Book readers and moviegoers are never hesitant to point out typos, misspellings, and (eek!) if the stepsister is called Sally in Chapter 1 and Eliza in Chapter 24. They are even happier to catch anachronisms. Some are obvious, others are less so. Showing a character wearing a wristwatch in an Elizabethan era movie is a […]

Back in the days when I was a reporter (long before the internet), one of our favourite lunch spots was a small restaurant around the corner from the newsroom. Most days we ordered the blue-plate special which was invariably delicious, filling, and inexpensive. Ever wonder where that term came from? Apparently, this is a very […]

What's in a name?  Whether you're a parent or an author, names are important. Names invoke mental images and carry emotional connotations. Authors expend a tremendous amount of time and sweat naming their characters. I bow before the geniuses who coined the names Wil E. Coyote, Hot Lips Houlihan, and Dr. Strangelove. What about Willy […]