Word on the Street

By Mellissa Martínez – With spring in the air, it seems that many people are busy with the same activity—gardening. Whether you prefer herbs, flowers or vegetables, you may be surprised to learn of the abundant, garden-variety vocabulary stemming from your plot. By examining some perennial phrases that that have taken root in English,...
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By Mellissa Martinez – Spring, for many, represents renewal. Sandwiched between the hibernation inducing winter and the lethargy of summer, it promises longer days, warm breezes and new life. For some, the arrival of this season has an even greater significance. The Iranian New Year occurs on the first day of spring, bringing food,...
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By Mellissa Martínez – This month, while considering events of last year and pondering plans for the new one, I find myself resolving to write more. In the spirit of this rhetorical resolution, I have put pen to paper (or rather finger to keyboard) and devoted some discourse to the written word. As it...
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By Mellissa Martínez – Having taught English to foreign students for many years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with people from almost every continent and many countries. Students from Kenya to Cuba have sat in my classroom struggling with the complicated task of learning a second language. Some master it quickly while others...
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By Mellissa Martinez – When it comes to Thanksgiving, some think of savory turkey and warm stuffing. Others conjure up images of Pilgrims and natives in celebration. I cannot help but think of language. I have always wondered how Native Americans and Pilgrims managed to communicate on that first, three-day feast that has continued...
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By Mellissa Martínez – For summer lovers who enjoy California’s extended September sun, it is time to accept the inevitable—fall has arrived. No more long lazy evenings and days by the pool. Adios to ice cream and sunburns. Hello to frigid breezes and hot cocoa. With September behind us and October underway, we have...
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  By Mellissa Martínez – This month marks the anniversary of the death of legendary storyteller Jacob Grimm. He and his brother, Wilhelm, were responsible for filling our minds with indelible images of a child-eating witch who lives in a candy house, greedy stepsisters hunched over a dainty glass slipper and a long toothed wolf...
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It is estimated that Americans speak approximately 16,000 words per day. Most of us pass the day transitioning from one involved conversation to another. We express sentiment by stringing sentences together, listening to our partners and responding in turn. There are some words, however, that sound more like noises than words. They involuntarily escape...
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by Mellissa Martínez – Back from two weeks of cheese, meat, pasta, prosecco and Italian banter, it’s safe to say that when in Rome, I did as the Romans. In addition to drinking daily cappuccino, eating deep fried artichokes, feasting on melon and wine and carrying on robust conversations well into the night, I...
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Mark Twain once wrote, “The Creator made Italy from designs by Michael Angelo.” Having lived there two years, I can attest to the truth of Twain’s reference. This week, due to a combination of planning, stubbornness and luck, my family and I will head to Angelo’s masterpiece—Italy. While I sip wine with dear friends,...
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