Tricky Words in this week's OVI

Many English words keep the same form whether they are used as nouns or as verbs, and in some cases the words can be much more tricky when they are used in one form compared with the other. A case in point here is "award", which is quite straightforward to use as a noun (an award, similar in meaning to a prize), but rather tricky to use as a verb, especially if you translate it as "oceniť" (it's much better to think of it as "udeliť"). The point is that you always have to say "award something to somebody" or "award somebody something". You can award somebody a prize, or a university degree, or some compensation money (odškodné), but it's not very elegant to say "award somebody an award". It's better to give, grant or present an award (to somebody).

Andy's Wordshop

I've been asked to explain the English names of the days of the week. They're not based on numbers like the Arabic names, or utorok, štvrtok, piatok in Slovak. They're based on the names of some gods, only not the Roman gods like the French days, but mostly the Nordic gods like the German days. English calendars used to start the week with Sunday (the sun), because Saturday (the only Roman god here, Saturn for agriculture, so for plenty of food) is linked with the Sabbath, derived from the Hebrew/Arabic word for seventh. Monday is named after the moon, Tuesday after the Nordic god Tyr or Tiw (god of war, like Mars), Wednesday after Odin or Wodin, the chief of the gods, Thursday after Thor, the god of thunder, and Friday after Freya, goddess of beauty (like Venus).