Pen Trivia

Translations can be a tricky thing. One needs to be mindful of all the idiosyncrasies of the language. Jolly Green Giant translated into Arabic, for example, means "Intimidating Green Ogre."

When the Parker Pen Company marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the Spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ad said that "It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

Question: What pen company was retained by the British Royal household as the sole proprietor of inks and pens?



























Answer: The Parker Pen Company was awarded the Royal warrant as sole supplier of pens and inks to the British Royal Household in 1962. This is an honor to which it retains to this day.

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Writer Quotes

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does, a fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.” -
Graham Greene, English playwright and novelist

“The pen is the tongue of the mind.” -  Horace, leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus

“Steadily my pen filled the sheet and those long-thought-out words came nearer and nearer.” -
C. S. Forester, British historical novelist

“In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write.” -  Pearl S. Buck, Pulitzer Prize winning American author

"Every writing career starts as a personal quest for sainthood, for self-betterment. Sooner or later, and as a rule quite soon, a man discovers that his pen accomplishes a lot more than his soul." - Joseph Brodsky, Russian born American poet

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Porsche Design

In an age when most of its competitors have been absorbed into larger manufacturers, Porsche remains a staunchly — and profitably — independent maker of high-performance sports cars. The Porsche name has become synonymous with sports cars and racecars because that is what company founders Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferdinand ("Ferry") set out to build when they first set up shop with 200 workers in 1948. This established well-respected name lives on with its branding of Porsche Design fine writing instruments.

Established in 1972, possessing a Porsche Design accessory has been the dream of many. Porsche Design products have been synonymous with functional, timeless, and puristic design. Porsche has been producing car-related accessories since the 1950s. In the decades that followed, numerous classic men’s accessories such as watches, eyeglasses, and writing utensils were created and marketed worldwide. In the year 2012 Porsche Design celebrated 40 Years of their prestigious company. Pen Boutique has been selling Porsche Design writing tools and leather accessories since the beginning and we are proud to say that it has met all the expectations of our customers in terms of perfection, style and functionality. Their unique style, marvelous design and engineering all make it one of the most favorite brands of all time; no wonder the brand is honored with its “Writing tools that define physics”.” Treat yourself and take a spin at the wheel of an exceptional pen!

http://www.penboutique.com/porsche-design-p3100-stainless-steel-tecflex-0-7mm-mechanical-pencil.html
http://www.penboutique.com/porsche-design-p3100-stainless-steel-tecflex-rollerball-pen.html
http://www.penboutique.com/porsche-design-p3100-steel-gold-tecflex-ballpoint-pen.html

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Penmanship Corner

Writing is a codified system of standard symbols: the repetition of agreed-upon simple shapes to represent ideas. Recognizable systems of writing developed in 3 major cultures within 1200 years of each other. Sumerian cuneiform developed around 3000 BC, Egyptian hieroglyphs around 2800 BC, and the precursor to Kanji Chinese around 1800 BC. The development of writing allowed cultures to record events, history, laws; theories in math, science, medicine; create literature and more.

By the mid-1700’s, there were special schools established to teach handwriting techniques, or penmanship. Master penmen were employed to copy official documents such as land deeds, birth and marriage certificates, military commissions, and other legal documents. Timothy Matlack was commissioned to write the final copy of the Declaration of Independence, and Jacob Shallus penned the final copy of the Constitution of the United States of America.

What better way to make friends than being prepared to spontaneously recite poetry?

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Ink Trivia

Red ink

Certain images instantly conjure up this bold color: fire engines, flames, roses, rouges, rubies, rust, tomatoes, blood and valentines. Red pens have traditionally been used by teachers when grading papers – ostensibly to make their comments and markings stand out from the original work.

Red is hot. It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil.

Red ink was used extensively in medieval manuscripts. It was the color of headings, titles and initials. It was also used for important days in the calendar. In the medieval Books of Hours, the days of the month written in red denoted Saints' Days - hence our saying 'red letter day.'

Put some red in your life when you want to show:

·         increased enthusiasm and interest

·         more energy

·         action and confidence to go after your dreams

There is no bolder color than red and Pen Boutique has the many hot shades your pen desires.  Check out some of our scarlet wonders:


http://www.penboutique.com/noodler-s-ink-firefly-bottled-ink.html
http://www.penboutique.com/montblanc-mystery-black-60-ml-ink-bottle-refill.html
http://www.penboutique.com/diamine-150th-anniversary-40ml-carnival-red.html

What is the complementary color of red on the color wheel?

Answer: Red’s direct opposite is green.

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Pen Trivia - Contracts and Signing on the Dotted Line

Contracts have always required a signature to become legally binding. Typically, contracts are oral or written, but written contracts have typically been preferred in common law systems. Hand written permanent ink signatures are the usual mode of agreement. In this fast paced world of new technology an electronic signature is now also accepted.

If a contract is in a written form, and somebody signs it, then the signer is typically bound by its terms regardless of whether they have actually read it provided the document is contractual in nature.

To sign on the dotted line: Agree formally or fully, as in The deal is just about fixed; all they have to do is sign on the dotted line. This idiom refers to the broken line traditionally appearing at the bottom of a legal document, indicating the place for one's signature. [Early 1900s]

Using a fine writing instrument makes a statement of committed permanence when signing contracts that mark the important stages of our life such as buying a new home, purchasing your first car, filling out paperwork for a new job and filing for a marriage license.

Question: When and where was the first legislation created to acknowledge and require signed contracts?

Answer:  In 1677 England passed the Statute of Frauds which influenced similar stature of frauds laws in the United States and other countries such as Australia, which honoring signed and binding contracts.

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Penmanship Writing Corner - Write Often

Penmanship Writing Corner

Write Often

If you really want to improve your penmanship you need to practice, An occasional note, birthday card , and a grocery list is a chance to practice, as is the ‘honey do’ list. But if you are serious about being able to showcase your exemplary penmanship skills keep a journal, pen a short story or copy cursive writing from a template, anything that will give you more experience forming letters and words.

I must admit my cursive is excellent; it must have been all those black and white composition books where I had to practice over and over again each letter of the alphabet. Like anything worthwhile, it takes time. But don’t despair, it will most likely take less than the twelve years I practiced in school!

It is a personal preference as to what writing tool you use. Rollerball pens are so smooth that they writer smoothly with the least amount of pressure. On the other hand, more pressure is required to write with ballpoint pens. If you write small, and want to explore writing with a fountain pen, you’ll probably want to go with a fine-tipped pen so your writing becomes more legible. If you write in a very simple, minimalistic way without much embellishment, you might want to try writing with a stub-nibbed fountain pen or a chisel-tipped pen just to see how that might change your writing. Whatever you decide “Write-on!”

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Woman Writer Quotes

“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” - Jane Austen

“The strokes of the pen need deliberation as much as the sword needs swiftness.” - Julia Ward Howe

“Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in her works.” - Virginia Woolf

“The one ironclad rule is that I have to try. I have to walk into my writing room and pick up my
pen every weekday morning.” - Anne Tyler

“In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write.” - Pearl S. Buck

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Pen Trivia

                                                                        Pen Names:  

A pen name is a pseudonym adopted by an author. It is used to make the author’s name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing or the aesthetic presentation of the work. The author’s name may be known only to the publisher, or may come to be common knowledge.  See if you can match the real names with the pen names!

Real Name

1.)    Stephen King

2.)   Samuel Clemens

3.)   Chloe Anthony Wofford

4.)   Anne Rampling

5.)   William Sydney Porter

6.)   Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

7.)   Daniel Handler

8.)   Allen Stewart Konigsberg

9.)   Eric Arthur Blair

10.) Mary Ann Evans

Pen Name

1.)    Lewis Carroll

2.)   Anne Rice

3.)   George Eliot

4.)   O. Henry

5.)   Woody Allen

6.)   George Orwell

7.)   Richard Bachman

8.)   Toni Morrison

9.)   Lemony Snicket

10.) Mark Twain

Pen name answers:

1.)    - #7

2.)   - #10

3.)    - #8

4.)    - #2

5.)   - #4

6.)   - #1

7.)   - #9

8.)   - #5

9.)    - #6

10.) - #3

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