Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House introduced the world to the never-ending legal saga of Jarndyce and Jarndyce. In Dickens’ uniquely-descriptive words: Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, […]
Do you suffer from allodoxaphobia? If so, you’d better stay away from social media. For that matter, it would be best to avoid conversations with anyone about anything. Allodoxaphobia is a fear […]
A common word of warning for those who might be inclined to argue with someone who writes or edits a newspaper is, “Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink […]
How many ways are there to spell the word scissors? Even accounting for typical misspellings, we were hard-pressed to come up with more than four variations. Fortunately, there is a better authority […]
We have already delved into the longest sentence ever published in a book, the beloved children’s book written in response to a bet, and the shortest poem on record. Oddly, we have […]
Have you ever started to introduce someone, only to have a moment of panic as your brain freezes and you can’t remember that person’s name? Thanks to the people of Scotland, you […]
Today, the concept of a honeymoon is completely wonderful. The newly-married couple gets away for a few days of romantic bliss, making sure that their life-long commitment begins on a happy note. […]
Assuming you are a person of reasonable intelligence, (actually, since you are a reader of Commonplace Fun Facts, we assume you are a person of extraordinary intelligence), what would you make of […]
The English language is robustly filled with many homonyms — words that have multiple meanings. The word bark can refer to the outer covering of a tree as well as the sound […]
For all of the gift-giving, decorations, holiday music, delicious food, and festive traditions, there is no escaping the fact that the central element of Christmas is the recognition of the birth of […]
Christmas. The very word brings to mind countless images, such as the birth of Christ, religious traditions, family gatherings, gift exchanges, Christmas carols, tasty morsels, and poop. Wait… was that last word […]
2020 is the year we all became familiar with the concept of “social distancing.” Deep within the rainforest of the Amazon is a man who may not have heard those words, but […]
Lawyers are expected to use long, complicated sentences. Many attorneys pride themselves on their ability to use unnecessarily-complicated words and phrases. Sometimes, however, even those within the profession will cry foul at […]
Originally posted on installect:
Ultracrepidarian The only thing worse than receiving criticism on a piece of your work is when that person doing the criticizing has no idea what they are talking about.…
We all know that person who just has to have the latest news — good or bad — about everyone. You might think of that person as a busybody or a gossip. […]
