Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Change things up • Solstice • Equinox • Vernal • Autumnal • Happy days are here again
For this Winning English, I’m going to change things up a bit. I’m going to discuss some vocabulary, as well as my usual sayings and slang words.
Happy Winter Solstice! (Actually, by the time you receive this email, the Winter Solstice will have been the day before, on 21 December. )
A solstice is the shortest or longest day of the year, depending on whether you are in the north or the south. For example, since it’s the winter in the north right now, it was the shortest day of the year, so it’s the Winter Solstice. But in the south, it’s the longest day of the year, so it’s the Summer Solstice.
We also have two days in between the solstices called equinoxes. On an equinox, day and night are about the same length. In fact, the word comes from two ancient Latin word parts. “Equi” means equal, and “nox” means “night”. So, the word literally means “equal night”.
The Vernal Equinox comes about three months after the Winter Solstice. The Autumnal Equinox comes about three months after the Summer Solstice. Both “vernal” and “autumnal” come from ancient Latin, as well, with “vernal” referring to springtime, and “autumnal” referring to autumn, or the fall.
Personally, I like the Winter Solstice because it means the days will stop getting shorter, and we’ll start having more daylight where I live. Happy days are here again!
Here’s a video further explaining the solstices and equinoxes. It’s actually very complex!
At the beginning of this post, I said I was going to “change things up a bit”. “To change things up” or “to change it up” means to do things differently than normal, usually to keep it more interesting.
And “happy days are here again” is a somewhat old-fashioned phrase that I’m using in a humorous way to say, “I’m happy!”
Thanks for reading Winning English! Remember to listen to the podcast, as well, to reinforce your learning. Remember to like the posts, leave a comment (let me know what you thought of this different kind of post), and if you like what you read or hear, please tell a friend. Talk soon!