Language & Places: The Ritz Hotel

The Ritz is a large, very expensive hotel named after the original Swiss owner, César Ritz. Several large cities including London and Paris have Ritz hotels.
The Hôtel Ritz in the heart of Paris, France, is one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in the world and is one of the seven recognized Parisian palace hotels. Established in 1898, it is the oldest Ritz Hotel in the world. The Ritz Hotel London is a 133-room hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.
The Ritz is also used to refer to any very luxurious and expensive establishment (usually used with a negative meaning):
This isn't the Ritz, you know.
The expression put on the Ritz (sometimes not capital) means to assume a superior air or make an ostentatious display. To put on the Ritz means to show that one is wealthy by living in a large house, giving parties, etc:
He really puts on the Ritz to impress people.
The informal adjective ritzy means luxurious or elegant. It also means glamorous, fashionable and expensive.

* Ritz Crackers

Rtiz crackers are a type of cracker (= thin biscuit) sold in boxes in the US and UK. They are designed to be eaten on their own or with a topping. They are circular in shape, salted lightly on one side, and have small scalloping around the edges. The crackers were named “Ritz” after the Ritz-Carlton hotels in the US because the name conjured up the image of wealth and glamour.

Did you know?

French fashion designer Coco Chanel died in the Hôtel Ritz Paris of a heart attack in 1971. She was 87 years old.

French Cooking Terms

Here is a list of French cooking terms, for those who are interested in venturing into more gourmet cooking.

Bain-marie A roasting pan or baking dish partially filled with water to allow food to cook more slowly and be protected from direct high heat. Used for custards and terrines.
Bavarois Creamy pudding that is made with cream and eggs, then set with gelatin.
Beignets Fritters.Small dollops of dough that are fried.
Beurre Manié Butter and flour mixed together in equal parts and used to thicken liquids.
Beurre Noisette Browned butter.
Bisque A shellfish soup that has been thickened.
Blanquette A stew made from meat that has not been browned or fried. Usually refers to stews made of lamb, chicken or veal.
Bouchées Small puff pastry cases.
Bouillon Broth or stock.
Bouquet Garni A mixture of fresh herbs tied together with string and used to flavor stews, soups etc. It refers to a mix of parsley, bay leaf, thyme (and sometimes celery stalk). The bouquet is removed before serving.
Brunoise Vegetables cut into very small diced pieces.
Canapé An appetizer consisting of a small bread or biscuit base covered with a flavored topping. Chapelux Browned bread crumbs.
Chine To remove the backbone from a rack of ribs.
Concasser To chop roughly
Consommé Broth that has been made clear.
Coulis A thick sauce usually made from one main ingredient, such as raspberry coulis.
Court Bouillon Flavored liquid used for cooking fish.
Crêpes Very thin pancakes.
Croquettes A mixture of potato with ground cooked meat, fish or poultry formed into balls, patties or other shapes and coated with a breading before frying.
Croustade Bread piece dipped in butter and baked until it is crisp.
Croûte Crust Sometimes refers to a pastry crust, sometimes to toasted or fried bread.
Croûtons Small cubes of bread used as a garnish is salads and soups. DarioleSmall mould shaped like a castle used for moulding salads or baking cakes.
Déglacer To deglaze, to loosen browned juices and fat from the bottom of a frying pan or saucepan by adding liquid, bringing to a boil and stirring. The liquid is usually water, wine or broth.
Dégorger To extract juices from meat, fish or vegetables, usually by salting them, then soaking or washing. It is usually done to remove a strong taste.
Dépouiller To skim off the scum that accumulates at the top of a stock or sauce.
Duxelles Finely chopped raw mushrooms, used as a stuffing. Sometimes combined with chopped ham or scallops.
Entrecôte Sirloin steak.
Entrée The term used to refer to something served before the main course but is used now to refer to the actual main course.
Entremet Dessert or sweet, but not including pastries.
Escalop A thin slice of meat that is often pounded out to make it thinner.
Farce Stuffing.
Flamber or Flambé To set alcohol on fire.
Frappé Something that is iced or set on or in a bed of ice.
Fricassé A stew made from poultry, meat or rabbit that has a white sauce.

Glace de Viande Reduced brown stock used to add color and flavor to sauces.
Gratiner or Au Gratin To sprinkle the surface of a cooked food with bread crumbs and butter, and sometimes cheese and brown under the broiler. The finished food is referred to as au gratin as in au gratin potatoes.
Hors d'Oeuvre First course or appetizer.
Jus or Jus de Viande The juices that occur naturally from cooking.
Jus Lié A thickened gravy.
Liaison Ingredients used for thickening sauces, soups or other liquids.
Macédoine Small diced mixed vegetables, usually containing at least one root vegetable. Sometimes also means a mixture of fruit, like fruit salad.
Marmite French word for a covered earthenware container for soup. The soup is both cooked and served in it.
Mirepoix A mixture of braising vegetables.
Mortifier To hand meat, game or poultry.
Moulè-â-manqué A cake tin that is wider at the base than at the top and only about 1" in depth.
Napper To coat, mask or cover with something.
Noisette The word literally means "nut". It usually means nut brown in color. For example, beurre noisette is butter browned over heat until it becomes a nut brown color. It can also refer to boneless rack of lamb that is rolled, tied and cut into rounds. The word can also refer to hazelnuts.
Nouvelle Cuisine A term that refers to the style of cooking that features lighter dishes with lighter sauces and very fresh ingredients.
Panade A very thick mixture, usually made from a combination of flour, butter and milk, that is used as a base for dishes such as soufflés and fish cakes.
Paner To coat with egg and crumbs before frying.
Papillote A wrapping of parchment paper around fish or meat used for cooking. The paper retains moisture in the food.
Parisienne Refers to potatoes molded into balls with a melon scoop and fried or roasted.
Pâte A basic mixture or paste. Often refers to uncooked dough or pastry.
Pâté A paste made of liver, pork or game. PâtisserieA sweet or pastry, it also refers to a cake shop.
Piquer To insert fat, bacon, ham etc into meat or poultry.
Poussin A young chicken.
Quenelle Minced fish or meat mixture that is formed into small shapes and poached. It also refers to a shape that the minced mixture is made into.
Ragoût A stew
Réchauffée Reheated food.
Repere Flour mixed with water or egg white and used to seal pans when cooking food slowly. Often used when cooking a ragoût.
Revenir To quickly fry meats or vegetables in hot fat to warm them through.
Roux Melted butter to which flour has been added. Used as a thickener for sauces or soups.
Rouille Garlic and oil emulsion used as flavoring.
Sautoir A deep frying pan with a lid, used for recipes that require fast frying, then slow cooking.
Terrine Pâté or mixture of minced ingredients, baked or steamed in a loaf shaped container.
Timbale A dish cooked in a mould that is higher than it is wide and has sloping sides.
Velouté A type of sauce made from butter, flour, cream and stock.
Vol-au-vent A large pastry case made of puff pastry that is usually used as a container for creamed dishes, such as creamed chicken.

Language & Mythology: Achilles' Heel

Achilles was a hero in Greek mythology. He was an important person in the Trojan War, and in Homer's Iliad. Achilles was the son of Peleus and the nereid Thetis.
The meaning of the phrase Achilles' heel is "a weak or vulnerable factor".

The legend of Achilles has it that he was dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis in order to make him invulnerable. His heel wasn't covered by the water and he was later killed by an arrow wound to his heel.

In the Trojan War, Achilles was the best Greek warrior-hero. He killed Hector, but was killed by Paris, who shot his heel with a poisoned arrow.

Although the legend is ancient, the phrase Achilles' heel wasn't picked up in English until the 19th century. It is used as a metaphor for vulnerability, as in the earliest citation, an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in The Friend; a literary, moral and political weekly paper, 1810:
"Ireland, that vulnerable heel of the British Achilles!"

Phrase Origins: Bread & Roses

The slogan "Bread and Roses" originated in a poem of that name by James Oppenheim, published in The American Magazine in December 1911, which attributed it to "the women in the West." It is commonly associated with a textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts during January-March 1912, now often known as the "Bread and Roses strike".
The slogan appeals for both fair wages and dignified conditions.
The Lawrence strike, which united dozens of immigrant communities under the leadership of the Industrial Workers of the World, was led to a large extent by women. Many claim that during the strike some of the women carried a sign that said, "We want bread, but we want roses, too!" No reliable evidence has yet been found to verify thisand the claim has been rejected by some veterans of the Lawrence strike.The strike was settled on March 14, 1912, on terms generally favourable to the workers. The workers won pay increases, time-and-a-quarter pay for overtime, and a promise of no discrimination against strikers.

Did you know?

The term boulangerie refers to a French or French-style bakery. The boulangerie Bread & Roses, 7 rue de Fleurus, in Paris, is well-known for its celeb clientele. (Among the frequent customers are actress Catherine Deneuve and designer Inès de la Fressange.) But it is also famous for its Puissance Dix baguette. Literally translated, the name means "the power of 10," a reference to the 10 flours--including chestnut, buckwheat, corn, and rye--incorporated into the dough.

Language & Food: Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is meat cooked with onions, sour cream, and usually mushrooms:
beef stroganoff with noodles
Various explanations are given for the name, it presumably derived from some member of the large and important Stroganov family, perhaps Alexander Grigorievich Stroganoff of Odessa or a diplomat, Count Pavel Stroganov. The Stroganovs or Strogonovs (Russian: Строгановы, Строгоновы), also spelled in French manner as Stroganoffs, were a family of highly successful Russian merchants, industrialists, landowners, and statesmen of the 16th – 20th centuries who eventually earned nobility.

The Stroganov Palace is a Late Baroque palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The palace was designed by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli for Baron Sergei Grigoriyevich Stroganov in 1753-1754. The interiors were remodeled in the 1790s and first decade of the 19th century. Today, the palace is part of the Russian Museum.

Phrases from History: I See No Ships

Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) was a British admiral (= high-ranking officer in the navy) who is Britain’s most famous naval leader. He lost an arm and the sight in an eye during the wars against Napoleon, and he became very popular after winning several battles at sea. His most famous battle was the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which he was killed. Before the battle he said to his men “England expects that every man will do his duty” and as he lay dying he is believed to have said “Kiss me Hardy” to his friend Thomas Hardy. He is also known for having a romantic affair with an upper class woman called Lady Hamilton. After his death, Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column were built to honour him.

" I See No Ships"

The Battle of Copenhagen was a naval battle between the British and the Danish in 1801. The British navy under Lord Nelson had received orders to leave the area because Danish ships were approacing. Nelson put his telescope to his blind eye and said "I see no ships". His ships remained where they were, and in the battle that followed the Danes were defeated.

Why does Xmas stand for Christmas?

Xmas stands for Christmas and represents the Christian celebration in a significant manner. X is the symbol of Christ in Greek text, and is a meaningful term for the holiday.
Christmas is a time of great joy and symbolism for Christians around the world. It seems that every year Christians become upset with the word Xmas because they do not understand the meaning, history or symbolism of Xmas. The use of Xmas is really not an attack on the Christian celebration, as it is often perceived to be. Xmas is a historic word that is truly interchangeable with Christmas, but the word tends to upset people who see it as a disrespectful derogatory shortening of the Christian holiday. Christians may exclaim ‘Keep the Christ in Christmas,’ not realizing that X is actually the ancient symbol for Christ.

X Stands for Christ

Xmas is derived from a mixture of Greek and English. Greeks used X as the symbol for Chi, Christo or Xristo. X is the Greek symbol for Christ. In early Christian times, X was used as the symbol for Christ himself.
The exact origin of X for Christ is difficult to pinpoint. Some Bible theologians claim that the origin began in the first century AD, along with other symbols. Other Bible theologians believe that its use became widespread around the thirteenth century along with other Christian abbreviations and symbols that became popular in the Middle Ages.
It is believed that during the early Christian era, Christians put an X symbol above their door to identify themselves to each other while keeping their faith secret in a society that persecuted Christians, although this is difficult to verify.

Gutenberg Printing Press

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in Germany in 1436. During the fifteenth century, in the early days of printing, each letter was individually set by placing a block in a strip. Typesetting was tedious and was an expensive part of printing. In order to save time and money, religious printing commonly used X for Christ.

Xmas History Forgotten

The history of X was commonly known and understood until recent generations. History has a way of fading as commonly known information is neglected and not passed on. Recent generations have lost knowledge of the origin of X, causing Xmas to be misunderstood.
Xmas is a word that has a long Christian history. Although many commercial entities may think they are cutting Christ out of Christmas when they use the term Xmas, the opposite is true. X stands for Christ and Xmas and Christmas are the same word.

Food & Cooking: Meat

The meat from some animals has a different name from the animal itself. For example, the meat from a cow is called beef, the meat from a pig is called pork or ham or bacon, the meat from a calf (= young cow) is veal, the meat from a deer is venison, and the meat from a sheep is mutton. But the meat from a lamb is lamb and for birds the same word is used for both the meat and the creature:
Shall we have chicken or duck for dinner?

Language & Animals: Parrots

A parrot is any of a large group of usually tropical birds that have a curved beak and usually brightly coloured feathers. Some of these birds can be taught to copy human speech. They are sometimes taken to other countries and kept as pets.
Polly is a traditional name for a parrot and parrots are often taught to say “pretty Polly”. In stories, pirates often have a parrtot which sits on their shoulder and says “pieces of eight” (= old valuable coins).
A parrot is also a person who copies, often without understanding, the words or actions of another.
Parrot fashion means by continuous repeating, but without real understanding
The children learnt the poem parrot fashion.
If someone's sick as a parrot about something, they are unhappy, disappointed or depressed about it.
The Dead Parrot sketch, known as the Pet Shop sketch or Parrot Sketch, is a popular sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, and one of the most famous in the history of British television comedy. The sketch portrays a conflict between disgruntled customer Mr Praline and a shopkeeper, who hold contradictory positions on the vital state of a "Norwegian Blue" parrot.
Psittacosis is a bacterial disease that can be caught from birds such as parrots, pigeons, and parakeets (= a small slender long-tailed parrot). The disease is not common, with only 50 reported cases in the United States each year.
Psittacosis usually gives flu-like symptoms, such as fevers, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and a dry cough. The disease can also look like pneumonia on an x-ray. In rare cases, Psittacosis can cause endocarditis - swelling of joints, and swelling of the cornea.
Psittacosis can be easily treated with antibiotics, especially with Tetracycline. The disease rarely kills people, with only 1% of those who get the disease dying.

Language: Political Correctness is ruining Christmas

The absurdity of Political Correctness has extended to Christmas and is destroying the spirit of that traditional season. PC people think that a Christian holiday may be an insult to other religions or to atheists. The story about the birth of Christ has been deemed politically incorrect and changes in the language are being made to rectify the situation.
The word Christmas is exclusive to Christians (it has Christ in it) and must be removed. Since it cannot be replaced with the word "holiday" (Holy Day) it should be replaced with the innocuous phrase, "day off". The term Winterval was applied to a season of public events in Birmingham, England, organised by Birmingham City Council in each of two consecutive winters: first from 20 November 1997 to 31 December 1997, and then again from mid-October 1998 to mid-January 1999. Critics of the name and the underlying concept suggested it was a misguided politically correct attempt to rebrand Christmas so as not to exclude non-Christians…
Christmas Carols and Holiday Songs tend to exclude, marginalize and insult. Henceforth these songs will be re-written with new titles to avoid any real, imagined or perceived offense. "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", for example, is considered to make a covert reference to racism.
Nowadays, employees are ordered not to say the word Christmas, displays are attacked and references to Christmas in the media are demonized as discriminatory and inappropriate. Some stores have even told employees to specifically avoid saying, “Merry Christmas”. They are encouraged to use the expressions Happy Holidays –though the word Holiday is also objected- or Season’s Greetings instead. Many municipalities no longer place Christmas Decorations in public places.
To have a politically correct season we would have to either represent everyone equally - Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus. The Christmas tree is called now a Unity Tree though it should be politically correct for the tree to stay in the forest. No school plays should feature Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus (some even suggest Jesus should be called The Magic Baby!). They can't put up a nativity scene unless they put up enough non-religious symbols to mask the religious ones. Angels are spiritual beings and not everybody believes in the spiritual life.They should be called High Guiding Influences instead. To avoid sexism, the Snowman should be called Snow Creature.
It is true that political correctness was born out of a genuine intention to avoid offensive language. However, in recent years its sphere of influence has spread to unimaginable areas such as Christmas and other religious holidays. People have begun to react and several campaigns have been organized to counteract politically correct nonsense.

PC Language: Cupcakes or Fairy Cakes?

Cupcakes -and the Magnolia Bakery, where they are baked- became popular after being extensively featured in the programme Sex and the City. A cupcake is a small cake for one person, usually made in a small paper cup container. As with larger cakes, icing and other decorations, such as sprinkles, are often put on them. A simple cupcake uses the same ingredients as most other traditional cakes: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Cupcakes are often served during a celebration, such as children's birthday parties. They are a convenient alternative to cakes because they do not require plates, utensils, or dividing into pieces as they are small. Cupcakes were first invented in the early 1800's and the first recipes for them appeared in the book “American Cookery” by Amelia Simms.
In Australian English a cupcake is called a patty cake or a cup cake. In British English a cupcake is called a fairy cake. The name "fairy cake" makes reference to its size, which would be appropriate for a party of diminutive fairies to share. However, many people tend to disfavour the use of the word “fairy cake” because of its associations with homosexuality.

In English, “Fairy” is an offensive slang term used to refer to a male homosexual.
A butterfly cake is a variant of cupcake, also called fairy cake, because the top of this cake resembles butterfly or fairy "wings". This fanciful descriptive term can also be regarded as potentially offensive. The street term for homosexual in Mexico is “Mariposa”, meaning butterfly in Spanish. The stereotyped image of a homosexual is that of an effeminate male who leads an active social life composed of many appearances at bars and parties. Homosexuals may be called “Mariposas” because of their associations with butterflies symbolizing femininity, and the butterfly’s habit of “flitting” from flower to flower. In America, the term “Flit” has been commonly used as a synonym for homosexual. In British English, the butterfly (symbolizing transformation or metamorphosis) is a popular transgender symbol, used to identify transvestites, transsexuals, and other people who modify their gender.
A butterfly also symbolizes fire since fire is an element of transformation. Curiously, the word flamer (derived from flame) means a blatantly obvious homosexual person.
In this 21st century world, where people have to mind their words so as not to be politically incorrect, words such as fairy cake and butterfly cake can be tainted with negative or offensive connotations.

Did you know?

The term fruitcake (a heavy spiced cake containing nuts and candied or dried fruits) meaning an eccentric (crazy) person began to be used in the 1910s. It derived from the English expression "nutty as a fruitcake". By the 1930s the term fruitcake (a heavy spiced cake containing nuts and candied or dried fruits) began to be seen as not only negative but also to mean a male homosexual. It should be noted that gay people were regularly "treated" with castration, lobotomies, nerve surgery, and electroshock treatment, that is why the meaning of fruitcake, nutty, originally used for someone who is deemed insane, or crazy, was transferred to homosecual people since many apparently believed that they were mentally unsound. In the United States, psychiatric institutions ("mental hospitals") were called fruitcake factories while in 1960s Australia they were called fruit factories.

Language & History: The Gordian Knot

The term Gordian knot is used to refer to an exceedingly complicated problem or deadlock. It comes from a legend associated with Alexander the Great. An intricate knot that had been tied by King Gordius of Phrygia was cut by Alexander the Great with his sword after hearing an oracle promise that whoever could undo it would be the next ruler of Asia. Alexander cut the knot with his sword and applied the oracle to himself. ‘To cut the Gordian knot’ thus signifies drastic action to solve a difficulty.

Language: Idioms with the word "time"

If you use time sensibly or on things that are neither good nor bad, you spend time.

You should spend an hour a day practising the piano.

I spend a lot of time wondering about Tom.

If you use time badly, you waste time:

I wasted a whole hour trying to find a garage.

If you are trying to keep a certain timetable, you may also lose time:

I drove quickly, trying to make up for lost time.

We lost quite a lot of time on the journey because of a breakdown.

If you have too much time which you try to fill you may pass the time:
Listening to the radio helps her to pass the time.

Or even (if you are waiting for something), you kill time:

I'm just standing here, killing the time until the shop opens.

Language & Mythology: The Siren Song

The phrase siren song refers to the enticing appeal of something alluring but potentially dangerous.
He succumbed to the siren call of the wilderness.
The expression has its origin in mythology. In Greek mythology the sirens were sea-monsters with the heads and breasts of women and the bodies of birds, with or without wings. Their sweet songs and lovely faces seduced passing sailors, whom they lured into the sea where they devoured them. They were evil and much to be feared.
In Book XII of Homer's Odyssey the sorcerer Cirse warns Odysseus of the perils he would face on his voyage home. He tells him that if anyone comes too close and hears the singing of the sirens, his wife and his children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song.

Language: Food in the times of Henry VIII

About two centuries ago, during the reign of Henry VIII, all items of food were called after some functionary of the palace. A capon was called a lord chamberlain; a goose was a lord steward; a gooseberry tart was a gentleman usher of the black rod and so on.

Cheesecakes were known as "maids of honour". The origin of this term reaches back to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Anne was devoted to pleasing Henry in every possible way. Henry loved his food so the scheming girl used his stomach to further her ends, feeding him a great amount of cheesecake. Henry so enjoyed eating these delicious cakes that he called them "maids of honour".

Between Henry VIII´s death and the reign of George II, cheesecakes was also alternatively konwn as "maiden's gayness".

Did you know?

* It has been rumoured that Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII of England and mother of Queen Elizabeth I of England, had six fingers on one hand. This genetic condition in which a person has six fingers on one or both hands, or six toes on one or both feet is known as hexadactyly.

Language & Mythology: The Trojan Horse

- The Story Behind the Horse

A Trojan horse is someone or something that is accepted because it seems good or hamrless, but that is really intended to cause harm:
Senator Simon claimed the new law would reduce violence on TV, but opponents have attacked it as being a “Trojan horse” that would lead to censorship of TV programming.
The term comes from Greek mythology: the Trojan horse was a wooden horse used by Greek soldiers to trick their enemies the Trojans during the Trojan War. The Greeks hid inside a large wooden model of a horse and were taken into Troy by Trojan soldiers, who thought that it was a gift.

- The Woman Behind The War

Helen of Troy was the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
The Trojan War is a war which is said to have been fought between the Greeks and Trojans because the Trojan prince Paris had carried off Helen, wife of Menelaus, a Greek king. The war was won by a trick in which Greek soldiers hid inside the Trojan horse. Homer describes the Trojan War in his book The Iliad.

More than a human quality: Vanity

Vanity is the quality of having unreasonable pride in oneself or one’s appearance, abilities, etc; conceit.
He’s always looking at himself in the mirror. What vanity!
Vanity also means lack of usefulness, worth, or effect; worthlessness.
the vanity of human wishes
Vanity of vanities is a phrase used before mentioning something that shows great pride and stupidity:
He built a model castle in his front garden with, vanity of vanities, a procession of garden gnomes leading up to it.

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is a magazine sold in the US and UK that has articles on fashion, some news articles, and some articles or stories by well-known writers.
Vanity Fair is also a novel written by William Thackeray about upper class English society at the time of the war against Napoleon. The characters in the book, who include Betty Sharp, are often shown to be stupid or to have no more princicples.
Vanity Fair is also a place where people have no serious thoughts or beliefs, and where only money, fashion, and entertainment are considered to be important. The name comes from an imaginary place like this in The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

Vanity Box

Vanity box

A vanity box is a small box, usually jewelled or of precious metal and worn on a chain, containing a mirror, powder puff, and other small toilet articles for a woman.

Vanity case

A vanity case is a small handbag or case used by women for carrying cosmetics or toiletries.
It is also used to refer to a woman's compact.

Vanity plate

Vanity plate is a car numberplate for which the owner has paid to have the combination of letters or numbers he or she wants:
She had vanity plates on her car which read: WAVE2ME.

Vanity press

Vanity press is a company to which writers can pay money to have thier books printed. Books printed in this way may be sold by the writer but are not usually sold in bookstores:
He had his poetry bound into a pretty little volume by a vanity press.

Vanity table

Vanity table is the American word for dressing table( = a low table with a mirror at which one sits while applying makeup).

Vanity unit

Vanity unit is a furniture unit like a table with a washbasin built into the top of it, usually with a small cupbaord below. It is also called vanitory unit.

More Than A Substance: Ivory

Ivory is the hard white substance of which an elephant's tusks are made. Ivory can be used to make valuable things, such as jewellery, and in many places the sale of it has been forbidden to prevent people from illegally killing elephants to obtain the ivory from their tusks.
Ivory is also the colour of this substance, creamy white:
ivory shoes / an ivory dress
Ivory is also something made of this substance, especially a small figure of a person or a thing:
my collection of Chinese ivories
Tickle the ivories means to play the piano. The ivories is an informal word for teeth.
Ivory Soap is a type of soap used for washing the body and the face, usually sold in the US.
Ivory Tower is an imaginary place where it is thought very clever poeple (=intellectuals) hide to avoid the difficult realities of ordinary life:
university professors in their ivory towers

Adjectives from Names: Elizabethan

The adjective Elizabethan means from or typical of the period when Elizabeth I was queen of England (1558-1603):

the Elizabethan theatre

an Elizabethan half-timbered house

a famous Elizabethan

Elizabeth I (born 1533-died 1603) was the queen of England from 1558 until her death. She never married and she is sometimes called "the Virgin Queen". She is thought of as a very strong woman and an effective ruler. While she was queen, England's power in the world increased, and her navy defeated the Spanish Armada (= a large force of fighting ships). The period is sometimes called "the Elizabethan age", and is thought of as a great period in English history.

* Cool Links:

Elizabethan Life
Elizabethan sites in England
Elizabethan Theatre

Mythology & Language: Echo and Narcissus

Echo

Echo was a nymph in Greek Mythology. She was very beautiful, but loved her own voice.
According to the Ancient Roman poet Ovid, Echo once had the job of distracting Hera (Zeus' wife) while Zeus was having relationships with other women. She did this by leading Hera away and flattering her. When Hera found out she was very angry with Echo. She put a curse on her that meant that she could only speak the last words of other people after she had heard them. It is due to this story that we get the meaning behind the word echo.

Narcissus

After she was cursed, Echo fell in love with Narcissus. Narcissus was very handsome and anybody who saw him always fell in love with him. However, Narcissus had no heart and could not fall in love with anybody. Echo could not speak to Narcissus but wanted to be able to see him. She therefore followed him everywhere, but made sure that he could not see her.
Narcissus got lost and called out "Is anyone here?". Echo said back "Here, here, here." Narcissus then asked Echo to come out of her hiding place. Echo did so and then told Narcissus that she loved him by hand movements. Narcissus, who was angry that so many people loved him, told Echo that he did not love her.
Echo was very upset and prayed to the goddess Aphrodite for death. Aphrodite granted Echo's wish, but she liked Echo's voice so much she kept it alive.
As Narcissus had rejected Echo and broken her heart, she then went and haunted valleys and mountainous ares where echoes are able to be heard in all hollow places of the earth.
Narcissus was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally proud and he disdained those who loved him. As divine punishment he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool, not realizing it was merely an image. When Narcissus realised he was in love with his own reflection, he became utterly distraught and realising no way to fulfill his love, he took his hunting knife and stabbed himself through the heart. As the blood drops fell to the ground they produced the first growth of the Daffodil, also known as the Narcissus flower (or plant).
The term narcissism means an excessive love or admiration of oneself. It is also used to refer to a psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem. Narcissism is then defined as the attribute of the human psyche charactized by admiration of oneself but within normal limits.