![]() ![]() So in the name of autumn excitement and the hope that it inspires you, I am writing my ultimate list on things to do in autumn, or things to do in fall for our stateside friends. I love the back-to-school excitement (yes, many years after leaving education), the changing colours of nature, the crisp air while the sun is still out, the layers of clothing, the autumn/winter clothing collections, the warming spices in food, the night drawing in and of course, the build up to Christmas. There are so many things in autumn season that make me smile. I think I wrote my first autumn to do list back in 2011? 2012? And it is still, today, one of my most favourite things to write about. It’s becoming a bit of a tradition here on this blog, it comes round to autumn and I just HAVE to write an activities list to get me in the mood.īecause autumn lists are mood-givers. (this post was originally published on 16th September 2015) Even if this might read as an autumn bucket list for the UK it should also help for your fall to do list. If you came here looking for the best things to do this fall, hopefully you’ll also find this list inspiring. However, while “fall” is most popular in the USA and Canada, both terms are used in these places.Are you ready for the best things to do this autumn / fall list? A list of autumn items I put together a few years ago, where I share all the best things about autumn, or fall if you’re in the USA, Canada, or anywhere else with a different name to the season. The rest of the world has doubled down on “autumn” in the centuries since – labelling “fall” purely as an Americanism. Q: So, “fall” is just an American thing then?Ī: Yep. Q: And meanwhile, Britain went with autumn?Ī: Yes, it had already taken hold by the 1600s and although many (especially lovers of a good pun) saw “fall” as the superior word, language rarely listens to reason. And you know what they say – “pride cometh before the fall”… Q: I guess they had a lot of national pride by then. However, by the 18th century, America had fallen for “fall” – mirroring other anti-French word and spelling choices of the time. When the British arrived in America less than a century later, they actually took both “autumn” and the now-shortened “fall” with them. ![]() Q: OMG, it’s just like The Bachelor ! Except instead of giving out roses, it’s probably stalks of barley or something.Ī: Haha, yep. Now there were two competing suitors for harvest’s attention – “fall of the leaf” and “autumn”. ![]() But just as “autumn” was flexing its lexical muscle, along came the terms “spring of the leaf” and “fall of the leaf” – hand-in hand.Ī: Yes. The 1500s in general saw an increased interest in the seasons.Ī: It was a time when people were starting to place more emphasis on the idea of a year having four distinct seasons (rather than just two main ones, winter and summer, with harvest tacked on the end). Q: So you mentioned that it only started being used in the 16th century?Ī: It was probably in use before that, but this is when it became the dominant word for the season. Anyway, some of the base words that fed into “autumn” meant “to increase” and “to dry up” – both of which could be spun into some kind of harvest definition fairly easily. Q: A bit like Wonder Woman’s origin story. “Autumpne” had turned up a few centuries earlier, from the Old French word “automne” and Latin “auctumnus” – possibly linked to the month of August, but the etymology gets a bit sketchy with its origin story. It was called “harvest” – for obvious reasons. So, can you explain why this season gets two names?Ī: Well, up until the 16th century, this season wasn’t known by either of them. Q: So, why do WE call it “autumn”, yet Americans call it “fall”?Ī: What? No, sorry, we just found an old chestnut on the ground. There are some poetic exceptions, which we’ve discussed before in this chat here. Although, seasons don’t need capital letters.Ī: Yep. Q: Wow, you must be so much fun at parties.Ī: Sure, that works. This also appears on our blog, so technically someone could be reading this at any time in the future. Q: Hi AWC, don’t you just love this time of year?Ī: Well we’re in Australia, but it might be confusing for anyone currently reading this in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting BusinessĮach week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. ![]()
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