Every once in a while, it can be fun to play around with words. One great thing about genealogy is that there seems to be a nearly endless supply of genealogy jargon, phrases, terminology, or words that you might have never seen before. Each genealogy dictionary is slightly different from the rest. There is a good chance that you will find at least a few words that are unfamiliar to you. Personally, I think it is fun to find out the meanings of these words and phrases now, when I don’t necessarily “need” them. I imagine it might be frustrating … Continue reading →

One of my favorite things about genealogy is the language. I am a self-professed lover of words, and I’m always looking to increase my vocabulary. Today I came across some fun words that come from occupations that our ancestors may have had back in the day. You just don’t run into many chiffoniers these days, and even those people who do make wigs for a living may not call themselves that anymore. Do you work in an office that employs an amanuensis? If the secretary greets you as you walk in the door, then you most certainly do. Just today, … Continue reading →

Genealogy is the study of family. It also involves learning how to research well. One of the more fun aspects of genealogy involves the discovery of the meanings of words, terms, and phrases that you did not know before you started doing your research. There is always something new to learn and discover! It is a good idea to have access to more than one genealogy dictionary. Not every mysterious word that you come across is going to be found in every dictionary. Some of these glossaries are quite small, and somewhat limited in their scope. In a previous blog, … Continue reading →

What does that word mean? This is a question that genealogists are bound to ask themselves from time to time. When this happens, it is time to consult a genealogy dictionary to learn the meaning of that archaic word that you have never seen before. Genealogy research involves looking at old documents, and sorting through archives that hold collections of very old papers and vital records. Whenever you go digging through the past, there is the possibility that you will run across some words or phrases that you are unfamiliar with. Terminology that was commonly understood ages ago could have … Continue reading →

Any genealogist knows that they have just as good of a sense of humor as anyone else. However, people who are not genealogists may unfairly view genealogists as dry and boring due to the amount of time that they spend researching and checking facts. Here are a few genealogy jokes and quips from around the web that will have everyone, genealogists and non – genealogists alike, roaring with laughter. Perhaps non – genealogists will see how funny genealogy jokes are and realize that underneath the serious and meticulous nature of a genealogist there is definitely plenty of room for humor. … Continue reading →

Once a genealogist learns the basics about how to put together a family tree, it is time to have some fun with it. Choose a fictional character, such as Harry Potter. Dig around, and see how much of a family tree you can create starting with the character you selected. This is a good way to brush up on your skills, and also, to have some fun with genealogy. Harry Potter is the main character in the extremely popular book series created by the author J. K. Rowling. The popularity of the books has lead to the creation of movies … Continue reading →

Looking for something interesting, and genealogy related, to watch? There are plenty of these types of videos online that are perfectly legal to watch for free. There may be ads inserted into the videos. Some of them will only be around for a limited time. If you wanted to relax, and catch a television episode that involves genealogy, this is entirely possible. You just have to know where to look. Did you miss an episode of the popular “Who Do You Think You Are?” television show? You can watch all of the full length episodes from Season Two of the … Continue reading →

What would your reaction be if you discovered that you were a distant cousin to your spouse? Kyra Sedgwick appears to not be terribly bothered by the revelation that she and her husband Kevin Bacon are distant cousins to each other. I guess when you are married to the man that the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” is named for, perhaps this type of news isn’t entirely unexpected. Have you ever played the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” before? It has very simple rules, but can still be a challenging game. First, pick a celebrity that has been … Continue reading →

Every so often, I like to add some new words to my vocabulary. I really enjoy having a big vocabulary because, let’s face it, words are a lot of fun. My son, who is nineteen months old, is adding a new word or two to his vocabulary every day or so. I am so pleased about that because he seems to like words just as much as I do. While these two words won’t be on the tip of his tongue any time soon, if you are into genealogy they just might come in handy for you. At the very … Continue reading →

An Emmy is an award given by The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to shows that have made outstanding achievements in television. Last year, the popular genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are?” was nominated, but did not win. Could it win this time? The show “Who Do You Think You Are?” is a genealogy series that can be found on NBC. Each episode focuses on an individual celebrity and his or her family tree. Viewers can follow along as the celebrity visits locations around the world where one of their ancestor’s lived, worked, or had been at. … Continue reading →