Here are some few family names in Spanish and their English counterpart. If you know the language then test yourself to see if you can get all of them correct and for those who know little or no Spanish, you might just learn a few family names in Spanish here. Learning a second language can be fun and at the same challenging. However, you don’t have to speak a language in order to know and use any of its word/s that can come in very handy when you least expect it. Now check out the few family names in Spanish listed below. You might be able to the find these names using a translator software or an English- Spanish dictionary but you sure will not find them listed like this, under one group name - Family Names.

Family Name in English	Family Name in Spanish
husband	esposo, marido
wife	esposa
children	niños
son	hijo
daughter	hija
father	padre, papá (informal)
mother	madre, mamá (informal)
brother	hermano
sister	hermana
grandfather	abuelo
grandmother	abuela
uncle	tío
aunt	tía
nephew	sobrino
niece	sobrina
cousin	primo (m), prima (f)
brother-in-law	cuñado
sister-in-law	cuñada
father-in-law	suegro
mother-in-law	suegra
son-in-law	yerno
daughter-in-law	nuera

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Morse code is a coding system for transmitting information, using standardized sequences of short and long signal (sound or light pulses) of different durations in the form of "dots" and "dashes" or "dits" and "dahs" that represents letters, numbers, punctuation marks or other characters. Short signals are called "dots" and long signals are called "dashes". Each letter in the alphabet represents a corresponding sound or series of sounds unique to each signal of different durations that are printed out as dots and dashes. Spaces between letters or words is based on the durations of silence between them.

The Morse code was invented in 1836 by American Samuel Finely Breese Morse (1791-1872) and it is used in sending messages over extremely low-quality pathways such as telegraphs and low-quality radio. Thus, this means that signals (sound or light pulses) can be communicated audibly by telegraph or visually at night with the blink of a light from a lamp. Morse code was also called the "American" Morse Code since it is the first and original Morse code. There are now other Morse codes, that adapted the American Morse code to use in other languages. Also, there is an Continental Morse Code or International Morse Code which eliminated all of the embedded spaces and long dashes within letters found in the letters of the original Morse code (American Morse code). This International Morse Code is given below long with the original Morse code.

Over the years there has been an increase in knowledge (science and technology) which led to modern development of more advanced communications system which make the use of Morse code almost obsolete. However, in spite of our technological advancement in communication, this method of communication still (even thought it is slow) provides a reliable (wireless) method of transmitting and receiving text messages through (and overcoming) disruptive interference conditions such as fading, noise, or other interferences. Morse Code has the advantage of being able to be read and understood by both man and machine.

Morse code is used today to a limited extent by; amateur radio operators, CW (continuous wave), maritime, landline telegraphers, navigational radio beacons, and military radio operators. Listed below is the American (original Morse code) and the International Morse Code.

Morse Code Alphabet
American Morse Code:

A . __        J . .          S . . .       1 . __ __ .
B __ . . .    K __ . __      T __          2 . . __ . .
C . .  .      L ___          U . . __      3 . . . __ .
D __ . .      M __ __        V . . . __    4 . . . . __
E .           N __ .         W . __ __     5 __ __ __
F . __ .      O .  .         X . __ . .    6 . . . . . .
G __ __ .     P . . . . .    Y . .  . .    7 __ __ . .
H . . . .     Q . . __ .     Z . . .  .    8 __ . . . .
I . .         R .  . .       0 ____        9 __ . . __

International Morse Code (Continental Morse Code):

A .-    G --.    M --    S ...   Y -.--   4 ....-
B -...  H ....   N -.    T -     Z --..   5 .....
C -.-.  I ..     O ---   U ..-   0 -----  6 -....
D -..   J .---   P .--.  V ...-  1 .----  7 --...
E .     K -.-    Q --.-  W .--   2 ..---  8 ---..
F ..-.  L .-..   R .-.   X -..-  3 ...--  9 ----.

The six elements of the International Morse code

• short mark (pulse) which is a; dot or 'dit' (·)

• longer mark (pulse) which is a; dash or 'dah' (-)

Where __ is a long pulse, ___ a very long pulse and ____ a extra long pulse.

• Intra-character gap/space (This is found between the dots and dashes within a character)

• short gap (This is found between letters)

• medium gap (This is found between words)

• long gap (This is found between sentences)

For inter-character and interword spaces, there is no standardization in length (durations) of the spaces.

Punctuation Marks:

period              .-.-.-
comma               --..--
question mark       ..--..
hyphen              -....-
colon               ---...
(also can mean 'divided by')
underline           ..--.-
(This is used before and after the word to be underlined)
apostrophe          .----.
quotation mark      .-..-.
parenthesis open    -.--.
{said to be replaced by -.--.- for both "(" and ")"
parenthesis (close) -.--.-
Mathematical Signs
equal sign          -...-
(used also as spacing between parts of transmission)
plus sign           .-.-.
multiplication sign -..-
fraction mark       -..-.
separator (in fractions)     .-..-

Here is an International Morse Code chart showing the Morse Code characters, since some browsers might show the codes above incorrectly.

Click to enlarge chart
Morse Code Converter - This Morse code translator translates from Morse code to text and from text to Morse code.
Morse Code translator with sound - This Morse Code translator allows you to translate a text into Morse Code translate with the sound.

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Bacteria (plural of bacterium) are single-celled (one-celled) microorganisms. They are invisible to the naked eye (an average 1,000 nanometers long) and can only be seen with the aid of a light microscope. Structurally, their shape is determined by the shape of the rigid cell wall that covers the entire structure of the bacteria. Due to the fact that bacteria has a cell wall, they may appear in one of three shapes : bacillary (rod-shaped), coccal (spherical or ovoid) or spirochetal (spiral/helical - corkscrew). They usually have tiny flagella (a tail like appendage that they use to swim around in their environment). Bacteria do not contain a nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles and are therefore classed as prokaryotes. They can reproduce independently (self reproduce) by a process called binary fission where the parent cell (bacterium) divides (splits) into two new cells (bacteria) called daughter cells. This process is repeated continually where thousands or millions of bacteria are formed.

Most bacteria are harmless and some are even considered beneficial to humans for example, gut flora that is found in the digestive tract helps with the digestive process of food. However, there are others that live in and reproduce in warm, moist environments in the body where they grow quickly and feed on the tissues of the organism body, causing an infection by their excretion of toxins and acids that they produce (e.g. streptococcus and E. coli). Diseases caused by bacteria usually cause inflammation, swelling and pain from nerve irritation and fever - caused by increased body temperature by the body fighting the disease. There are different species of bacteria that are responsible for many plant and animal diseases, as well as, playing a very important role in the environment where they are also responsible for decay, fermentation and nitrogen fixation. Some examples of bacterial disease are: Cholera spreads by the ingestion of contaminated water and food containing the vibrio cholera agent by excrement of an individual with the disease; Syphilis spreads by sexual intercourse of an infected person to the sexual partner or from an infected mother to her fetus containing the disease agent Treponema pallidium. Other bacterial diseases include; Dysentery, Leprosy, Plague and Scarlet Fever just to name a few. Since bacteria can be killed with antibiotics, this means that bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics.

Bacteria can be found inhabiting almost every environmental condition on earth. They are found in plants and animals, soil, water, air, rocks, permanently frozen ice of Antarctica and volcanic cracks miles under the surface of the ocean.

Bacteria Classification
Bacteria are generally classified into two main groups based on their color examined under a microscope when stained with a special (dye) stain in a laboratory. These two groups are "Gram-positive" (blue) and "Gram-negative"(pink). This laboratory procedure is called Gram Stain and based on differences in cell wall thickness with varying glycosaminopeptide and lipoprotein compositions. Gram-positive bacteria are a rare group of bacteria in comparison to the Gram-negative bacteria. They are easily treatable with the antibotic penicillin. They cause infection through the damaging of the host tissue by penetrating deep into tissue or by releasing toxic (poisonous) substance in the surrounding tissue cells. An example of this bacterial infection is anthrax. Gram-negative Bacteria E.g. Spirochetes, spiral and curved, aerobic and facultatively aerobic rods, obligate anaerobes, aerobic and anaerobic cocci, sulfate and sulfur-reducing, rickettsias, clamydias, mycoplasmas. Gram-positive Bacteria E.g. Cocci, endospore-forming and nonsporing rods, mycobacteria, nonfilamentous actinomycetes

Viruses
Viruses are ultramicroscopic (20 to 300 nm in diameter) organisms which are smaller than bacteria and can only be seen using an electron microscope. They are acellular (not cellular) and are structurally very simple. Structurally, they are composed of genetic material containing one type of nuclei acid molecule (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protective protein coat. They can be rod-shaped, sphere-shaped, or multisided in appearance. They cannot reproduce independently (they lack the means for self-reproduction) outside a host cell and depend on their host cellular system to reproduce. This makes them parasitic. Virus outside of a living cell is dormant (inert) and are thus, considered living only when they invade and multiply within a host cells that they infect. This means that they cannot reproduce without being in a living cell. This they achieve however by using their host chemical machinery to keep itself alive and to replicate itself. The virus DNA or RNA enters cells and use its DNA or RNA (genetic code) to make a copy of itself (produce more viruses), similar to what the ordinary cell would do by using the host cell's metabolism. This means that the host body cell is tricked (now controlled by the virus) into making many copies of the virus inside the cell host cell thus, killing the cell where the viruses then enter (infecting) other cells to repeat the process. Virus can also reproduce and mutate into new strains (new type virus) in their host, making it much difficult to treat the infected person (the host) from one person to the next. Inside the body viruses produce toxins (poisons) that can cause rashes, aches and fevers.

Virus is very difficult to kill and cannot be killed with antibiotics like bacteria. Some virus can be prevented through vaccination where a harmless variant of the virus is made and use to inoculate a person or animal to stimulate an immune defense against the "real" virus. e.g. smallpox. Some examples of viral diseases are: Aids - transmitted through bodily fluid from an infected human to another through semen, vaginal secretion, blood and the sharing of needles by the disease agent HIV 1 and HIV 11 and Smallpox - through human to human contact through sneezing and coughing by the disease agent variola. Others include Influenza, Yellow Fever and Lassa Fever just to name a few.

Virus Classification
Viruses are usually classified (grouped) according to its phenotypic characteristics such as; its size (morphology), the type of nucleic acid they contain (RNA or DNA), presence or absence of an envelope, the structure of the capsid (symmetry of the capsid), the number of protein subunits it contains, host species (organisms they infect), mode of replication and immunological characteristics (the type of disease they cause). One common method currently used for the classification of virus is the Baltimore classification system. This method groups viruses based on their mode of replication and genome structure (genome type). Viruses are classified in one of the seven groups where each, grouped (1-7), are designated by Roman numerals.

DNA viruses

• Group I: double-stranded DNA viruses. E.g. herpes viruses, chickenpox and smallpox.

• Group II: single-stranded DNA viruses. E.g. bacteriophage M13.

RNA viruses

• Group III: double-stranded RNA viruses

• Group IV: positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. E.g. hepatitis C virus, rubella virus and SARS virus and yellow fever virus,

• Group V: negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. E.g. Ebola, Marburg viruses, measles, mumps and rabies.

Reverse transcribing viruses

• Group VI: reverse transcribing RNA viruses. E.g. HIV

• Group VII: reverse transcribing DNA viruses. E.g. hepatitis B

Additional information and method guidelines in naming and classifying viruses is set out by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

There is also the classification of Subviral agents. These are viral protein or other substance smaller than a virus and having some of the properties of a virus. Subviral Agents: Satellites, Viroids, and Agents of Spongiform Encephalopathies.

A simile is defined as a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word "like" or "as". Thus, it is a figurative language drawing comparison - the likening of one thing to another. There are many examples of similes that are used in our everyday conversation however, the list of Similes below are examples of just a few, using the word “as” only. Some examples of using “like” are:

Few Examples of Similes using “like”
My love is like a red, red rose
He eats like a bird
How like the winter hath my absence been” (Shakespeare).
The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.
The snow was like a blanket.
Death lies on her, like an untimely frost —William Shakespeare
Suspicion climbed all over her face, like a kitten, but not so playfully —Raymond Chandler
"When calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over your like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you." (Prov. 1:27)

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A list of Similes using “as”

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A
As agile as a monkey
As alike as two peas in a pod

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B
As bald as a baby's backside
As bald as a badger
As bald as a coot
As big as a bus
As big as an elephant
As black as a sweep
As black as coal
As black as one is painted
As black as pitch
As blind as a bat
As blind as a mole
As bold as brass
As brave as a lion
As bright as a button
As bright as a new pin
As bright as day
As busy as a beaver
As busy as a bee
As busy as a cat on a hot tin roof

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C
As calm as a millpond
As clear as a bell
As clean as a hound's tooth
As clean as a whistle
As clear as crystal
As clear as mud
As cold as ice
As common as dirt
As cool as a cucumber
As crazy as a loon
As cunning as a fox
As cute as a button
As cute as a cup cake

---

D
As dead as a doornail
As dead as the dodo
As deaf as a post
As delicate as a flower
As dense as a brick
As different as chalk from cheese
As drunk as a lord
As dry as a bone
As dry as dust
As dull as dishwater

---

E
As easy as A.B.C.
As easy as pie

---

F
As fat as a pig
As fit as a fiddle
As flat as a pancake
As free as a bird
As fresh as a daisy

---

G
As gentle as a lamb As good as gold

---

H
As happy as a clown
As happy as a lark
As happy as Larry
As happy as a rat with a gold tooth
As hard as nails
As high as a kite
As hoarse as a crow
As hot as hell
As hungry as a bear
As hungry as a wolf

---

I
As innocent as a lamb

---

J

---

K
As keen as mustard

---

L
As large as life
As light as a feather
As light as air
As likely as not
As lowly as a worm

---

M
As mad as a hatter
As mad as a hornet
As mad as the march hare
As merry as a cricket
As modest as a maiden
As much use as a yard of pump water

---

N
As naked as a baby
As neat as a pin
As nutty as a fruitcake

---

O
As obstinate as a mule
As old as the hills

---

P
As pale as death
As patient as Job
As plain as day
As pleased as Punch
As poor as a church mouse
As poor as dirt
As pretty as a picture
As proud as a peacock
As pure as snow
As pure as the driven snow

---

Q
As quick as a wink
As quick as lightning
As quick as silver

---

R
As right as rain

---

S
As safe as houses
As scarce as hen's teeth
As sensitive as a flower
As sharp as a needle
As sharp as a razor
As sick as a dog
As sick as a parrot
As silent as the dead
As silent as the grave
As silly as a goose
As slippery as an eel
As slow as molasses
As slow as a snail
As slow as a tortoise
As slow as a wet weekend
As smooth as silk
As snug as a bug in a rug
As sober as a judge
As soft as a baby's bottom
As solid as a rock
As solid as the ground we stand on
As sound as a bell
As sour as vinegar
As steady as a rock
As sticky as jam
As stiff as a board
As still as death
As straight as an arrow
As strong as an ox
As stubborn as a mule
As sturdy as an oak
As sure as death and taxes
As sweet as honey

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T
As tall as a giraffe
As tight as a drum
As thick as a brick
As thin as a rake
As thin as a toothpick
As timid as a rabbit
As tough as leather
As tough as nails
As tough as old boots
As tricky as a box of monkeys

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U

---

V

---

W
As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party
As white as a ghost
As white as a sheet
As white as snow
As wise as Solomon
As wise as an owl

---

X

---

Y

---

Z

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English is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch and is the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the Commonwealth countries while Spanish, is a Romance language, the language of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain. Here is a list of vocabulary of the human body in English and Spanish that you can learn for your general knowledge. If you are Spanish learner of English or vice versa, you should find these translation of terms of the human body useful.

English                          Spanish
A
arm                                brazo
ankle                              tobillo
B
back                               espalda
bladder                            vejiga
blood                              sangre
body                               cuerpo
bone                               hueso
brain                              cerebro
C
calf                               pastorally
cheek                              mejilla
chest                              pecho
chin                               barbilla
D
dimple                             hoyuelo
E
ear                                oreja
elbow                              codo
eye                                ojo
eyebrow                            ceja
eyelash                            pestaña
eyelid                             párpado
F
face                               cara
features                           rasgos
finger                             dedo
fist                               puño
foot/feet                          pie/s
forehead                           frente
freckle                            peca
G
groin                              ingle
H
hair                               pelo
hand                               mano
head                               cabeza
heart                              corazón
heel                               talón
hip                                cadera
I
J
Jaw                                mandibula
K
kidney                             riñón
knee                               rodilla
L
leg                                pierna
liver                              hígado
lung                               pulmón
M
mouth                              boca
muscle                             músculo
N
neck                               cuello
nose                               nariz
O
P
penis                              pene
Q
R
rib                                costilla                                          
S
shoulder                           hombro
skeleton                           esqueleto
skin                               piel
stomach                            estómago
T
thigh                              muslo
thorax                             tórax
thumb                              pulgar
throat                             gargantuan
toe/s                              dedo/s del pie
tongue                             lengua
tooth/teeth                        diente/s
U
V
vagina                             vagina
vein                               vena
W
waist                              cintura
wisdom tooth                       diente de juicio
wrist                              muñeca
X
Y
Z

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Santa Claus, a jolly fat old man with a white beard and a red suit, is a legendary bearer of gifts to children at Christmas eve (December 24) around the world. He is well known by many other names such as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Santa, Santy and Kris Kringle. Santa Claus being the personification of the spirit of Christmas is a well known gift-giving figure in various cultures around the world and as such, there are different names that he is also known by in different locations or countries in the world. A variety of names like those mentioned above are used in different languages to represent his name. Needless to say they all refer to the same Santa Claus that we know about today.

With the festive season of Christmas upon us once again, I was asked by a reader to give the different names Santa Claus is called around the world. The list provided below is by no means comprehensive but nevertheless you should become aware of some of the names Santa goes by. So, here is a short list of some names by which Santa Claus is called in some countries.

Name                    Country
A
Afghanistan             Baba Chaghaloo*
Albania                 Babadimri *
Armenia                 Gaghant Baba *
B
Belgium                 Pere Noel
Bosnia and Herzegovina  Deda Mraz*
Brazil                  Papai Noel*
Bulgaria                Dyado Koleda*
C
Chile                   Viejo Pascuero ("Old Man Christmas")
China                   Dun Che Lao Ren ("Christmas Old Man")
D
Denmark                 Julemanden*
E
Egypt                   Papa Noël*
F
France                  Pere Noel*
French Canada           Père Noël*
Finland                 Joulupukki*
G
Germany                 Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man" or
                       "Nikolaus")
H
Hawaii                  Kanakaloka
Hungary                 Mikulas (St. Nicholas)
I
Iran                    Baba Noel*
Iraq                    Vader Kersfees*
Ireland                 Daidí na Nollaig*
Italy                   Babbo Natale *
J
Jamaica                 Santa Claus
Japan                   Hoteiosho (a god or priest who
                       bears gifts)
K
L
Latin America           Papá Noel* (Spanish-speaking)
Lithuania               Kaledu Senelis*
M
Malta                   San Niklaw
N
Norway                  Julenissen ("Christmas gnome")
O
P
Poland                  Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas)
Portugal                Pai Natal
Q
R
Romania                 Mos Craciun*
Russia                  Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost")
S
Serbia                  Deda Mraz
Scottish Highlands      Daidaín na Nollaig*
South Africa            Vader Kersfees*
Spain                   Papá Noel*
Sweden                  Jultomten ("Christmas brownie")
T
Turkey                  Noel Baba*
U
United Kingdom          Father Christmas
V
W
X
Y
Z

* - Father Christmas

Gift Store For All Occasions
+ Electronics
+ Toys For Kids
+ Video Games
+ Cellphones
+ Music and More
+ Jewelry and Watches

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Do you know the abbreviation for the names of each of the states within the U.S. and the official United States Postal Codes? Well, whether you do or not you can improve on your general knowledge. The list below gives the 50 states of America with their abbreviations and their official United States Postal Code. Included also, are the abbreviation and Postal Code for US territories. The state's Postal Code is a two -letter code that is used by the United States Postal Service. They might just come in handy for some of us who may need to abbreviate a state or need to know the official United States Postal Code of a state. A state's postal code abbreviation should only be used in mailing addresses. Now, you don’t have an excuse to make up your own or confuse a state's abbreviation with the Postal state code. At the end of this article you can also find other related articles that may be of interest.

United States Abbreviations and Postal Codes for U.S. States and Territories

State	Abbreviation	Postal code
Alabama	Ala.	AL
Alaska	Alaska	AK
American Samoa		AS
Arizona	Ariz.	AZ
Arkansas	Ark.	AR
California	Calif.	CA
Colorado	Colo.	CO
Connecticut	Conn.	CT
Delaware	Del.	DE
Dist. of Columbia	D.C.	DC
Florida	Fla.	FL
Georgia	Ga.	GA
Guam	Guam	GU
Hawaii	Hawaii	HI
Idaho	Idaho	ID
Illinois	Ill.	IL
Indiana	Ind.	IN
Iowa	Iowa	IA
Kansas	Kans.	KS
Kentucky	Ky.	KY
Louisiana	La.	LA
Maine	Maine	ME
Maryland	Md.	MD
Marshall Islands		MH
Massachusetts	Mass.	MA
Michigan	Mich.	MI
Micronesia		FM
Minnesota	Minn.	MN
Mississippi	Miss.	MS
Missouri	Mo.	MO
Montana	Mont.	MT
Nebraska	Nebr.	NE
Nevada	Nev.	NV
New Hampshire	N.H.	NH
New Jersey	N.J.	NJ
New Mexico	N.M.	NM
New York	N.Y.	NY
North Carolina	N.C.	NC
North Dakota	N.D.	ND
Northern Marianas		MP
Ohio	Ohio	OH
Oklahoma	Okla.	OK
Oregon	Ore.	OR
Palau		PW
Pennsylvania	Pa.	PA
Puerto Rico	P.R.	PR
Rhode Island	R.I.	RI
South Carolina	S.C.	SC
South Dakota	S.D.	SD
Tennessee	Tenn.	TN
Texas	Tex.	TX
Utah	Utah	UT
Vermont	Vt.	VT
Virginia	Va.	VA
Virgin Islands	V.I.	VI
Washington	Wash.	WA
West Virginia	W.Va.	WV
Wisconsin	Wis.	WI
Wyoming	Wyo.	WY

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Manual Alphabet is a finger alphabet for hearing-impaired people. It is defined as an alphabet used by the deaf (hearing-impaired people) in which finger movements and positions represents letters. It is also used in Finger spelling (dactylology) in sign language for words and names for which there is no sign and/or just for emphasis and clarification. The chart below shows the American manual alphabet which is one of many that are in use today. Also, below this chart, there is a yellow chart showing the finger positions for the numbers 1 to 10.

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Manual AlphabetClick chart to enlarge

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Number 1 to 10

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How to say Merry Christmas in Different Languages
Differences between American and British English - PT. 2
Differences between American and British English - PT. 1

Collective Nouns
Collective Nouns for Reptiles and Amphibians
Collective Nouns for Fish - What Group of Fish are Called
Collective Nouns for Objects and Concepts
Collective Nouns for Birds - What Group Of Birds Are Called
Collective Nouns of People
What Group Of Animals Are Called

The United States is made of up 50 states. Do you know the 50 States of America along with their capitals? If not, you can check the list below for each state and their capitals. You can also find more information on this topic by checking the related articles below this list. Now, see how many you knew and learn or know the rest of state capitals of the fifty United States.

State               State Capitals
Alabama State            Montgomery
Alaska                   Juneau
Arizona                  Phoenix, Arizona
Arkansas                 Little Rock
California               Sacramento
Colorado                 Denver
Connecticut              Hartford
Delaware                 Dover
Florida                  Tallahassee
Georgia                  Atlanta
Hawaii                   Honolulu
Idaho                    Boise
Illinois                 Springfield
Indiana                  Indianapolis
Iowa                     Des Moines
Kansas                   Topeka
Kentucky                 Frankfort
Louisiana                Baton Rouge
Maine                    Augusta
Maryland                 Annapolis
Massachusetts            Boston
Michigan                 Lansing
Minnesota                St. Paul
Mississippi              Jackson
Missouri                 Jefferson City
Montana                  Helena
Nebraska                 Lincoln
Nevada                   Carson City
New Hampshire            Concord
New Jersey               Trenton
New Mexico               Santa Fe
New York                 Albany
North Carolina           Raleigh
North Dakota             Bismarck
Ohio                     Columbus
Oklahoma                 Oklahoma City
Oregon                   Salem
Pennsylvania             Harrisburg
Rhode Island             Providence
South Carolina           Columbia
South Dakota             Pierre
Tennessee                Nashville
Texas                    Austin
Utah                     Salt Lake City
Vermont                  Montpelier
Virginia                 Richmond
Washington               Olympia
West Virginia            Charleston
Wisconsin                Madison
Wyoming                  Cheyenne

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Spanish is the Romance language that is the official language of Spain and many Central and South American countries including countries colonized by Spain. The United States has a significant portion of its population speaking Spanish which, are mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants. Though English is the national language of the United States, the Unitred State does not have an official language. You might no doubt know about some Spanish speaking countries culture, religion and food but , do you know the countries where Spanish is mostly spoken? Here is a list of Spanish Speaking Countries that show where Spanish is spoken by a significant portion of the population or where it is the official language of that country.

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Countries Where Spanish Is Mostly Spoken

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Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Spain
United States of America
Uruguay
Venezuela

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Nicknames of America 50 States
Smallest country in the world

A proverb is defined as a short pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept. In other words, it is a brief popular epigram or maxim. Most of us all regard proverbs as words of wisdom and as such, they are sometimes used to make important decisions in our lives. Here are some proverbs that will definitely let you ponder. So, if the proverbs listed below are conflicting advice, what should you do? Apply them to your own situation in your life with common sense.

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
- but -
Out of sight, out of mind.

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Actions speak louder than words.
- but -
The pen is mightier than the sword.

---

A silent man is a wise one.
- but -
A man without words is a man without thoughts.

---

Look before you leap.
- but -
He who hesitates is lost.

---

Many hands make light work.
- but -
Too many cooks spoil the broth.

---

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
- but -
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

---

Clothes make the man.
- but -
Don't judge a book by its cover.

---

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- but -
Better safe than sorry.

---

The bigger, the better.
- but -
The best things come in small packages.

---

What will be, will be.
- but -
Life is what you make it.

---

Cross your bridges when you come to them.
- but -
Forewarned is forearmed.

---

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
- but -
One man's meat is another man's poison.

---

With age comes wisdom.
- but -
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings.

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The more, the merrier.
- but -
Two's company; three's a crowd

---

It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
- but -
The nail that sticks out gets hammered.

---

The best things in life are free.
- but -
You get what you pay for.

---

It never rains, than it pours.
- but -
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

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Everything comes to him who waits.
- but -
He who hesitates is lost.

---

Opposites attract.
- but -
Birds of a feather flock together.

---

Never too old to learn.
- but -
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

---

There is nothing permanent except change.
- but -
There is nothing new under the sun.

---

Variety is the spice of life.
- but -
Don't change horses in the middle of a stream.

---

Never do evil, that good may come of it.
- but -
The end justifies the means.

---

Better to ask the way than to go astray.
- but -
Ask no questions and hear no lies.

---

Practice makes a man perfect.
- but -
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

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Differences between American and British English - PT. 2
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A Collective noun is a noun (a word or term) that is singular in form but is used to define (refer) a group of people, animals, objects or concepts. Thus, it is a noun representing a group as a unit. So what is the difference between a reptile and an amphibian? Reptiles are any air-breathing cold-blooded (uses the heat of the sun to keep its blood warm) egg-laying vertebrate with an outer covering of scales or plates and a bony skeleton which, crawls or moves on its belly. On the other hand, an amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrate that spend some time on land but must breed and develop into an adult in water. In other words , they are a cold-blooded animal with an aquatic larval stage and a terrestrial adult stage where the aquatic larvae undergo metamorphosis into adult form. Thus, they are an intermediate form between fishes and reptiles (e.g. frogs & toads). Below you will find a short list for the collective nouns for reptiles and amphibians.

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Axolotls: A harem of axolotls

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Cobras: A quiver of cobras
Crocodiles: A bask of crocodiles (congregation, float, nest)

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Dinosaurs: A herd of dinosaurs (pack)
Dragons: A flight of dragons (weyr, wing)

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Frogs: An army of frogs (colony, knot)

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Iguanas: A mess of iguanas

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Monitors: A bank of monitors

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Rattlesnakes: A rhumba of rattlesnakes

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Snakes: A den of snakes (bed, knot, nest, pit, slither)

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Toads: A knot of toads (knob, nest)

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Turtles: A bale of turtles (dule, nest, turn)

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Vipers: A nest of vipers (generation)

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Related Articles:
Collective Nouns for Fish - What Group of Fish are Called
Collective Nouns for Objects and Concepts
Collective Nouns for Birds - What Group Of Birds Are Called
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What Group Of Animals Are Called

Before blogs were what they are today, they existed in a total different format called online diary. Online diary which came about in 1995, was really a personal diary where individuals would keep an account of their everyday personal lives. This would include stuff such as; daily observations, thoughts, appointments, planned activities, views, moods, poems etc. These online daries were maintained through the internet using a personal website or a one that was provided by a diary hosting company. As the popularity of online diarists increased they became know as online journals. However, as diarists began to combine their sites with links which led to the term "weblog" or "web log". The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger in 1997.

The term "web log" or "weblog" was short lived and was changed in 1999 by Peter Merholz (at peterme.com) who coined the term "blog" which it is called to this day. As blogs gained momentum as it expanded in numbers. Blogs became a social community and the introduction of automated publishing software (blogging software) now became reality. The evolution of blog software systems to process larger data was now a necessity. It simplified the publishing process for thousands of users (publishers ) who were technically illiterate. In August 1999 Blogger.com was created by Pyra lab. Pyra Labs, the company who coined the word “Blogger” now played an important and pivoting role, thus setting the stage for where the blogging system is today. Blogger a blog publishing system, offered the option of installing blogs on their own server Blogspot or a server of ones' own choosing which is transferred via FTP or SFTP. This made it quite simple for thousands of publishers (bloggers) and automated the blogging process, thus , accelerating the publishing process.

However, in February 2003, search engine giant Google purchased Pyra lab. Pyra lab originally charged its bloggers at blogger.com a fee, for those who had the premium features but Google, after acquiring the blog company offered this service totally free of charge. In addittion, it provided bloggers witn an avenue through which they could earn a revenue, by placing affiliates contextually-relevant paid ads (adsense) on their site if they choose to do so. Blogs expanded drastically, since blogs were now into the mainstream with millions of new blogs joining the blogosphere each year. Blogs are now being used by lawyers, businesses, doctors, teachers, writers, media companies, students, ministers and the list goes on. Google even upgraded the blog software system with lots of additional features such as new blog templates, image hosting in post, posts by E-Mail and lately, topic category just to name a few.

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Oxymoron is a figure of speech (expression) with contradictory words (phrases) in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special (rhetorical) effect. In other words, two words used together which have opposite meanings to make or highlight a point in a statement or expression. You will find that some, if not most, of these oxymorons to be "awfully good" or" seriously funny" in the list given below. See what I’m getting at!? Now, here are some oxymorons that you can learn and ponder over. New ones will be added as this becomes future history.

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List of Oxymorons

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A

a fine mess
a just war
a little big
a new classic
absolutely unsure
abundant poverty
accidentally on purpose
accurate estimate
act naturally
active retirement
actual reenactment
adult children
advanced basic
advanced beginner
agree to disagree
alone in a crowd
almost exactly
almost safe
almost surprised
almost totally
alone together
amateur expert
amicable divorce
among the first
anonymous colleague
anticipated serendipity
anticipating the unanticipated
anxious patient
apathetic interest
approximately equal
arrogant humility
astronomically small
authentic replica
authentic reproduction
authoritarian anarchy
awfully good
awfully nice
Awfully pretty

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B

baby giant
balanced insanity
baggy tights
Band Jocks
bankrupt millionaire
barely dressed
benevolent despot
better than new
beyond infinity
big baby
big sip
big town
bigger half
bingeing on moderation
bitter sweet
black light
blameless culprit
boneless ribs
books on tape
boring court jester
boring entertainment
born dead
brave wimp
brief speech
brief survey
bright night
bright shade
brilliantly dull
budget deficit
burning cold
business casual
butthead

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C

calculated error
calculated risk
calculated spontaneity
calm storm
calm winds
cardinal sin
casual intimacy
casually concerned
cautiously optimistic
cavalier concern
center around
certainly unsure
cheerful pessimist
cheerfully cynical
cheerfully mournful
chilling fever
Christian evolutionist
civil disobedience
Civil War
civilized warfare
classic new homes
clean dirt
clean kill
clean litter
clear as mud
clearly ambiguous
clearly confused
clearly misunderstood
clever fool
click the start button to shut down
climb down
close distance
co-ed fraternity
co-ed sorority
cold fever
cold hotdog
cold sweat
cold toast
collective liberty
combative apology
common abnormality
common phenomenon
comparatively unique
compassionate editor
complete separation
completely unfinished
compulsory volunteers
confident fear
conscripted volunteer
conservative liberal
considerate boss
consistent discrepancies
consistent uncertainties
consistently inconsistent
conspicuously absent
constant change
constant infrequent
constant variable
constructive ambiguity
constructive criticism
continuing resolution
contra aid
controlled chaos
countless numbers
cowardly lion
crash landing
creative destruction
crisis management
critical acclaim
cruel kindness
current history
curved line

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D

daily special
dangerously safe
dark day
dark light
dark star
dark victory
dead livestock
deaf listener
defensive strike
deficit spending
definite maybe
deliberate mistake
deliberately thoughtless
demanding patient
deregulation Law
detailed summary
devilish angel
devout atheist
diet ice cream
different pattern
diligent sloth
diminished confidence
diminishing growth
diminutive giants
dim light
dimwit
direct circumvention
disciplined gluttony
discretionary rules
disposable income
distant relative
divided unity
divorce court
doing nothing
doubting believers
drawing a blank
dress pants
dry ice
dry lake
dry pond
dry snow
dry wine
dull acupuncturists
dull needle
dull roar
dull shine
dying is a part of life
dynamic monotone
dynamic stability

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E

easy problem
easy task
educated guess
elected king
elementary calculus
elevated subway
elite rabble
energetic exhaustion
enormously small
equally diverse
essential luxury
even odds
evolutionary fact
exact estimate
expected serendipity
expected surprise
expect the unexpected
explicit innuendo
explicitly ambiguous
express line
expressive silence
extended deadline
extensive briefing
extinct life form
extra ordinary
extremely average
extremely neutral
eyes wide shut

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F

fail safe
fairly accurate
fairly explicit
fairly obvious
fallout shelter
false fact
false hope
family vacation
fan fatale
fast snail
fast turtle
fast waiter
fast walk
fatally injured
faultily faultless
fearful bravery
female gunman
fictional truth
fictional reality
fiery ice
fighting for peace
final conclusion
fire water
firm estimate
firm pillow
first annual
first-strike defense
floating to the bottom
flurry of inactivity
forgotten memories
forward back
found missing
free credit
free purchase
free rent
free society
freezer burn
fresh dried fruit
fresh frozen
fresh sour cream
fried roast
friendly divorce
friendly enemy
friendly fights
friendly fire
friendly takeover
friendly war
frightening comfort
front end
frozen flame
future history

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G

gentle turbulence
genuine fake
genuinely fake
genuine-imitation leather
giant dwarf
gigantic microorganism
girly man
global village
go ahead, back up
gold silverware
going nowhere
good beating
good grief
good junk
good profanity
good stuff
green oranges
grounded airplane
group of individuals
growing small
guaranteed forecast
guest host

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H

half dead
Half dressed
half empty
half full
half naked
half true
halfway done
ham steak
happily married
happy apathy
happy demise
happy pessimist
hard cushion
hard pillow
harmless abuse
harmless crime
harmless lie
harmless pollution
harmless pornography
harmless sin
harmonious discord
hasten slowly
head butt
hell’s angels
here and there
highly visible covert operation
hilarious funeral
history of the future
historical current event
holy hell
holy war
home office
home school
honest liar
honest thief
hopeful pessimist
hopelessly optimistic
horribly decent
hot ice
human robot
humane robotics
humanitarian invasion

---

I

icy hot
idiot Savant
idly laborious
impatient patient
important trivia
inarticulate writer
incomplete cure
increasing declines
incredibly real
initial conclusion
innocent criminal
insanely normal
insomniac dreams
inside out
insincere thanks
insincere vow
interest free loan
intimate strangers

---

J

joyful trouble
jumbo shrimp
just war
justifiably paranoid
justified rape

---

K

known-covert operation

---

L

laborious idleness
lace-up loafers
larger half
last initial
legal murder
less is more
lesser evil
lesser good
liberal conservative
light-heavyweight
limited immunity
limited incursion
limited lifetime guarantee
limited freedom
linear curve
liquid crystal
liquid gas
liquid metal
literary illiterates
little big
little bit big
little giant
live recording
living dead
living end
living fossil
local long distance
loners club
long and short of it
long shorts
loose knot
loose tights
loud librarian
loud whisper
loud silence
low-rise

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M

macro-microorganism
major minority
male compassion
mandatory judgment
mandatory Option
mandatory volunteerism
mannish woman
mean smile
meaningful nonsense
meatless meat
medium large
melted ice
mercy killing
midnight sun
mighty weak
mild interest
military peace
mini jumbo
minor crisis
minor disaster
minor miracle
missing present
modern history
modern maturity
modern tradition
more perfect
more unique
mournful optimist
mute sound
mutual differences
my worst favorite

---

N

nameless celebrity
nasty politeness
natural artifact
natural makeup
natural synthetic
near future
near miss
nearly complete
neat mess
necessary evil
negative gain
negative growth
neutral charge
never again
never generalize
new and improved
new antique
new archeology
new classic
new improved
new routine
new tradition
new used cars
nice and sleazy
night light
no-good do-gooder!
noiseless sound
non-denominational church
normal deviation
normal espionage
nothing much
Now, then

---

O

obedient defiance
objective opinion
obscene art
obvious secret
obviously concealed
ocean shore
oddly appropriate
oddly natural
old newborn
one choice
one hundred percent chance
one hundred percent plus
one person crew
one size fits all
once again
only choice
open lock
open secret
opposite attraction
orderly confusion
organized anarchy
organized chaos
organized committee
organized confusion
organized mess
original reprint
original copy
original reproduction
outer core
oven fried

---

P

paid volunteer
painless torture
paper tablecloth
paper towel
partial silence
partial success
partially completed
partially destroyed
partially organized
passive aggression
passive challenge
passive confrontation
passively aggressive
past prediction
peace force
peace offensive
peace riot
peaceful liberation
peaceful protests
peacekeeping force
perfect idiot
perfect misfit
perfectly awful
perfectly normal
perfectly ridiculous
perfect screw-up
permanent substitute
persistent ambivalence
pious atheist
planned exodus
plastic glasses
plastic silverware
plastic wood
pleasant hell
pleasantly confused
pleasing pain
politely insulting
poor rich kid
positively negative
positively wrong
pretty ugly
powdered water
practical experience
practice test
precious junk
predictably random
premeditated spontaneity
presently gone
pretty bad
pretty disgusting
previous history
priceless junk
private public record
procrastinate now
progressing backward
pronounced silence
public secret
pure evil

---

Q

questionable answer
quiet hurricanes
quiet loudspeaker
quiet noise
quiet storm
quiet tirade
quiet yell

---

R

random order
randomly organized
random pattern
real fantasy
real magic
real phony
realistic fantasy
realistic liberal
recent history
recently new
reckless caution
recoilless rifle
recorded live
recycling dump
regular special
relative stranger
relative truth
roaring silence
rock opera
round corner
round edges

---

S

sad clown
sad optimist
sad smile
sadly amused
sadly funny
safe and sane fireworks
safe bet
safety hazard
same difference
sanitary landfill
sanitary napkin
scalding coolness
scheduled spontaneity
science fiction
scientific belief
scientific speculation
screaming in silence
screaming silence
scripted spontaneity
second best
second initial
secret rumor
sedate sex
semi-boneless
sensitive guy
serial monogamous
serious clown
serious comic
serious fun
serious humor
seriously funny
shared monopoly
sharp curve
short distance
short survey
short tall tales
shout in a whisper
shouting whispers
sight unseen
silent alarm
silent applause
silent noise
silent scream
silent sound
silent speech
silent yell
simple calculus
simple confusion
simply superb
sincere lie
sinfully good
single copy
single pair
singular relationship
sit up
slight exaggeration
slight surprise
slightly overweight
slightly-used-dental floss
slow and steady rush
slow jet
slow speed
smart fool
small fortune
small giant
smaller half
smart dork
smokeless cigarette
snow-white tan
sober drunk
social hermit
social outcast
soft rock
soft thunder
somewhat awesome
somewhat destroyed
sound of silence
sound-filled silence
specialize in everything
specifically vague
spectator sport
splendidly dull
spoken thought
staged accident
start stopping
static variable
stationary orbit
still moving
still wind
stop action
straight angle
straight hook
straight-forward
strangely familiar
student teacher
stunted growth
stupid genius
subtle exaggeration
subversive compliance
sugarless candy
suicide victim
sun shade
sun shower
sweet and sour
sweet pickle
sweet sorrow
synthetic natural gas
systematic chaos
systematic disorder

---

T

taped live
temporary finish
tense calm
tentative conclusion
terminal initialization
terribly enjoyable
terribly good
terribly nice
terribly pleased
thank God I'm an atheist
thinking out loud
the grateful dead
the peace war
thinking out
thunderous silence
tight slacks
timeless moment
tiny mountain
tiny tank
to infinity and beyond
to make haste slowly
toll free
tomorrow today
tomorrows' headlines today
top floor
totalitarian democracy
totally partial
tough love
transient stability
traumatic bonding
tremendously small
troubled paradise
true counterfeit
true fiction
true gossip
true illusion
true lies
true story
truthful tabloids
twelve-ounce pound cake

---

U

unbelievably real
unbiased journalism
unbiased news report
unbiased opinion
unbiased predisposition
uncommonly common
uncommonly normal
uncontested divorce
uncrowned king
under abundance
understanding editors
unfunny joke
unhappily married
uninvited guest
unknown knowledge
upcoming downtrend
upside down
unrepeatable pleonasm
unsalted saltines
unsolved mystery
unspoken suggestion
unusual routine
unwelcome greetings
unwelcome recess
usually unusual

---

V

valuable junk
veiled accusation
vegetarian meatball
venial sin
vices of our virtues
victimless crime
vigorously ignoring
violent agreement
virgin birth
virtual life
virtual reality
voluntary taxes
voodoo science

---

W

waking dream
waning crescent
war games
warm ice
waterproof sponge
weak muscle
wealthy professor
weapons of peace
wedded bliss
weekday
well-preserved ruins
wet drywall
We’re alone
wheeled walker
white chocolate
white gold
white lie
white night
white rose
whole half
whole hemisphere
whole part
whole piece
whole percentage
wicked good
wickedly good
willful negligence
wind burn
wise fool
withheld contribution
wordless book
work party
working hobby
working lunch
working vacation

---

X

xenophobic foreign secretary

---

Y

young adult
young sixty

---

Z

zero deficit

---

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