderstanding. Tomatoes were originally grown in South America, from which they were imported to Spain. They were then taken to Morocco and were introduced to Italy, where they were known as "pomo dei Moro" (apple of the Moors) and a romantic Frenchman mistakenly translated this as "pomme d'amour" (love apple). How to accurately translate words and concepts from one language to another is truly a difficult task and, in the case of "tomato," there are even two different ways to pronounce it that are considered correct. (737)
Wild/Wilderness
04/05/24
One of the attractions at fairs, circuses or zoos is a special show which features wild animals that do not seem to be very wild. At a recent fair in a nearby fairground, a number of tigers came out of their cages and followed the command of the animal trainer to climb onto small stools, jump over them or to lie on the ground and roll over. It seems that even some wild animals can be tamed or domesticated to a certain degree. At a recent party, we were asked to identify some wild flowers, which we found it difficult to do. Whether speaking of animals or flowers, "wild" denotes that which lives and grows in a natural state. When applied to people, "wild" denotes unruly, disorderly behavior. Parents and teachers are often upset by wild children and young people. An unsettled, uncultivated region left in its natural state may be called a "wilderness." This was the term used by European colonists on the east coast of the American continent, or "New World," for all the land to the west, but the eastern boundary of that "wilderness" continued to change as the settlers increased and even the "Wild West" became more cultivated. In the Bible also, there are many references to a "wilderness," which may denote either a desert or a land covered with dense vegetation. Following their escape from Egypt, the Israelites are reported to have wandered for forty years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land of Palestine (Joshua 5:6) and, following his baptism, Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan (Mark 1:13). (733)
Scotland/Scotch
04/05/26
In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, there are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England and Wales in the south and Scotland in the north. England and Wales were united as a result of the Act of Union signed in 1536, but it was not until 1707, that the kingdoms of Scotland and England were united. "Scotch," "Scottish" or "Scots" may be used as an adjective in relation to this land, its language or people, but the Scots or Scotsmen themselves usually prefer "Scottish" rather than "Scotch." There are various expressions that begin with the word "Scotch." "Scotch broth" is mutton broth thickened with barley. "Scotch whisky" is a whisk(e)y distilled in Scotland from malted barley, and a "Scotch terrier" is a terrier with short legs, a blunt muzzle, rough wiry hair and pointed, erect ears. The term "Scotland Yard" is often used to signify British police or the site of the police headquarters, which previously were located on a London street with that name. The name was originally given to that street because it was there that a castle where Scottish kings stayed when they were required to come down once a year to acknowledge their indebtedness to the rulers of England was located. English prejudice against Scotsmen is evident in the writings of Samuel Johnson, who wrote that oats were "a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." And in response to the statement of Boswell that "I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it," he replied, "That, Sir, I find is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help." (738)
Graduation Ceremony
04/05/28
Students who faithfully attend classes and fulfill the school requirements are awarded a diploma or an academic degree at a graduation ceremony at the end of the school year. In the U. S. A., school years usually end in May, so graduation ceremonies are held at this time of year. Our eldest granddaughter, whose home is in Japan, has been living with an American family in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the past year while she attended high school there. Last week, she received a diploma at the graduation ceremony. Her Japanese mother and two of her cousins made a special trip from Japan to attend the ceremony with my wife and me. We met them at the Jacksonville Airport and, two days later, drove 330 kilometers to St. Petersburg where we stayed for a couple of days. The ceremony was held in the evening on the school's football field. On one side of the temporary platform, the school band was seated and played appropriate music. In front of the platform the graduating class, with green robes and mortarboard caps with tassels, sat on folding chairs while certain individuals made speeches and songs were sung. Then each of the 447 graduates walked across the platform when his/her name was called. Often, a small group of spectators yelled, blew whistles or rang bells to express their delight when a certain name was called. Following the ceremony, parties were held in various places for particular graduates and their friends. My wife and I attended such a party before returning to our home and leaving our Japanese guests to board planes for Japan from a nearby airport. (740)
Decoration Day
04/05/30
"Decorate" means to adorn with beautiful things. There are many different kinds of decorations, depending on what we are decorating. Rooms may be decorated with pictures or artwork. On certain occasions, buildings are decorated with flags or banners. During the Christmas season, trees are often decorated with colorful lights and ornaments. Decorations for people include rings, earrings, ribbons or brooches. But in the United States of America, "Decoration Day" is the day when the graves of servicemen who died during a war are decorated with flowers. On the first nationwide Decoration Day following the Civil War, an order was given by a general of the Grand Army of the Republic stating that "the thirtieth of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion." This day to remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country is now called "Memorial Day" and is celebrated on the last Monday of May. The way we "decorate" graves of departed loved ones and the kind of "memorial" we make for them depends on our cultural tradition. In the U. S. A. and Japan, traditions are different, but in both nations, the desire to honor and show respect for the dead are recognized. In the Christian tradition, showing respect for the dead is different than "worship," which is directed toward the almighty God alone, but more important than the traditional rituals followed is the inner attitude or faith in our hearts which is manifested in our daily lives. (739)