Monday Muddle: viola, voilà

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“Voilà is used in English to call attention to something, or to present some kind of accomplishment. For example, if you worked all day to plant a beautiful garden, you might present it to the rest of your family with a sweeping arm gesture and an enthusiastic “voilà!” “Viola” clearly doesn’t make sense in this context, but at least senseless violas are better than senseless violins.

“Voilà” is also frequently misspelled in ways that don’t confuse it with another word (but do indicate a mispronunciation). I’ve seen it as wala, wa-lah, wah-lah, and similar variations. Still spelled wrong, but perhaps not as confusing. If you have trouble remembering how to spell “voilà”, remember that it Very Often Isn’t Lettered Accurately.

Monday Muddle: viola: (noun) a stringed musical instrument that is slightly larger than a violin but significantly smaller than a cello voilà: (interjection) loosely translated from the French means "There it is!"; literally means "See there!" from the imperative form of the the verb voir (to see) and the adverb là (there)

Wednesday Writing

Wednesday Writing

Do you still keep physical copies of reference works nearby while you write, or do you rely solely on Internet sources? Maybe some of each? What are your favourites?

What reference works do you keep nearby while you are writing?

Tuesday Two

Tuesday Two

Write a story with only two sentences. Use the photo for inspiration if you wish.

Photo by Chronis Yan on Unsplash.

A Greek village built into a mountain side. In the background a dark mountain contrasts with the mostly white buildings below and the peach and light blue sky above.

Monday Muddle: toe, tow

Monday Muddle

“To toe the line” figuratively means to conform, submit to authority, obey the rules. The expression started out literally meaning to put your toes against a marked line. It has been used in the discipline of sailors and in sporting events with a starting line among other things. It dates from the 1800s, when “to toe the mark” was also a common expression.

“To tow the line” is not a common expression, but it would mean to drag a rope or something similar behind you.

Monday Muddle: toe: (noun) body part; digit of the human foot; part of footwear that covers front of foot; (verb) push, touch or kick something with front of foot Part of the expression "to toe the line". tow: (verb) pull, drag or haul something (often a vehicle) behind you; (noun) the act of towing; rope or line used to tow NOT part of the expression "to toe the line".