★ Candlemas A February celebration for which the faithful have brought candles to church since Anglo-Saxon times.

For Today • February 2 • Candlemas

★ Rope Trick When Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, became the Tower of London’s first prisoner he did not intend making a long stay.

For Today • February 2 • Ranulf Flambard escapes from the Tower

Columbus Arthur Clough marvels at the vision of a man who could cross the Atlantic without knowing there was a farther shore.

Posted Today • The Copy Book

Loan Words Match each word to the language we have borrowed it from.

Posted Today

Who’ll Turn the Grindstone? Whenever Charles Miner suspected an ulterior motive, he would say quietly ‘That man has an axe to grind!’

Posted Yesterday • The Copy Book

Lap

Posted January 31 • Think and Speak

A Full Day’s Play It was one of those rare occasions when a game of cricket had not been interrupted by the weather, but would the Church be so forgiving?

Posted January 29 • The Copy Book

Grammar Examine these sentences, and say whether the word ‘up’ should be removed.

Posted January 29

Sunday in London Every Sunday, the Englishman is raised to heaven by the choir, and then taken to her bosom by Mother Earth.

Posted January 29 • The Copy Book

Music Video Ronald Binge: Concerto for Alto Saxophone: II: Andante espressivo

Posted January 28

Ye Children, Hearken Unto Me David, fresh from another close encounter with Saul’s men, shares his advice for living a charmed life.

Posted January 28 • The Copy Book

Look Upon This Picture Hamlet cannot understand what his mother could possibly see in his uncle Claudius.

Posted January 27 • The Copy Book

Metaphors Rewrite these sentences, substituting each metaphor with another of similar meaning.

Posted January 27

Vocabulary Compose sentences to illustrate the meaning of these words.

Posted January 27 • Think and Speak

Music Video Henry Purcell: Miserere Mei

Posted January 26

Outbreak John Galsworthy shared his unease at the rise of two competing forms of national speech.

Posted January 26 • The Copy Book

Verbs and Nouns Separate these words into two groups, nouns, and nouns that are also verbs. Which one’s the odd-one-out?

Posted January 26 • Think and Speak

The Peacock Throne The dazzling throne of the Mughal Emperors has vanished from history, but not before Abdul Hamid Lahori had seen it.

Posted January 25 • The Copy Book

Description Think of three different kinds of clock or bag, and write sentences to distinguish them.

Posted January 24 • Think and Speak

Hat Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted January 24 • Think and Speak

Rich Harmony John Galsworthy urges the English to love their language as they love their country.

Posted January 23 • The Copy Book

Music Video William Hurlstone, The Magic Mirror Suite: VI. Interlude

Posted January 23