In Plain Engel-ish

From our earliest civilizations until around 1850, people who wished to swim would find a secluded place at the edge of a natural body of water, like an ocean, lake, or river, and enjoy themselves. Naked. They didn’t strip down and swim in their underwear, as so many later bathers did. Before the mid-nineteenth century,  underclothes were so heavy, voluminous, and incredibly expensive to clean that a romp in the water was not worth the soggy consequences of the outfit being unable to be worn home or, worse, often ruined beyond repair. It was not until the early twentieth century...

LOVE ME FOREVER Greenland has been in our news more than ever before. But it’s been political news, and Professor Engel is an English professor, not one of political science. Also, Professor Engel is not a fool. He would not be overtly political in his essays, in case they would alienate even one delightful reader. I am just happy all of us agree on the one most important point: that we can’t wait to hear what I have to say every other Monday. I know I can’t.  So, Professor E, get back to Greenland: now. The Greenland I mention here concerns...

Because my childhood years ended at the end of the 1950’s — I turned twelve in 1960 — I grew up with the first generation who had frozen foods in their home freezers. My mom was a great cook, so it was a rarity for her to reach into the freezer compartment of our Frigidaire for anything but ice or ice cream. Oh, and one time for my sister’s Snow White doll. I was experimenting to see if she would look even more beautiful with her head sprouting icicles. Not to brag, but I was 60 years ahead of Disney’s...

Most of us know that the dove is a symbol of peace.The reason can be found in the Bible’s book of Genesis, where the famous dove visited Noah with an olive branch in its beak, signaling the restoration of peace between God and humanity.  You might assume that the reason the dove also symbolizes love is just a fluke of the English language, since the two words rhyme. After all, there’s no expression exactly like “lovey-dovey” in any other language. But it’s not just about the rhyming. In addition to mating for life, their demonstration of love for their offspring...

As a kid, I was a fingerprint junkie. Once I learned that every person had unique prints, I studied mine intently with my magnifying glass and “Finger Inker” kit (fun to say with a Swedish accent).  It became one of many afterschool activities I enjoyed with my neighborhood friend, Andy. When you were as lousy in sports as we were, weird hobbies were good for filling that time when more athletic friends were engaged in football or basketball. When one of those friends broke his arm playing football, we shanghaied him into our fingerprint club. He was so bored that...