Bizarre: odd, strange or unusual (usually in an interesting or amusing way).
Bazaar: a sale (especially in aid of a charity) or a market area (often a street of small stalls).
language
Fiddle-faddle
Fiddle-faddle is an old-fashioned word; its origin is late 16th century, and it is a reduplication of fiddle.
It means trivial matters or nonsense. In this sense, it can be used as a noun or an exclamation/interjection.
It can also be used as a verb meaning to bother over trifles*, fuss or waste time. You can be a fiddle-faddler.
I understand that Fiddle Faddle is an American popcorn product, which is interesting. It is also the name of a musical composition by Leroy Anderson – I’ve listened to it; it’s quite nice. If you use Spotify, here it is:
*Not the desserts, but something of little value or importance.
‘Fourth’ and ‘forth’
These two are homophones, and we all know what that means.
Fourth: number four in a sequence. Sometimes a fourth is used to mean a quarter (usually North American usage). There are also some applications in regards to musical notes.
Forth: onward/forward in time or place, or out from a starting point and forward/into view.
‘Current’ or ‘currant’?
Currant
- A small dried fruit made from a seedless grape*
- A small round acid berry
- A family of shrubs that produce berries (including redcurrants and blackcurrants)
Current
- Of the immediate present – happening or being done/used now
- Most recent or up-to-date
- Commonly accepted or in common use
- A flow of air or water in a definite direction, particularly through a body of air or water that has less movement
- A flow of electricity or the rate of flow of electric charge
- A general trend or drift (thoughts, opinions and events)
* Only acceptable in foodstuffs if it has first been soaked in copious amounts of brandy, rum or similar (as far as I am concerned).
Major-domo
The chief steward or butler of a large household, the person who runs an organization or project, or a person who speaks or makes arrangements for another person.
The plural is major-domos.
The word’s origins are 16th century, stemming from Spanish and Italian variants of the medieval Latin major domus meaning ‘highest official of the household’ (Oxford Dictionaries).
‘I.e.’ and ‘e.g.’ are not interchangeable
When I proofread essays, I often find that these two abbreviations are used as if they mean the same thing. They don’t.
I.e. is the abbreviation for id est. This means ‘that is (to say)’. Use i.e. when you want to introduce another way of putting what you have already written.
E.g. is the abbreviation for exempli gratia. This means ‘for example’. Use e.g. when you want to introduce an illustrative example.
‘Cease’ and ‘seize’
I spotted this for the first time only recently.
There seems to be particular confusion over phrases such as ‘never ceases to amaze me’ or ‘seize the moment’. ‘Cease the moment’ is wrong, and here is why:
Cease
- To bring or come to an end
Seize
- To take hold of forcibly, suddenly or quickly; to grab
- To take by force or capture
- To take possession (of something) by warrant or legal right
- To take immediate advantage of (usually an opportunity)
- To take (an opportunity) in an eager and decisive manner
- To affect or fill the mind (of someone) suddenly
- To understand (something) clearly or quickly
- To become jammed, usually through overheating (mechanical parts). Often used as seize(d) up
- To stop being able to work or move normally (usage is often as seize up)
Yours sincerely/faithfully
I can’t remember the last time I wrote or received a personal letter. I suspect that, sadly, I am not the only one. 
Business letters, on the other hand, are still sent and received fairly often. Writers often worry over which ending to use with which greeting. Many of the more formal closings are simply no longer used – Your most obedient servant in particular.
If you begin the letter with Dear Mr Smith, Dear John Smith, or Dear John, then you should end with Yours sincerely. If you use the first name only and know the person well, you could use With kind regards, Best wishes, or a variant of these. The choice that you make should reflect the level of formality the letter requires.
If you begin the letter with Dear Madam, Dear Sir, or Dear Sir or Madam, you should end with Yours faithfully. Yours truly is a less formal alternative.
‘Curb’ and ‘kerb’
In British English, curb and kerb have different meanings.
Curb: a restraint or something that holds something else back. To restrain.
Kerb: the edging to a pavement (between it and the road) or a raised path.
In American English, the spelling curb is used instead of kerb.
Swan-upping
The annual British practice of catching swans on the River Thames and its tributaries, and marking the swans to indicate ownership (by the Crown or a corporation).
The practice dates from the twelfth century when swans were an important high-status food. The Crown still retains rights over unmarked mute swans in open water, but the swans are no longer eaten.
Modern swan-upping takes place primarily as part of conservation efforts, and education is now a key part of the undertaking.
The hyphen is recommend by the New Oxford Spelling Dictionary and other older dictionaries, but many modern uses are not hyphenated.
More details on modern swan-upping can be found here and here.
Hannah McCall 