The Surprisingly Long History of the Word ‘Yo’
The word ‘yo’ was around long before Rocky movies and rap songs.
2023-10-12 23:25
A Higgledy-Piggledy Look at 12 Rare Reduplicative Words
Though these words sound like fiddle-faddle, they have specific uses that go beyond yada yada and twittle-twattle.
2023-10-12 21:48
21 Old and Odd Directional Words
The rich history of the English language is full of similar directional words that are cool but uncommon, like ‘pancakewards,’ ‘couchward,’ and ‘pocketwards.’
2023-10-11 20:16
9 Fake Words That Ended Up in the Dictionary
Ghost words have nothing to do with otherworldly apparitions, but they’re enough to scare the headwords off lexicographers.
2023-10-06 23:51
Why Do We Say “Trick or Treat” on Halloween?
The origins of the phrase (indirectly) involve smelly cabbage, Donald Duck, and several Canadian journalists.
2023-10-06 22:28
Why Do Ghosts Say “Boo”?
If linguistics is any indicator, it would appear that everybody in the spirit realm speaks Scots English.
2023-10-06 03:51
11 Common English Words That Come From Native American Languages
‘Avocado’ comes to us from Nahuatl—and it doesn’t mean what you might think it means.
2023-10-04 04:22
How Did ‘Jones’ Come to Mean ‘Craving’?
Nowadays, we use jones to express an intense craving for something. But it used to refer specifically to drugs.
2023-09-30 04:24
‘Rizz,’ ‘Girlboss,’ and 23 Other Terms Merriam-Webster Just Added to the Dictionary
Knowing the meaning of ‘rizz’ can help you connect with the Gen Zers in your life.
2023-09-29 02:20
Where Did the Term ‘Up to Snuff’ Originate?
Are you not up to snuff when it comes to knowing the origin of ‘up to snuff’? We can help you with that.
2023-09-26 05:53
11 Nouns That Only Have a Plural Form
Some nouns only have a plural form, regardless of how we think of them. They are known as ‘pluralia tantum,’ Latin for “plural only.”
2023-09-18 23:53
Why Do We Sometimes Call Aluminum Foil “Tin Foil”?
Tin foil and aluminum foil are not the same thing.
2023-09-14 01:22