Tricky Words in this week's OVI

Chief. This word is particularly tricky because it is so similar to "šéf" in Slovak, but it is much better to remember it in the sense of "hlavný" or "vedúci". The reason is that it is typically used in combinations of words in English indicating the highest level of people's working positions. Examples are Chief Auditor, Chief Accountant, Chief Engineer, Chief Inspector Barnaby, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, Editor-in-Chief. Just to be more tricky, the "šéfkuchár" in a restaurant is called the "chef" (pronounced /šef/), which is French and short for "chef de cuisine", the head of the kitchen. The title "Chief" should be reserved for Native American or First Nation leaders, while managers in companies and organizations may be referred to as "boss".

Andy's Wordshop

Thanksgiving. This very important family holiday in the USA was established by Abraham Lincoln for all states in 1863, to encourage unity during the Civil War, and Franklin D. Roosevelt set the fourth Thursday in November (not always the last) as Thanksgiving Day in 1942. Thanks were originally given for a successful end to the harvest (žatva) season, and the most important harvest is generally considered to have been the one which saved the colony of Pilgrims (pútnici - Protestant refugees from England) at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, with the help of Native Americans. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner consists of roast turkey (moriak) and all the trimmings (obloženie) followed by puddings (nákyp) and cakes.