Category: Features

Word of the Month: Contronym

David Zapatka Reader and dear friend Ellen Engel suggested I look at Mental Floss’ article on contronyms. I subscribed to Mental Floss for years and enjoyed the magazine. Today, you can only read it online, as its print version has been discontinued. Contronym noun con·​tro·​nym | ˈkän-trə-ˌnim variant – contranym: a word having two meanings that contradict one…

U.S. Marines—Flag and Seal, Song, and Motto

Ross Dunfee Flag and Seal: Marines used the Grand Union flag, and possibly the Gadsden flag (yellow flag with a “Don’t Tread on Me” rattlesnake), during the assault on New Providence Island, The Bahamas, March 3, 1776. During the 1830s and 1840s, the flag consisted of a gold fringed white field centered with an eagle and…