Topics

Feb

Memorable Moments: Love is in the Air

by Your friends at OIC on February 11, 2020

Valentine’s Day puts love in the collective spotlight once a year, but as these heartfelt posts from the past remind us, love and its steady stream of “Oh, I see!” moments are a constant. Read more...

Your friends at OIC Comments

Cultural Symbols/Language & Culture/Proverbs & Sayings

Sep

French Idioms Pay Tribute to the Animal Kingdom

by Meredith Mullins on September 23, 2019

Don’t give your tongue to a cat. Why not?
© iStock/Maroznc

Becoming Bilingual: Don’t Give Your Tongue to a Cat

In the picturesque and poetic world of French idioms, the animal kingdom is well represented. Noah—and his ark—would be proud. Animals are key players in the proverbs and sayings of French culture.

Cats, lambs, sheep, ducks, dogs, elephants, wolves, chickens, cows, cockroaches, spiders, fish, rabbits, horses, rats, and giraffes all make an appearance.

Where do sheep fit in to French idioms?
© Meredith Mullins

Idioms can come from various parts of a culture—food, history, social traditions, sports, values—but many languages use animals as a basis for their idioms. Read more...

Meredith Mullins 8 Comments

Becoming Bilingual/France/Language & Culture/Proverbs & Sayings

Nov

Emoji Mojo

by Meredith Mullins on November 20, 2018

Set of emojis from Apple that show cultural and language, especially the universal language of emojis. (Image courtesy of Apple.)

Some of the 2018 new emojis
Courtesy of Apple

Are Emojis the World’s First Universal Language?

Imagine archaeologists finding a set of emojis 1000 years from now in a buried time capsule. Or, picture visitors from faraway galaxies stumbling on Earth’s emoji language.

What would they think of us as they looked over this strange range of pictorial symbols? Read more...

Meredith Mullins Comments

Language & Culture/Worldwide Sites

World Views: