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About Cherie Plaice

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So far Cherie Plaice has created 17 blog entries.
10 11, 2016

Where do company names come from?

We often don’t think about the meaning behind company names. Sometimes when we are first introduced to a new name, we might think it sounds a bit strange but gradually, and without us really noticing, it becomes a part of our vocabulary. Eventually we can’t really remember a time when the word Amazon didn’t conjure

3 11, 2016

Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason. Why gunpowder treason.
Should ever be forgot!

Tomorrow is Guy Fawkes’ Night, where we celebrate a failed Catholic plot to assassinate King James I by blowing up the House of Lords. We’re a funny old country, aren’t we? Over time the

30 10, 2016

Happy Halloween!

Today is finally Halloween and we’re taking a look at Halloween monsters! From folklore to the silver screen, there are hundreds of monsters lurking in shadows, ready to give us a fright. But have you ever thought how they got their names?

First things first, and a favourite topic of Halloween pedants everywhere, Frankenstein. Brought to

25 10, 2016

Spine-chillingly spooky foreign films to watch at Halloween

Halloween is the time to scare yourself silly and as long as you’re not afraid of subtitles there are frights to be found outside of Hollywood! In this week’s blog we’re going to give you a sample of the foreign language horror films out there.

Now, we’re no film critics and there are so many

17 10, 2016

Shared phenomena, different words

In last week’s blog I mentioned the jack-o’-lantern or will-o’-the-wisp and it got me thinking about the different words and explanations used to describe a shared phenomenon. Before science was able to provide answers, folklore was used to explain the unexplainable and it is fascinating to take a look at how different cultures explain these

7 10, 2016

Hannah hones in on Halloween

It’s October – the spookiest of months – we’re getting into the spirit of things here at Wordfish (pun most definitely intended) and today we are going to explore some of the words that surround Halloween.

Many of our modern-day Halloween traditions stem from pagan customs and beliefs and have been linked to the Gaelic festival

26 09, 2016

European Day of Languages

Today is the European Day of Languages. Launched in 2001 by the Council of Europe at the end of the European Year of Languages, the 26th September is an annual celebration of linguistic diversity across Europe.

Did you know that there are approximately 225 indigenous languages spoken in Europe? Of these, Russian is the most widespread

19 09, 2016

Yo ho ho me hearties or International Talk like a Pirate Day …

International Talk like a Pirate Day is here. Hold on to your peg legs and comical shoulder parrots, and let’s learn about some famous pirate phrases!

Shiver me timbers! Popularised by Long John Silver (although he was more grammatically correct than your average pirate and actually said “Shiver my timbers!”) this oath is common amongst fictional

9 09, 2016

Learn French – starter pack

Thinking about learning French and don’t know where to start? We’ve put together a quick starter pack of resources and suggestions to get you on your way.

Get Appy! There are so many great free resources available for learning languages, try them out and find what works best for you.
Here at Wordfish we love

7 08, 2016

Some preliminary thoughts on translation

Translation is a complex process, difficult to sum up with one word. In English, the term translation is used as somewhat of a catch-all. The same word is used to describe the communication of the meaning of a wide range of texts, from poetry and literature to technical documentation and legal files.

In reality,