Loving Language

by Guest Blogger M.O.M.

In honor of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada (and yes, MLCWO, Vancouver is in Canada – British Columbia to be exact. On the west coast, just above Washington State) here are some words you don’t get to hear very often (usually every 4 years) and what they refer to.

Luge
noun ~ A  light toboggan for one or two people, that is ridden in a sitting or supine (lying looking up) position.• a sport in which competitors make a timed descent of a course riding such toboggans.
verb [ intrans. ] ~ ride on a luge.
ORIGIN late 19th cent. (as a verb): from Swiss French.

Curling
noun ~ a game played on ice, esp. in Scotland and Canada, in which large, round, flat stones are slid across the surface toward a mark. Members of a team use brooms to sweep the surface of the ice in the path of the stone to control its speed and direction. There are two types of broom. The most common is a brush or “push broom”. The other is a corn/straw/Canadian broom, which with long bristles, looks much like a normal broom.

Salchow
noun
Figure Skatinga jump in figure skating with a backward takeoff from the backward inside edge of one skate to the backward outside edge of the other, with one or more full turns in the air.
ORIGIN early 20th cent.: named after Ulrich Salchow (1877–1949), Swedish skater.

by Guest blogger M.O.M.

♥♥♥♥Valentine  ♥♥♥♥♥♥

ˈvalənˌtīn|noun

A card sent, often anonymously, on St. Valentine’s Day (February 14) to a person one loves, likes, is attracted to, or maybe just teasing. ORIGIN late Middle English and from Old French Valentin, from Latin Valentinus.

It is celebrated on Saint Valentine’s Day in memory of St. Valentine who was martyred in 270 A.D. He was associated with the bringing together of people in love who were under duress. The holiday is celebrated on February 14th by the exchange of romantic or funny messages called Valentines. Often the messages are sent anonymously.  The colors red and pink are associated with this day and the heart shape is the universal symbol.

In America chocolates, roses and candy hearts are often given as tokens of affection.

Do You Know?

Only 54% of Valentines are sent through the mail ~ the rest are hand delivered.

In honor of an established and loved American tradition that occurs on February 2  each year (GroundHog Day) the Word of the Week this week is Groundhog.

Groundhog (noun)

(Marmota monax – a rodent of the  family Sciuridae) also known as wood chuck, whistle pig, or land beaver. They are widely found throughout the United States ranging from Alaska to Alabama and are mainly a lowland animal who likes to burrow. They are herbivores (eating grasses and vegetation, small insect and bugs, no meat )and have a heavy body,  short legs and grow 17 – 26 inches long and weigh 4 – 9 lbs. They hibernate in the winter.

With so much of the country experiencing wild and wet weather  here are a few weather related words and phraes to help with understanding what the weather person is talking about.

Blizzard – An intense winter storm with winds of 35 m.p.h. or higher with falling and/or blowing snow that reduces visibility below 1/4 mile for at least three hours.

Flash Flood – Sudden flooding that occurs when floodwaters rise swiftly with no warning within several hours of an intense rain. They often occur after intense rainfall from slow moving thunderstorms. In narrow canyons and valleys, floodwaters flow faster than on flatter ground and can be quite destructive.

Lake Effect Snow – Localized snow that forms on the downwind side of large lakes. It’s common in the late fall and winter in the Great Lakes region when cold, dry air picks up moisture from the unfrozen lake surfaces.

Nor’easter – A powerful low-pressure system that moves north along the Atlantic Coast. It’s called a Nor’easter because the coastal winds are from the northeast. Heavy rain, snow and high surf often occur.

*All of this information came from Crystal Wicker at WeatherWizKids.com. To see her website click here.

Actually there are 6 reasons why avalanches are caused.

They are……..

1. Layers of snow build up and slide down the mountain.

2. A vibration or movement like the voice of a person or a train can star an avalanche.

3. Certain weather conditions like wind and rain.

4. A rock or a piece of ice can shake the snow to slide down the mountain.

5. Water under the snow could make the snow slide.

6. A section of the snow could fall down or break apart and slide down the mountain.

aReader (see comments for their answer) came the closest. They got #2. Very good to you.*

The other question was are snowflakes ever the same shape. No one ever answered that one but it is quite simple.

The answer is no.

*To learn about names in question of the month see the page about ‘Things You Might Need To Know About My Blog” or click here.