GIVE YOUR MOUSE A WELL-DESERVED REST

What Happens When You Press the Windows Key? Discover 10 Keyboard Tricks.

Image: Sergi Kabrera

Moving your hand from the keyboard to the mouse and back again might not seem like a very time-consuming chore when doing computer work. However, when this action must be repeated constantly, there are simple tricks that help us save time and energy. You don't need to be a hacker to learn these 10 easy keyboard shortcuts that will enhance your computer skills. Discover what all those keys with letters like Ctrl, Fn, and Alt are really for. And, if you stay till the end, we’ll show you a trick that will blow your mind!

Image: Natalia Y.

Back in Medieval times when monks did it, copying text used to be an extremely time-consuming task. Quite a few centuries had to pass for us to be able to copy whatever amount of text we want, from a single character to a whole book or more.

The trick is simple: highlight the text you want to copy. Once the text is highlighted, press the Ctrl key and the letter C simultaneously. Once you do this, the text is saved and ready to be pasted anywhere you need it.

Image: Scott Sanker

Pasting text previously copied allows you to move around words, paragraphs, pages, or whatever amount of text you want in no time at all.

Once you have copied -or cut- your text, the next step for pasting it wherever you want it to is really simple. Place the cursor where you want the text to start and click on that exact point. Then press the Ctrl key and the V letter, simultaneously. Once you do this, the text will appear in the place where you want it.

Image: Matt Artz

Maybe you don't want to simply copy text and you want to cut it out entirely. There is a shortcut for this as well and it is as simple as the text copying trick.

To cut text, you must highlight the word, paragraph, or whatever amount of text you want to cut. Once the text is highlighted, press the Ctrl key and the X letter, simultaneously. Once you do this, the highlighted text will disappear but worry not, it is saved in the clipboard and ready to be pasted wherever you need it with the pasting trick (remember: Ctrl + V).

Image: Jim Wilson

Have you ever had second thoughts and wanted to undo something? If only life was as easy as this Windows trick!

Simply press the Ctrl key and the letter Z. Windows will magically take a step back and undo what it has just done. Be it restoring something you deleted by mistake or going back, this simple trick will get the job done.

Image: Ana Klipper

Suppose you want to close a window on your desktop. Yes, you could take the mouse and reach for the small red X square in the corner of the window. Or, you could save a few seconds and do this instead.

Simply press our old friend, the Ctrl key and the W letter, simultaneously. The window that is at the front of your desktop will close automatically.

Image: Aaron Burden

Imagine you need to highlight all of the text in a document. What would you do? Start from the top and start painting the whole thing down? Lucky you, there are faster, easier ways to do just that.

Just press the Ctrl key and the A letter, simultaneously. Abracadabra! The whole thing will be painted yellow for you to copy or cut, in no time at all.

Image: Daniel Maquiling

Maybe you need to open the Start menu to find a program or an app or close the computer. What do you do? You take the arrow and go to the left corner at the bottom, to the Windows icon, right? No!

You can simply press the Ctrl key and the Esc key, simultaneously and the Start menu will unfold beneath your eyes without having to lift your fingers from the keyboard.

Image: Jan Loyde Cabrera

A shortcut one wishes would exist in real life (much like Ctrl + Z), hitting F5 on your keyboard will produce a wonderful effect: the window that is upfront on your desktop will refresh itself and update to its latest status.

Whether you are expecting a money transfer and looking anxiously at your bank account, are eager to see the latest news online, or don’t want to miss out on something that is about to happen, pressing the F5 key will refresh the upfront window to its latest version.

Image: Agence Olloweb

While the amount of files that we store in our computers has diminished since cloud storage became more ubiquitous, most of us still use folders to archive pictures, PDF files, text documents, and more. That is why having Windows’ magnifying glass ready at hand is very useful to find stuff in the least possible amount of time.

Yes, we can always go to the Start button and press the magnifying glass. But why do that when we can just press the Windows key and the letter S, to obtain the same result in less time?

Image: Tadas Sar

Our computers are powerful devices that can handle multiple tasks at once: internet browsers, spreadsheets, dedicated software, open folders, photographs, and more, can all be floating on your desktop. So, what if you need to see or fetch something from the desktop? Are you going to be minimizing every single thing to uncover the surface? Nope! There is a shortcut for that too!

Simply press the Windows key (yes, that one you always wondered what it was for) and the D letter, simultaneously. Magic! The desktop is uncovered and clean for your perusal. Want to go back to what you were doing? Press Windows + D again.

Deep roots

11 everyday words with indigenous roots

English is a very welcoming language in the sense that it incorporates terms from many other languages from all over the world. And, as it couldn’t be otherwise, Native American languages have lent many of their words and terms to English speakers. Some traveled through Spanish or French before settling into English, and others arrived directly through early contact and trade, helping shape the way we speak today. Did you know about these 11 terms?

The word "canoe" comes from the Taino term canoa, which was first used by Caribbean islanders long before Europeans arrived. Early explorers adopted it to describe the slim, sturdy boats they saw.

Over time, "canoe" became the standard English word for a small paddled craft. Today it still carries that sense of simplicity and closeness to nature.

The word "barbecue" comes from barbacoa, another Taino term for a wooden frame used for cooking meat over fire. Europeans adopted it and applied it to both the method and the gathering itself.

Today, "barbecue" means everything from a backyard cookout to a regional cooking style. Its origins highlight the deep culinary influence of Native Americans in the nation's current culture.

"Skunk" comes from the Algonquian word squnk, which means "urinating fox" (quite a fitting term, indeed). This was an obvious reference to the animal’s strong defensive spray. Early settlers adopted the term directly.

Since English had no better name for the creature, the Native word stuck. Today, the word skunks is also used as playful slang.

The word "moose" originates from Eastern Abenaki, a part of the Algonquian family, where it meant "he strips off bark." Yes, it described the animal’s habit of tearing bark from trees.

The name entered English quickly because settlers relied on Native knowledge of local fauna. The word remains unchanged because of its accuracy and usefulness.

"Raccoon" comes from the Powhatan word arakun, meaning "he scratches with his hands." It described the animal’s clever, humanlike front paws.

Settlers adopted the term because it captured the creature’s behavior beautifully. Today, the raccoon is used as a household symbol of curiosity, not unlike the animal itself.

The term "chipmunk" most probably comes from the Ojibwe word ajidamoo, which means "one who descends trees headfirst." Early English settlers adapted the sound into today’s form.

Though the spelling changed over time, the lively image of a chipmunk racing down a tree face-first stayed.

The word "caribou" comes from the Mi’kmaq term qalipu, which means "snow shoveler," referring to the animal’s habit of digging through snow for food.

French settlers brought the word into English, keeping its descriptive nature. The name still connects the modern animal to the winter landscapes it belongs to.

"Totem" comes from the Ojibwe word ototeman, which means "kinship group." It described symbols representing clans and shared roots.

English adopted it to describe carved poles and symbolic elements. Though broader in modern usage, it still hints at the original sense of community, identity, and heritage.

"Coyote" comes from the Nahuatl word coyōtl, which was used by Indigenous tribes of central Mexico. Spanish speakers adopted it, and English borrowed later.

The word kept its meaning, and it remains one of the most direct links between the English language and Nahuatl.

The tasty avocado’s name traces to the Nahuatl word ahacatl, which refers to the fruit and to a body part as well. Spanish speakers transformed it into aguacate.

Later on, English speakers adapted it to avocado. While the name sounds contemporary and culinary, it has ancient Native roots.

The last Nahuatl word and also the last word on the list comes from the term xocolātl, which describes a bitter cacao drink that was consumed long before Europeans arrived in America. The name traveled from Spanish to English.

Though the product changed dramatically, the word survived. Today, chocolate is a universal symbol of sweetness, with rich and deeply indigenous roots.