English: morass
Tutoring English, words can return. The tutor recalls the word morass. morass: an impairment to motion or mental clarity, akin to a swamp one would try to traverse. I first heard morass decades ago, and hear it rarely now. Source: …
Author: Jack
Philosophy: the stick
Self-tutoring about connectivity: the tutor reflects…. Last fall I was tidying up the yard: a mountain of prunings had accumulated that I finally had to organize for curb pickup. Looking around for whatever I’d missed, I noticed a neatly cut …
Politics: US deficits
Self-tutoring about politics: the tutor discusses the US deficits and Trump. I don’t listen to or read the news much, although a couple of apps send me headlines on my phone. Of course, the US political campaign has already begun. …
Informal English: kiddo, or kiddie?
Self-tutoring about Canadian and American English: the tutor mentions a possible difference. Merriam-Webster mentions “kiddo” as a child or kid; on the other hand, Oxford Canadian mentions “kiddie”. I recall, as a child, reading the word “kiddo” in American books, …
Math, cryptozoology: do cryptids exist?
Self-tutoring about the edge of reality: the tutor reflects…. Sasquatch and other cryptids are believed by some who even provide evidence, which deniers dismiss. Often the denier’s reasoning seems to be “If it was real, we’d know…something like that can’t …
English: how do you spell the word for “one who denies?”
Tutoring English never gets old. The tutor shows a reason why. Denier: one who denies. I can barely believe my eyes, yet the spell checker has no quarrel with denier. How can I never have seen denier in print, yet …
English: how do you spell the word for “one who denies?” Read more »
English: spurn: the physical verb
Tutoring English, vocabulary can surprise. The tutor mentions an aspect of the verb spurn. I’m familiar that spurn means reject, but it can be a less emotional term. Spurn can also mean to kick aside or step over while walking. …
Geography: Wolves in France
Self-tutoring about geography and animals: the tutor mentions wolves in France. Perhaps a North American can be tempted to believe that Europe is no longer wild. However, Europe has its mountain ranges that still host wilderness. France has two wolf …
Education: heuristic, part 0
Self-tutoring about thinking and learning: the tutor mentions the term heuristic, used as a noun. One of the smartest people I’ve met was a head waiter. Once he showed me proper placement of cutlery on a table, and called it …
Math: a detail about order of operations
Tutoring math, so often a detail can pose danger. The tutor relates such a case. Occasionally, regarding order of operations, I’ve heard people say you do addition before subtraction, since of course in BEDMAS, A comes before S. It’s a …