Word Genius

mumblecore

TV and film lovers might be familiar with this one. Mumblecore is "a genre of film or TV typically characterized by naturalistic dialogue, a small budget, relatively unknown actors, and a plot that focuses on interpersonal relationships." It's said to have been coined as a joke by a sound editor in 2005. Mumble means "to speak in a low indistinct manner," so it may be a reference to the poor sound quality that's sometimes a part of lower budget productions.

Banana

The English word "banana" comes from the Spanish word banana (likely borrowed from Portuguese) to describe the tropical plant and its yellow fruit. In some countries, la banana is interchangeable with el plátano (plantain), a tropical fruit that is very similar to a banana. For example, Mexico and Chile use plátano to describe a banana, but in Argentina, they're bananas. Visitors, don't fret — native Spanish speakers will know both words.

Silent C words

When it comes to the letter C, it seems to remain silent when it follows the letter S. There are many examples of this, such as science, scissors, scent, ascent, crescent, descent, descend, disciple, scene, obscene, fluorescent, abscess, fascinate, and muscle. The silent C also shows up in a few other weird words such as czar, acquire, indict, and yacht. Yacht is so fancy that it even slips a silent H in there too.

chuck-will's-widow

The chuck-will's-widow is similar to the whippoorwill, especially when it comes to repeating its unique call—of which its name is a fanciful representation. These birds have been known to call continuously, sometimes more than 800 times! A type of bird known as ​​a goatsucker (due to an ancient and false belief that they drank goat's milk), the chuck-will's-widow is found in the swamps, woods, and rocky uplands of the Southern US.

Babe

The first documentation of "babe" being used to refer to an infant was in the 14th century, but hippies used this as a term of endearment for women and significant others. The latter continues to be the most common usage of "babe" today.

Kindergarten

The first year of school in America is known as "kindergarten." This cheeky word literally translates to "children's garden" and comes from a German educator who compared his young students to plants and preached that teachers were tasked with nurturing their growth.

Which Languages Use a Schwa?

The function of the IPA symbols is to provide an understandable guide for learners, no matter their native language or accent. They have a Hebrew origin, but schwas appear in at least eleven other languages, including Albanian, Dutch, Malay, and Korean. Each of these languages represents the schwa in a different way. In Albanian, it's a diaeresis (two dots) over an "e". In Dutch, it's a digraph (two letters) of "ij," and in Malay, it's shown with a symbol that looks like an upside-down "v". Regardless of how it looks, the schwa sounds the same in every language. Some languages even omit schwas entirely in their pronunciations. The schwa is still technically there, but the speaker chooses not to pronounce it. This is a common phenomenon in Hindi and French, but American English does it, too. Listen to how we pronounce words like "chocolate," "every," and "camera." In each one, the schwa in the middle of the word disappears.

Capitalize names of companies and trademarks

The names of companies and organizations should also be capitalized, such as Nike and Stanford University. There are some exceptions: sometimes a company may choose not to use a capital letter at the beginning of its name or product as a stylistic choice. Examples include eBay and the iPhone.

Capitalize countries, languages, and nationalities

The names of countries are proper nouns, which means they are capitalized, of course. Languages and nationalities are capitalized as well. A person who is from Kenya, is a Kenyan and likely speaks Swahili. A Chilean is a person from Chile, where the official language is Spanish.

Missouri

The nickname of the Missouri River is "Big Muddy," but there was a Sioux tribe called the Missouri, and their name translates to "wooden canoe people."

Proboscis (prə-BAH-skəs - noun)

The nose of a mammal, especially when it is long and mobile such as the trunk of an elephant or the snout of a tapir. Or (in many insects) an elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible. Origin: Greek, early 17th century

Cairo, Egypt

The official Arabic name of the city known in English as Cairo is Al-Qāhirah. This name translates to "The Victorious" or "The Conqueror." This powerful name is said to refer to Caliph al-Muʿizz, who established the city as the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate that would control Egypt for centuries afterward.

Younker

The older definition of this word can refer to a young man or a child. There's also a former department store founded in 1856 by the name of "Younkers" — now it's online-only. Otherwise, this one isn't used anymore.

Marrakesh, Morocco

The origin of the name of Marrakesh or Marrakech is still disputed today. The most popular interpretation says that the name comes from the Berber language and means "city of God" from the Berber amur akush.

Malapropism (MAL-əprop-iz-əm - noun)

The practice of unintentionally using the wrong word or phrase, usually to humorous effect Origin: English, 18th century

Receiving Line

This is the counterpart to the processional. A receiving line occurs when all the wedding guests line up as the recessional (the group of wedding participants that walks back down the aisle) is leaving the ceremony. In ancient tradition, throwing rice symbolized a marriage of prosperity (and many children), but other after-wedding projectiles included figs, coins, and candy. Today, fun receiving-line customs include throwing flower petals or birdseed, to releasing butterflies or blowing bubbles.

pro bono

This is work that is done for free or donated without charge. You're most likely to hear it on your favorite legal drama.

Q: "Why did George Washington have trouble sleeping?" A: "Because he couldn't lie."

This joke might rely on the audience knowing which form of lay or lie to use, but puns with a double meaning will never go out of style.

Sabotage

To "sabotage" is to destroy or damage something, usually for political or personal gain. It was directly borrowed from the French word of the same spelling in 1907. In the French language, the word has a far more interesting history. It came from sabator which literally translates to "walking noisily," from sabot, which is a wooden shoe.

Among the Blind, the One-Eyed Man Is King

To borrow another cliché, it's all relative. Even a person with few skills is better than a person with no skills.

Drag

Too-cool-for-school hippies needed a term for something that disappoints or bores. "You know that cat who is crashing on my couch? He's such a drag!"

en masse

Use this term when describing the actions of a large group. The crowd flooded the field en masse when the home team scored the winning goal at the buzzer.

persona non grata

That nasty customer who always has complaints will quickly become a persona non grata, or an unwelcome person.

Flavortown

The "Mayor of Flavortown" himself, Food Network star Guy Fieri, is surprised that the phrase has garnered so much attention. In a 2019 interview, Fieri admitted that he coined the phrase by accident while talking about an extra-large pizza on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. He made a comment that the pizza looked like "a manhole cover in Flavortown," and now, there are signs, T-shirts, banners, and memes advertising the fictional town with the larger-than-life, platinum-haired chef as its leader.

Clip

You might be used to clipping things in - seatbelts, carabiners, or backpacks. But other folks will tell you that clipping is all about taking things out - like hair or nails.

ponceau

You might see ponceau during a sunset. It means "a vivid reddish-orange color." It may also make you think of poppies, as it likely derives from the Old French pouncel, or "poppy." It was first recorded in English as early as 1825.

Peepers

You peep at things with your eyes. Thus, eyes were called peepers. Make sense? "Lucy, your peepers are the deepest pools of blue."

Actually

"Actually" has suffered a similar fate as "seriously." It used to pack a punch, asserting something as the truth, but these days, "actually" has become sentence seasoning. If you lead off with, "I actually like that show," you're not countering a previously false statement. No one can refute it as incorrect, even if they disagree with you. So why is it in your sentence?

Bare

"Bare" is an intensifier, effectively meaning "very" or "many" — similar to "hella" in the U.S. It originally came from Jamaican influences, but the word has worked its way into many British dialects. Example: I stayed up all night, and now I'm bare tired.

Basically

"Basically" as a crutch word is used in a way opposite its true meaning. It's supposed to denote simplicity, something that's obvious to everyone involved. As a crutch, it's used more often in complicated explanations where things usually aren't as obvious as the word implies.

Halcyon

"Halcyon" is an adjective for a particularly happy or joyful time. It can be (and often is) used to describe the past in a romantic manner, for seeing summers long gone and remembering them fondly.

Fixin' To

"I'm fixin' to go down to the store for some more sugar." It doesn't matter whether you want to make yourself a cup of tea or leave the house — this phrase signals you're on the verge of some kind of action. It's mostly used to get someone off your back if they're nagging you to do something. Just hit them with, "I'm fixin' to," and they'll know you'll get around to it eventually.

Quiescent

"Quiescent" is an adjective you can use alongside the verb "estivate." It describes being in a state of quiet and tiredness. "Quiescent" is good for those hot summer days during which all you want to do is lie around in the shade, getting up only for a cold drink.

Separate

"Separate" and "separately" just feel like they're wrong, even when they're right, likely because of those repeating vowels. In the same vein, many people have trouble with desperate, which, while sounding very similar to separate, actually flips the script on separate's "e-a-a-e" vowel pattern to "e-e-a-e."

Tomato

"Tomato" comes from the Spanish word tamate, which describes the same edible plant. In the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, the word tomatl meant "the swelling fruit."

UFO

"UFO" stands for "Unidentified Flying Object," and first emerged in 1953 amid the era's space craze. The interest in potential alien visitors began a few years earlier, when, in the summer of 1947, a private pilot named Kenneth Arnold described seeing nine objects flying in close formation at a supernatural speed in Washington state. He described them as "flat like a pie and somewhat bat-shaped," and that they "flew like a saucer would if you skipped across water." From there, journalists began referring to them as flying saucers, which eventually became "UFO."

Fardel (FAR-dl - noun)

(Archaic) A bundle.

Bosky (BAHS-kee - adj.)

(Literary) wooded; covered by trees or bushes. Origin: Middle English, late 16th century

Matutinal (mə-TYOOT-ə-nl - adj.)

(formal) of or occurring in the morning. Origin: Latin, mid 16th century

AKA

AKA (or A.K.A.) stands for "also known as." If you have a nickname, you are "also known as" that name. This abbreviation, which entered English in the late 1940s, is used by law enforcement to specify an alias. But it's also commonly used to indicate that a person goes by another name in many different settings. And it can be used facetiously to share extra information about someone. For example, My sister, AKA the most organized person in the entire world, somehow forgot my birthday.

Threads

Adapted from jazz slang, the word "threads" was used to refer to clothes — usually covered in flowers, patchwork, and paisley.

Vicinal (vi-sə-nəl - adj.)

Adjacent, local Origin: French, early 17th century

Silent M words

After looking high and low, the only words we could find with a silent M are ones that begin with mn, such as mnemonic and similarly derived terms, but maybe we just need something to help us remember others.

Concord (kahNG-kord - noun)

Agreement or harmony between people or groups. Origin: French, 14th century

Quern

A "quern" is a primitive type of hand mill that was used for grinding grain in Neolithic times (since at least 5600 BCE). It is a Middle English word that came from Old High German quirn.

Quipu

A "quipu" is an Incan counting tool that was first used around 2500 BCE. This English translation comes from Quechua (an ancient language) khipu, meaning "knot." It was made of one long primary cord and many pendant cords.

Quoin

A "quoin" is an architectural term that describes the exterior angle of a building, especially one with decorative stones or bricks, whose purpose is ornamental.

Quoll

A "quoll" is a spotted marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea. These furry carnivores gained their name from the word je-quoll from the Australian aboriginal language Guugu Yimidhirr.

Aerodrome

A British term referring to a landing field for airplanes and related structures (e.g., hangars). The word "airport" has since replaced it.

Cheeky

A bit of "cheekiness" is a quintessential part of British life. It can be hard to nail down a definition, but one that comes close is "endearingly rude." Being cheeky is often cute, but it can be taken the wrong way, so pay attention to context. Example: Your son was very cheeky and grabbed a cookie off my plate when I wasn't looking.

brief of merits

A brief of merits (or merits brief) is submitted by a petitioner after the Supreme Court has accepted their petition for a writ of certiorari. Typically, the brief of merits presents the legal questions under review in the case, lists who is involved, states what the previous court's decisions were, and presents the petitioner's legal argument. The respondent then presents their own brief of merits in response. Supreme Court justices rely on such briefs to determine each side's argument and what prior legal decisions the arguments are based on.

Catfish

A catfish is a type of fish with barbels (a sensory organ near the mouth to detect food) that resemble cat's whiskers. This idea of one animal resembling another species turned "catfish" into one of the greatest reality-TV slang terms of all time. A "catfish" is someone who uses a false identity, usually online, to trick someone into a romantic relationship. This scenario played out in the 2010 documentary Catfish, starring Nev Schulman revealing his real-life situation, in which he developed a relationship with a woman who falsified her entire online profile. MTV turned the idea into reality TV gold by casting Schulman to host the series Catfish: The TV Show in 2012. It usually takes some time for new meanings of slang terms to catch on with the public and especially with lexicographers, but the new usage of "catfish" was officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2014, thanks to the proliferation on online dating apps.

"Crevasse" vs. "Crevice": Understanding The Chasm Of Differences

A crevasse, [ kruh-vas ] with a second syllable that rhymes with mass, is a very big, deep crack, especially a chasm in a glacier or the earth's surface. A crevice [ krev-is ] with a second syllable that rhymes with miss, is a small crack in something that forms an opening into the thing's surface.

Fair

A fair is a place, typically filled with people, food, drinks, and lots of entertainment. Or, it can be a place for trade or purchasing, such as a book fair. It comes from the Latin feriae, meaning "holidays." As an adjective "fair," can mean honest (a fair trial), sufficient (a fair understanding), or decent (fair) weather. For centuries, the word has also been related to beauty, as in "a fair maiden." This comes from the Old High German word fagar, meaning "beautiful."

A.M. and P.M.

A few countries, namely the United States, Canada, and Australia, use the 12-hour clock instead of the 24-hour clock. This results in a need to differentiate the two halves of a 24-hour period (morning versus night), so the abbreviations "a.m." and "p.m." were created. The origin of these abbreviations is simple — "a.m." stands for the Latin phrase ante meridiem, meaning "before noon," while "p.m." is short for post meridiem, the Latin phrase for "after noon." The 24-hour system, which is used throughout the rest of the world, has no need for such abbreviations.

Synecdoche (sə-NEK-də-kee - noun)

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa. Origin: Late Middle English, 1350s

Copestone (KOHP-stohn - noun)

A flat stone forming part of the coping of a wall; the highest stone in a building, wall, or structure. Or A finishing touch or crowning achievement. Origin: Latin and Germanic origin, 16th century

Entente (ahn-TANT - noun)

A friendly understanding or informal alliance between states or factions. Origin: French, mid-19th century

Gazetteer (ga-zə-TEER - noun)

A geographical index or dictionary close. Origin: Italian, early 17th century

Handsel (han(t)-səl - noun)

A gift given for good luck Or An initial payment Origin: Old English or Old Norse

Silent Z Words

A handful of French loanwords have that special je ne sais quoi of a silent Z, including rendezvous and laissez-faire.

Passe-partout (pass-pər-TOO - noun)

A master key. Origin: French, 17th century.

Uber

Although famously affiliated with a car service these days, uber is indeed a German word that translates to "over" or "above." The English variation often suggests a superlative. Anything "uber" is the very best — unless you're rating a one-star car ride.

Plunder

Although it's often associated with pirates, this German word has roots on land. It stems from the German word plündern, which means, quite literally, "to rob household goods."

Layette (lay-ET - noun)

A set of clothing, linens, and sometimes toiletries, for a newborn. Origin: French, mid 19th century

Sitooterie (sih-TOO-ter-ee - noun)

A small building or area where people can sit outside. Origin: Scottish, 1920s

Barcarolle (BAR-kə-rol - noun)

A song traditionally sung by Venetian gondoliers. Origin: Venetian Italian, 18th century

Inglenook (ING-ɡəl-nook - noun)

A space on either side of a large fireplace.

person of short stature and short-statured person

Although less common, the terms person of short stature and short-statured person (sometimes unhyphenated as short statured) are also used (along with their plural forms that use people). Preferences around person-first or identity-first constructions also apply in this case. These phrases are used by groups and organizations focused on little people, often interchangeably with previously mentioned options. They are sometimes also used in the names of such organizations, such as Short Statured People of Australia and Short Stature Scotland.

Humectant (hyoo-MEK-tnt - noun)

A substance, especially a skin lotion or a food additive, used to reduce the loss of moisture. Origin: Latin, 19th century

Punch

A tasty, sweet drink whose name comes from Sanskrit is punch, "a beverage consisting of wine or spirits mixed with fruit juice, soda, water, milk, or the like, and flavored with sugar, spices, etc." (Sometimes punch is made without booze as well.) The word punch comes from the Sanskrit for "five," a reference to the five ingredients used to make traditional punch: alcohol, sugar, lemon or lime juice, water, and spices.

Organon (or-ɡə-nän - noun)

A tool or instrument used to gain knowledge Or A set of guiding principles for a particular science, philosophy, or discipline Origin: Greek, late 16th century

Tornado

A tornado is a flurry of winds, maybe so loud that people couldn't hear the correct words. The etymology of this word is unclear, but it's close enough to the Spanish words "tronada," which means thunder, and "tornar," which means to turn. The combination of the two, and perhaps not quite hearing the difference between the two, created the word tornado.

Metanoia (me-tə-noi-ə - noun)

A transformational change in one's way of life Or A change resulting from repentance and spiritual awareness Origin: Greek, late 19th century

Capitalization Rules: When Do Words Need To Be Capitalized?

There are only a few rules of capitalization. They're easy to remember. In English, capital letters are most commonly used at the start of a sentence, for the pronoun I, and for proper nouns.

Trakky-Daks

There's a certain singsong rhythm to a lot of Australian speech, and part of it comes from Aussies' affinity for taking components of words and making them into cute rhymes. "Trakky-daks" stems from "trackpants."

Don't Forget the "U"

These five-letter "qu" words might be more recognizable, and it's worth memorizing a few of these for word game play.

Coyote

These wild canines are native to North America, from Canada to Mexico. The Mexican Spanish word coyote was adopted into American English in the late 1700s. Like so many Mexican Spanish words, it came from an earlier Nahuatl word for the mammal, coyotl.

faux pas

This is a social blunder. Watch your manners if you don't want to commit a faux pas.

Brabble

To brabble is to squabble, quarrel, argue, or fight. Considering the number of synonyms readily available for this one word, retiring it was for the best.

Ameliorate (ə-meel-yə-rayt - verb)

To improve or make more tolerable Or To alleviate Origin: Latin, 16th century

Question Marks

Virtually every language has some sort of mark to indicate a query. As with commas, Arabic question marks appear backward (؟). In Armenian, the question mark is shaped like a slight curve (՞), and in Greek, the symbol for a question mark looks like a semi-colon (;). In Spanish, sentences are bookended with an upside-down and right-side-up question mark (¿...?).

cognomen

We bet you didn't know you have a cognomen. While this word might look like the name of some kind of scary medical condition, it actually means "any name, especially a nickname." Nomen means "name" in Latin, and co or cog means "with." This 19th century word, then, literally means "with name," and it can be broadly used to talk about any type of nickname.

Punctuation Vs. Typographical Symbols: What's The Difference?

We use words in writing. Shocking, I know! Do you know what else we use in writing? Here is a hint: they have already appeared in this paragraph. In addition to words, we use many different symbols and characters to organize our thoughts and make text easier to read. All of these symbols come in two major categories: punctuation marks and typographical symbols. These symbols have many different uses and include everything from the humble period (.) to the rarely used caret symbol (^). There may even be a few symbols out there that you've never even heard of before that leave you scratching your head when you see them on your keyboard!

wheaten

What color is wheaten? It might not surprise you to find out that this color word is pretty literal. It means "of the color of wheat, especially a pale yellow-brown color." It's also among the oldest words on our list, appearing in English before the year 900.

whippoorwill

What's that sound? If you're out at night, it might be a whippoorwill. These nocturnal North American members of the genus Caprimulgus vociferus are identified by their gray, black, white, and tawny plumage, but they're more often heard than seen. This is especially due to their persistent call, which they sometimes repeat as many as 400 times without stopping! These birds can be found across the North American continent, from Canada to the Central American isthmus.

byname

What's your byname? A byname is "a secondary name," whether that's a surname, a nickname, or something else. This term may be used to describe any type of nickname, rather than only nicknames that are familiar or used for a specific purpose. Think of it as another way of saying "a name you go by." Though it's not commonly used now, the word byname has existed in English since the 1300s.

Ad Hoc

When doing things off the cuff, on a whim, or without a formal plan in place, that's ad hoc. In Latin, it literally means "to this" or "with respect to this." While unplanned, using ad hoc properly will give some indication toward the topic or purpose. "We're having this ad hoc meeting on safety procedures before we have another accident."

Hold On, Is It Whoa Or Woah?

Whoa is the much older spelling and is the one considered standard. Woah is a newer, alternate spelling that is often considered to be nonstandard or informal. The two terms are used to mean the same things, but woah is more likely to be found in informal contexts, such as in memes.

Toxophilite (tok-sof-uh-lahyt - noun)

a devotee of archery; archer.

Oregano

Although the oregano plant is native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, English adopted its word for the herb from Spanish orégano in the mid-1700s. Also known in English as wild marjoram, the Spanish borrowed from the Latin word for the herb, origanum.

John Hancock

America's colonial history pops up in American slang. If you ask for someone's John Hancock, you're asking for their signature. John Hancock was a real man, an American revolutionary patriot who made a literal name for himself with his flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Kilometer

Americans often pronounce this empirical measurement as "kil-AW-meh-ter." But if you're British, you have more options. You can also put the emphasis on the first syllable: "KILL-uh-mee-tuh." In British English, that "er" at the end of the word drops the "r" in either pronunciation.

Apéritif (ə-PEHR-i-teef - noun)

An alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Origin: Latin, late 19th century

What is an ambigram?

An ambigram is a word, number, or other figure that can be read upside down.

Adze (adz - noun)

An ax-like tool, for dressing timbers roughly, with a curved, chisel-like steel head mounted at a right angle to the wooden handle.

Pulchritude (puhl-krə-tood - noun)

Beauty Origin: Late Middle English, 15th century

Doughty (DOW-tee - adj.)

Brave and persistent. Or Displaying courage. Origin: Middle English, pre-12th century

When to use "may"

By definition, "may" is used to express permission, as in, "You may go now." It has been in use since at least the 12th century in Old English, when it originally meant, "to have the ability to." However, the modern definition leans more toward permission than ability. So, the question, "May I go with them?" (Am I allowed to go with them?) showcases the correct usage of this verb.

Bingle

Get into a bit of a fender bender with your car on the way to work? You've had a bingle, mate.

Vouchsafe (VOUCH-seif - verb)

Give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner. Origin: Middle English, 15th century

Wonted (WAHN-təd - adj.)

Habitual; usual. Origin: Middle English, early 15th century

Cumulonimbus clouds

Harbingers of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning. They are the lowest of the high-altitude clouds and are also called thunderheads, due to their mushroom-like shape. The rain they produce is heavy, but short.

Spatulate (spaCH-ə-lət - adj.)

Having a broad, rounded end. Origin: Modern Latin, mid -18th century

Flocculent (FLAHK-yə-lənt - adj.)

Having or resembling tufts of wool. Origin: Latin, early 19th century

7 Phrases You'll Only Know if You're From the South

Howdy, y'all! Folks in the South can get a bad rap for their quirky colloquialisms and twangy accents. But some of these phrases are just downright fun to say. Whether you're headed to a finger-lickin' barbecue festival in Texas or a big ol' crawfish boil in Louisiana, here are a few Southern slang terms to help you fit in like a bonafide Southerner.

carte blanche

If you're given carte blanche, you have unlimited authority — use it wisely!

Do a 360

If you're trying to change yourself, a 360 will land you right back at the starting position, as it's a full circle. If you're trying to be different, try doing a 180.

pewee

If you're walking outside and hear a bird call out "pee-oo-wee," it might be a pewee. It's one of the class of birds known as flycatchers (due to catching insects in flight). There are several different kinds of pewees, including the eastern and western wood pewee.

Iowa

If you've ever felt a bit sleepy while driving through the fields of Iowa, it makes sense, because the state name comes from the tribal name ayuxwa, which means "one who puts one to sleep." When white settlers came through, the English spelled it "Ioway" and the French spelled it "Ayoua."

Japanization

In economics, the term Japanization is used to refer to a period of deflation and economic stagnation in a country. The term references the nation of Japan, whose economic stagnation in the 1990s led to a severe financial crisis in what is now often referred to as the Lost Decade.

Nip it ***********

It's not a pleasant image when you put it that way. The actual phrase is "nip it in the bud," meaning to end something before it grows and gets out of hand. No butts involved.

Comma Rule Number 8: Dates

Like with addresses, the day, month, and year in a date need to be punctuated with commas. Example 8: The concept of the jellybean cake was conceived on Thursday, June 6, 1574, by Spanish explorers.

SPAM

Maybe you've eaten SPAM before, but do you know what the acronym means? It stands for "Shoulder of Pork and Ham" — though whether it tastes like its namesake is up for debate.

Don't Use All Caps

NO ONE WANTS A TEXT THAT SCREAMS AT THEM. Unless it's mutual, when you're yelling about the season finale you just watched. That is the ONLY time it's appropriate. Otherwise, all caps texts are just stress messages. You can say what you need to say with lowercase letters.

Ventosity

Now considered obsolete, this is the proper word for the act of flatulence, AKA farting. The proper name for the gas in the stomach and intestines is "flatus," which is why the term shifted. But it might be time for a comeback if you feel the need to perform this bodily function discreetly.

What does -core mean anyway?

On its own, the word core means "the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything." So, in one interpretation, all of the different -core movements are named in a way that indicates what the trend or aesthetic is centered around. But the -core suffix may also be related to the word hardcore, or the "the permanent, dedicated, and completely faithful nucleus of a group or movement." Ultimately, -core movements are fandoms that spring up around different aesthetics and trends. Even the trend of naming movements has its own -core name: namecore. Now that we know the basics of namecore, let's talk about some of the -core movements that dominate social media in 2022.

Transparent

Once you recognize the two opposite meanings of this word, you can't unsee it. Transparent can refer to something that completely see through, or even invisible, such as a glass window. Yet it can also refer to something plainly obvious, like a piece of salacious news or a key fact. It's so obvious that it's transparent.

Hawaii: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono"

One of only two states whose mottos come from an Indigenous language (the other being Washington), this phrase translates to "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." King Kamehameha III said it in 1843, when Hawaii emerged victorious from five months of British rule.

Ayuh (ah-yuh)

Pronounced "ah-yuh," in Maine, this word works in a similar way to "yup" or "yeah." The history of the word "ayuh" is sparse, but it's likely that it comes from the nautical word "aye," which also means "yes." While it has fallen out of favor with younger Mainers, Stephen King (who famously grew up in the state) uses the word often in his novels.

Hors d'oeuvres

Pronounced "awr-durv," this is a French term for "appetizers." At weddings, these are usually served during the cocktail hour while guests are socializing. The phrase comes from hors (outside) + de (from) + oeuvre (work), essentially meaning "apart from the main work" (apart from the main meal).

Are You Feeling "Wreckless" Or "Reckless"?

Reckless is an adjective meaning "careless" that's used in phrases like reckless driving and reckless abandon. Wreckless is usually considered a misspelling of reckless when it's used to mean the same thing. It's possible for wreckless to be used to mean "without wrecks," but this is very rare.

Mobile (mo-bul vs. mohb-ayl)

Ring! Ring! There goes your phone. If you're in the U.S., you probably answer your cell. But if you're anywhere else, it's your mobile (pronounced "mohb-ayl"). When Americans describe something as "mobile," they pronounce it "mo-bul." Unless of course they're referring to the Batmobile (or Oscar Mayer Wienermobile), which introduces yet another pronunciation, "mo-beel."

royalcore

Royalcore isn't necessarily an obsession with the royals themselves, but with the fashion, behavior, etiquette, and elegance of Western European royalty. It's also associated with subgenres like princesscore, kingcore, and queencore. You can spot it by its association with castles, antique furniture, luxe fabrics and costumes, and, of course, crowns and tiaras.

Sashay Away

RuPaul's Drag Race could have a dictionary of its own, but perhaps the most popular of its meme-worthy terms is "sashay away." The term "sashay" itself means to glide nonchalantly. When RuPaul uses the phrase "sashay away," contestants know that their time on the show is over — it's code for "you're eliminated." (The opposing, good-news phrase, given to a queen who has survived elimination is "shantay, you stay.) The phrase has been turned into a playful way for friends to tell each other to "go away," typically in meme form, featuring the drag queen herself.

sable

Sable is another word for the color black. Typically it describes something "very dark or black," that resembles the fur of an actual sable, an Old World weasel-like mammal. Sable entered English in the late 1200s or early 1300s.

sobriquet

Say nickname, but make it fancy. Essentially, that's what sobriquet does. This word, borrowed from French, literally means "nickname." In many cases, sobriquet indicates playfulness or a nickname that is used in jest. This might mean a childhood pet name or a funny name used between friends. The word sobriquet entered English in the 1600s.

Sherry

Sherry is a delicious type of alcohol from Spain — sometimes sweet and always strong. The name is commonly believed to be a misinterpretation of the Spanish "vino de Xeres."

Hone In

Skills can be honed, but you can't hone in on something. The term is "home in," like a homing pigeon bred to find its way home. If you're homing in, you're getting close to your goal.

Legerdemain (LEH-jər-də-main - noun)

Sleight of hand, or the use of one's hands when performing magic tricks Origin: French, 15th century

Solder

Soldering is the act of joining metal pieces together with a low-heat metal alloy through higher heat. It looks easy enough to pronounce, right? But it's another word where the pronunciation doesn't match the spelling. Your first instinct might be to pronounce it as "SOUL-der," but the "l" is silent. The correct pronunciation is "SOD-er."

Bindi

Some words from Sanskrit in English come through Hindi. This is the case with the word bindi, "a decorative dot worn in the middle of the forehead, especially by Hindu women." The bindi represents the third eye or the sixth chakra in some Hindu practices. The word bindi ultimately comes from the Sanskrit bindu meaning "dot, spot, globule, drop."

Wallflower

Someone who is so shy they lean against the wall at social events. "You'll never meet someone new when you're being a wallflower."

The Silent "C"

Sometimes a "c" doesn't make a sound at all, such as when it's paired with the letter "s." "Scissor" and "miscellaneous" follow this silent "c" rule, but like many English-language guidelines, it's not universal. First, there are words with a silent "c" and no "s." Think of "Connecticut" — "kun-ET-ih-cut. You don't pronounce that middle "c." Second, there are other words that do have the "s" next to the "c" and the "c" is still pronounced, often with the hard "k" sound. Examples: school, scandal, script

Unseen, But Still Spoken

Sometimes a schwa isn't a letter at all but a phonetic element. It shows up when pronouncing a word, but not always when spelling it out. These words have no vowels to indicate a schwa. For instance, the schwa in "rhythm" comes in the second syllable, so the IPA pronunciation reads as "ˈrɪð əm." There's no vowel spelled in that second syllable, but as seen in the pronunciation guide, the schwa is there. It's kind of like having a silent "e" at the end of a word, except, in this case, it's an invisible schwa.

Dirigible (dir-ə-jə-bəl - adj.)

Steerable Origin: Latin, late 16th century

Comma Rule Number 7: Addresses

Streets, cities, states, and countries need to be separated with commas when writing addresses. Example 7: The Jellybean Cake Corporation international headquarters is located at 123 Cake Street, Candyland, Florida, USA.

strict constructionism

Strict constructionism, often referred to as original intent, is a legal philosophy similar to originalism that says that only the exact text of the Constitution matters when deciphering its meaning. Strict constructionism is often thought to be an even less flexible approach to reading the Constitution than originalism as it relies purely on a strict, literal view of the Constitution based on when it was originally written. A strict constructionist does not accept the idea of changing definitions of words and reads each word of the Constitution with the meaning it had at the time of its writing. Because they are so close in meaning, originalism and strict constructionism are often used interchangeably to refer to conservative judicial philosophies. For example, former Justice Antonin Scalia, who referred to the Constitution as a "dead" document (that is, one that never changes in meaning), was often described as being both an originalist and strict constructionist.

Xiphoid (ZY-foyd - adj.)

Sword-shaped Origin: Greek, mid 18th century

Silent S words

The Silent S appears in several different words, including island, isle, aisle, apropos, debris, bourgeois, and viscount.

Armadillo

The Spanish word armadillo means "little armored one," a fitting name for this mammal with bony plates surrounding its body. The word was derived from the Latin armado, meaning "armored." There are 20 species of armadillo found in Latin America, but only one is also located in the United States. The word "armadillo" has been used in English since at least 1570

Senescence (si-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s - noun)

The aging process Or In nature, a cell's loss of the ability to divide Origin: Latin

How Many Ways Can You Pronounce the Letter "C"?

The alphabet can be awfully versatile when you need it to be. Take, for example, the letter "c." When you recite the alphabet, it has a soft, smooth sound, identical to "sea." Mix it with other letters, and you have a whole soundscape to draw from. Let's "see" how many sounds the letter "c" can make.

Novel

The author had a novel idea for her next novel — a new idea for her book. The use of the word as an adjective stems directly from the word "new" in Old French: nouveau. As a noun, it was borrowed from the Italian word novella (describing a short prose narrative). Today, the word describes both a longer narrative and a literary genre.

Hershey, Pennsylvania: "The Sweetest Place on Earth"

The basis of this motto is clear enough, given that Hershey is the home of the eponymous chocolate brand. Founder Milton Hershey wanted to build a utopia in the early 1900s that would nurture the people he employed. He offered them schools, affordable housing, sports, and culture. Now, the city is home to a zoo, water park, amusement park, museums, and the Hershey factory that still perfumes the entire town with the scent of chocolate.

bobwhite

The bobwhite is a type of quail that gets its name from its whistling call, which moves up in pitch to clearly sound out "bob-white." Most bobwhites have mottled reddish-brown, black, and white plumage.

Minnesota

The consensus is clear that Minnesota was named after the Minnesota River, and that Mni is the Dakota tribe's word for water. But sota gets cloudy — literally. Some historians think the word means "cloudy," while others say it's "sky-tinted." Both are decent origin stories for the land of 10,000 lakes.

"Denotation" Vs. "Connotation": What's The Difference?

The denotation of a word or expression is its direct meaning. Its connotation consists of the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it. For example, the word homework refers to schoolwork done outside of school—that's its denotation. For many people, the word has a negative connotation—meaning that the word itself gives them a bad feeling associated with the experience of having to do homework when they'd rather be doing something else.

"You take my breath away"

The history behind this expression is pretty literal. People once used it to describe any magnificent act or incident — often related to surprise — that would shock the breath right out of them. Of course, the same could be said today for the brilliance of those we love the most.

Michigan

The largest of the Great Lakes is also named Michigan, which makes complete sense, because "Michigan" comes from an Ojibwa word, michi-gama, which means "large lake."

Silent D words

The letter D is silent in some words that pair it up with the letter G, as in bridge, ridge, edge, ledge, and hedge. It also doesn't have much to say in some pronunciations of the words handsome and handkerchief. Lastly, the first D in the word Wednesday seems to have taken the day off.

Silent N words

The letter N seems to be shy around the letter M as it doesn't speak up in words like autumn, column, condemn, solemn, and hymn.

Check Out These Spanish Loanwords Pronto

The modern English language is a conglomerate of other languages. While we get plenty of words from Latin and French, a lot of English's loanwords (words that are adopted from another language with little to no modification) are from Spanish. Some have been adopted from European Spanish, while others (especially in American English) come from Mexican, Central, or South American Spanish. Work your way down this list to learn more about how these Spanish-language words were adopted into English.

Hotel

The modern usage of "hotel" (as an inn or guest house) has only been in use since around 1765. Before this, "hotel" described a large residence. It got this definition directly from its French version, hôtel, which used to mean "mansion, palace, large house." It stems from Old French ostel, which meant "lodging" (and where the English "hostel" came from). Today, the modern French word hôtel has the same meaning as the English "hotel."

What causes dwarfism?

The most common cause of dwarfism is achondroplasia, a condition that impairs the growth of bones and causes an atypical skeletal structure, especially in the limbs. While this condition can be inherited, it is often caused by genetic mutations. This means that parents who do not have achondroplasia can have children who do, and parents who do have achondroplasia can have children who don't.

Cirrus clouds

The most common high-altitude clouds. Thin and wispy, they tend to foretell fair weather and can reveal the direction of the wind at their elevation.

The Hard "C"

The most common pronunciation of the letter "c" is basically interchangeable with a hard "k" or "kuh" sound. The hard "k" appears depending on what letter it's paired with — most often, "a," "o," or "u," as well as the consonants "l," "r," or "t." Examples: capital, contain, customer, classy, crystal, district Unlike soft "c's," you'll find that the hard "c" pronunciation is pretty standard in English, no matter what vowel it's paired with. Hard "c's" paired with consonants do have a slightly different sound, as in "cleave" ("kl") or "crave" ("kr"). When a "c" appears at the end of a word, it's typically pronounced with a hard "k" sound, as in "arc" or "scientific."

Tuxedo

The name "tuxedo" originated in the Tuxedo Park neighborhood in the fashion capital of New York. In this affluent enclave, men were known for their upscale dinner jackets. Later, these would be paired with matching pants, and the whole ensemble would be called a tuxedo. Or a "tux," if you're feeling casual.

Fuzz

The police. "Let's beat feet before the fuzz gets here."

Bowie knife

The pronunciation of Bowie is usually "BOW-ie." In Texas, however, it's pronounced "BOO-wie." Good to know if you ever go hunting in Texas!

Haecceity (hak-SEE-ə-dee - noun)

The property of being a unique and individual thing. Origin: Latin, mid 17th century

Cumulus clouds

The quintessential puffy white cotton-ball clouds. If they continue to grow vertically, they turn into cumulonimbus clouds.

Vexillology (vek-sə-LAH-lə-jee - noun)

The study of flags. Origin: Latin, 1950s

8 Halcyon Words of Summer

The summer brings the opportunity to relax and enjoy the sun, the flowers, and the ocean breeze. You might be so caught up in enjoying summer that you can't come up with the words to describe it. Here are eight words to try.

Latinization

The term Latinization has several distinct senses: Latinization can refer to the act of rendering a language into a script that uses the Latin alphabet. For example, a translator might Latinize a text by taking Chinese or Hindi characters and converting them to Latin letters. In religious context, Latinization can refer to the process by which non-Latin Christian churches were made to conform to the practices of the Latin and Roman Catholic Church, primarily during the Middle Ages. Latinization can also refer to a place becoming similar to places in Latin America. For example, US cities with large Hispanic populations, such as Miami, have been described as being Latinized.

Mongolization

The term Mongolization is often used to refer to the assimilation of language and culture that occurred by peoples who were conquered by the Mongol Empire. For many peoples, this process occurred over a long period of time and often involved their traditional culture slowly blending with Mongol culture.

Romanization

The term Romanization is often used to refer to the cultural influence practiced by the Roman Empire. At its peak, the Roman Empire encompassed an incredibly diverse range of countries and cultures, which allowed for a large-scale Romanization, the influence of which can still be seen today in the many languages, architecture, and cultures retaining Roman influences.

balkanization

The term balkanization is sometimes applied when a large place or country divides up into smaller, more homogenous communities. It can also refer to conflict between various ethnic groups in one state. The term balkanization makes reference to the Balkans, also known as the Balkan Peninsula, which split into many small countries first after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and again after the fall of the Soviet Union and the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Bachelor/Bachelorette

The title of this reality TV guilty pleasure is also a term unique to the U.S., at least when it comes to prenuptial partying. In other English-speaking countries, parties to celebrate the bride and groom's last hurrah are known as stag, stagette, hen, or buck parties, though most people would still know what a bachelor(ette) party entailed if you extended an invite.

Cat

The use of this word — as in "cool cat," or someone who exudes style and grace — originated in the 1930s but peaked in the 1960s. Try resurrecting this moniker instead of "bro."

Envoi (EN-voi - noun)

A short stanza concluding a ballade (a poem) or a short, lyrical piece of music, especially one for piano. Origin: French, mid 17th century

annatto

Annatto is a yellowish-red color, named for the dye that can be obtained from the pulp enclosing the seeds of the tree of the same name. This tree is also sometimes called the lipstick tree, and its dye is still used today to color cosmetics, butter, and cheese. The word annatto was borrowed into English from Carib.

Tornado

Another Spanish-inspired word in the English weather lexicon is "tornado." It came from the Spanish word for a thunderstorm, tronada. Sometime in the 1550s, navigators began using the word ternada (likely from tronada and tornare "to turn" in Latin) to describe violent storms in the tropical Atlantic. The modern word "tornado" (used to describe destructive funnel-like clouds and storms) has been used in the U.S. Midwest beginning in 1849.

Cecil (see-sil vs. seh-sil)

Another good old-fashioned name to add to the list. "See-sil" is definitely the more American way of pronouncing it, but "seh-sil" sounds way more posh. If you want to add a tweed coat and a monocle to your wardrobe, you can go with "seh-sil."

Volkswagen

Another literal translation, this means car of the people.

Electroencephalograph

Another medical term, "electroencephalograph" is often shortened to EEG. It's an instrument for recording the electrical activity of the brain. A lot of people know it in its shortened form from watching TV medical dramas.

Perquisite (PER-kwə-zət - noun)

Another term for perk. Origin: Latin, 15th century

Blusher

A blusher is a short wedding veil (usually attached to a longer veil) that is worn over the (blushing) bride's face. Historically, it was worn by the bride until she was presented to the groom. It represented modesty and purity and was also thought to ward off evil spirits. It's a traditional element that is increasingly being left out of modern bridal ensembles, but still functions as an accessory or as protection from the elements at outdoor ceremonies.

Bravura (brəˈv(y)o͞orə - noun)

A bold, brilliant display or performance Origin: Italian, 18th century

Claque (KLAK - noun)

A group of sycophantic followers. Origin: French, mid 19th century

And the Winner Is...

A hard take on GIF follows the patterns of English most accurately, and it is the most-adopted pronunciation around the world. But the soft "g" version admittedly sounds more fluid and more natural, even if, when looking at the abbreviation, it doesn't totally track. The good news? The OED accepts both pronunciations. So if your dinner guests end up in a draw, feel free to move on to a light-hearted chat about whatever issue is trending on the nightly news.

Shindig

A hot party with lots of music and dancing. "Jane, is Martin taking you to the shindig on Saturday? It will be a gas."

Bolide (BOH-lahyd - noun)

A large meteor which explodes in the atmosphere. Origin: French, early 19th century

Cataract (KAD-ə-rakt - noun)

A large waterfall; a sudden rush of water; a downpour. Or A medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision. Origin: Latin, 15th century

Metaphrase (MEH-də-frayz - noun)

A literal, word-for-word translation, as opposed to a paraphrase. Origin: Greek, early 17th century

Grandiloquent (ɡran-DIHL-ə-kwent - adj.)

A lofty, colorful style of speaking intended to impress Or Being vain or pompous in an overbearing style Origin: Latin, late 16th century

nom de guerre

Authors aren't the only people who sometimes change their names. A nom de guerre is another way of saying pseudonym. It's "an assumed name, under which a person fights, paints, writes, etc." In French, nom de guerre meant "a war name," or a name taken by a soldier upon entering the armed services. In English, it's more generally understood to mean any kind of assumed name, whether it's Stefani Germanotta being known as the musician "Lady Gaga" or Erik Weisz assuming the magician name of "Harry Houdini."

Silent J words

Based on our, ahem, totally professional research, the only English word to have a silent J is ... marijuana. And interestingly, it's tough to find a language with a silent J. J just loves to be heard.

Mellow

Being mellow meant feeling relaxed, carefree, and at peace. It's the opposite of being hacked off.

Trenchant (TREN-chənt - adj.)

Being sharp, intense, and forceful Or Characterized by energy and effectiveness Origin: Middle English, 13th century

Comma Rule Number 3: Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses feature a subject and a verb, but they aren't complete sentences on their own. They tend to add a little contextual spice to an otherwise bland statement. If your sentence attaches a dependent clause to its independent counterpart, the two are joined with a comma. Example 3 (the dependent clause is bolded): When I have a bad day, I comfort myself with a slice of jellybean cake.

Perdurable (pər-DUR-ə-bl - adj.)

Enduring continuously; imperishable. Origin: Middle English, 14th century

Stretch Out With These 9 Lengthy Words

English is known to borrow heavily from other languages, meaning you can find many words that have expanded by collecting multiple roots and influences along the way. Scientific vernacular, in particular, uses multiple suffixes and prefixes to create impressively long words. For example, the word for a certain protein found in humans is so long it takes more than three hours to say and more than 57 pages to write — far more space than we have here. What we do have, however, are nine words to lengthen your vocabulary.

fairycore

Fantasy lovers might find their place in the land of fairycore. This -core aesthetic is all about the mythology of fairies and elves. It contains elements of cottagecore and goblincore, namely a celebration of nature and all things mystical and magical. Fairies have long been popular in folklore, but fairycore gained popularity following 2020. Fashion historians say the movement provided "much-needed optimism" after the tough year prior.

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare was the linguistic equivalent of "if you want it done right, do it yourself." If there wasn't an existing word for a concept in his play, he made one up. Shakespeare invented over 400 words that we still use to this day, including "obscene," "gossip," "blanket," "critic," and "gloomy."

Acuity (ə-KYOO-ə-dee - noun)

Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. Origin: Late Middle English, 16th century

Puppy

For over 500 years, "puppy" has been used to describe a small dog, although in the late 15th century, it was specifically "a woman's small dog." It likely came from the French word poupée, which means "doll" or "toy." The likely connection was that the small size of the dog resulted in it being petted and played with like a doll. In the 1590s, its direct meaning shifted from a "toy dog" to a "young dog," which is how we still use it today. Around that time, it replaced the nearly obsolete word for puppy, "whelp," which is now used as a verb for when a female dog gives birth.

Mumbai, India

For the Marathi speakers who live there, the city of Mumbai takes its name from Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the city. When India was under the control of the British Empire, the city was known as Bombay. The name Bombay is said to be an anglicized version of the earlier Portuguese name Bom Bahia, which meant "good little bay."

Charabanc

From French, meaning wagon with benches, this combination of a bus and a motor coach was used for sightseeing. This word belongs in historical fiction now.

Micturition

From the infinitive verb "micturate," this is the proper name for the action of urinating. The English form of the word comes from the Latin micturitum, and it sounds much more polite than some of the other terms used to describe this regular occurrence.

It Takes Two to Tango

If a situation involves more than one person, then the responsibility of the outcome lies with both parties.

dreamcore

In early 2020, TikTok helped fuel the obsession with dreamcore. Best described as a surrealist aesthetic, this -core movement uses dreamy designs and imagery to create the feel of a dream, daydream, or even a nightmare. This might include unique characters, floating objects, and pastel or bright colors. In some cases, dreamcore is also intended to create a sense of uneasiness in the viewer, so proceed with caution.

Finished

No matter which way you slice it, this word refers to something that's done - but in two different senses. Something could be finished, as in completed or whole, like the draft of a novel, or building a house. But it can also refer to something that's destroyed or over - like a relationship.

SMART Car

No, Smart cars weren't named for their genius capabilities. "SMART" is an acronym that stands for "Swatch Mercedes Art." It's a pretty big name for such a tiny car, but that's the name Swatch and Daimler Benz agreed on for their collaboration.

Cuppa

Playing right into the stereotype, Brits really do love tea. So much so, in fact, that "cup of tea" was eventually shortened to "cuppa." That's right, you no longer need to clarify what's in your cup, because everybody already knows it's tea. Example: I had a lovely cuppa with my biscuits.

"Immanuel isn't a pun. He Kant be!"

Playwright and poet Oscar Wilde was known for his wry wit and creative puns. He once joked about the famous philosopher and Enlightenment thinker, Immanuel Kant. In Wilde's joke, Kant's name does double duty to jab at how seriously philosophers take their work.

plutocracy

Plutocracy means "the rule or power of wealth" or "of the wealthy, particularly a government or state in which the wealthy class rules." The pluto in plutocracy comes from the Roman god of wealth, Pluto. Often known best by his Greek name, Hades, Pluto also presided over the underworld. Where does the wealth factor in? Precious metals and gems are typically found underground. The word plutocracy was recorded in the English language around 1645-1655.

Capitalize the pronoun I

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. I, you, and me are all examples of pronouns. While you and me are usually lowercase, the pronoun I should always be capitalized, regardless of where it appears in a sentence. For example, in A Beautiful Mind, Sylvia Nasar writes, "What I got back was an envelope on which my address was written in different-colored crayons." Here, the pronoun I is correctly capitalized even though it isn't at the beginning of the sentence.

Pass the Buck

Pushing responsibility onto someone or something else, is "passing the buck." The blame for this idiom lies in the game of poker. During the frontier days, a knife with a buckhorn handle was often used to indicate the dealer. If the player didn't want to deal, he could skip by "passing the buck" to the next player. The gambling phrase was adopted widely throughout World War II to refer to the way some countries avoided confronting threats. The idiom became so popular President Harry Truman had a sign made for his desk that famously read, "The buck stops here."

Which term should I use?

Remember that specifying whether or not a person has dwarfism is often completely unnecessary. See the person first—and don't assume that their size defines them. Most of the time, the first thing you should ask a person is their name. In cases when it's important to identify someone as being short in stature in the ways we've discussed here, all of the terms we've listed can be suitable. Many are often used interchangeably. Little person and little people are the most common. But no preference is universal, so be sure to respect a person's preferences.

Far Out

Remember yet another synonym for "groovy." "Your new shoes are far out!"

Oddments (AHD-mənts - noun)

Remnants or parts of something, typically left over from a larger piece or set. Origin: Germanic, 1780s

The Letter "Z" (zee vs. zed)

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G...W, X, Y, and Z." It's the song we all learned as children, and it ends in "zee" — unless you're from any country that learned the Queen's English. They all say "zed." So, did Americans get it wrong when crossing the ocean? It seems so, especially considering the British adopted the letter from the Greek zeta, which adds that extra consonant sound.

Access vs. Excess

"Access" and "excess" offer their own challenges, but they may be easier to tell apart through pronunciation and stress on different syllables. The emphasis goes on the first syllable for "access" (AKS-ess), while "excess" is stressed on the second syllable (ex-CESS). "Access" functions as both a noun (meaning an approach) and a verb (to approach or obtain). Example: I need access to the roof if I am going to access the heating ventilation. Instead of referring to an approach, "excess" describes exceeding amounts, either as a noun or an adjective. Example: He was running an excess of 10 miles per day, which his wife thought demonstrated excess energy. "A" and "e" can often be swapped around in spelling errors, but with these homophones, using the wrong word can drastically change your meaning, so it's worth remembering some of these tips.

Air

"Air" — it can be the air in the sky, an air of mystery, or an airing of grievances. For centuries, the word "air" has been related to the sky, coming from the Latin aer (sky) and Greek aēr (mist, haze, or clouds). More recently, "air" has been used to describe the general appearance or impression of something, as in, "The estate had an air of luxury." This comes from the Old French aire (reality or essence). As a verb, one can "air their complaints," or, announce them. "Air" is also related to broadcasting, as in, "The radio station aired the new hit song." "Air" also has a few homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently): "heir" (a person with an inheritance) and "ere" (before).

Ambrosial

"Ambrosial" is an adjective meaning "enjoyable to smell or taste." Whether it's a whiff of a barbecue, the delicate scent of flowers, or the salt water crashing on a beach, there are a number of ambrosial aromas wafting through the summer months.

Bunny

"Bunny" is the word most commonly used to refer to a baby rabbit (or just any rabbit, period), but it's technically incorrect. A baby rabbit is actually called a "kitten" or "kit," and a newborn hare (a mammal that resembles a large rabbit) is called a "leveret," but collectively, we tend to call them all bunnies. "Bunny" comes from the Scottish language; the use of bun in Scottish dialects can be traced back to the late 16th century, when it was used to describe a squirrel. In the late 17th century, it took on a new name, referring to rabbits OR hares.

caveat emptor

"Buyer beware" — you'll hear this one thrown around when talking about a deal that seems too good to be true.

Just

"Can you just..." Maybe this is how you start some of your requests. "Just" diminishes the importance of the request or statement. If you take away "just," you have a more powerful statement. It's more definitive, and it sounds like you value what you're saying. "Just" shows that what you have to say isn't a big deal, and this can work against you.

When to use "can"

"Can" indicates being physically or mentally capable of doing something, as in, "I can play basketball." So, the correct usage of "can" in a question is, "Can you play basketball?" However, sometime in the 19th century, "can" took on a new usage. A secondary definition of "can" is "to have permission to — used interchangeably with may."

Chocolate

"Chocolate" is the same in both English and Spanish. It comes from Mexican Spanish, derived from the much earlier Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, who made some of the earliest versions of chocolate. Their word, chocolātl, referred to chocolate mixed with water, ātl.

Connecticut

"Connecticut" stems from the Mohegan word Quinnehtukqut, meaning "beside the long tidal river." The Dutch adapted it when they arrived in 1614, and it stuck when the area became a state in 1788.

Reckon

"I reckon she's not gonna have much luck today!" "Reckon" is a true Southern staple. "I reckon" essentially functions as "I think" but with some added Southern flair. "Reckon" comes from the Old English word gerecenian, meaning to explain, recount, or arrange in order. Use of the phrase "I reckon" began in the 17th century in the South. You reckon, I reckon, we reckon, y'all reckon!

Ornery

"Dad sure gets ornery when he loses that hat!" You might think you already know this word, but Southerners have a special take on "ornery." Its basic definition is the same across the country: mean or cantankerous. The word originated from a dialectical evolution of "ordinary." The main difference in the Southern usage is pronunciation. While the rest of the country says "OR-ner-y," Southerners say "AWN-ry." Why use three syllables when two will work just fine?

Jawn

"Jawn" is used almost exclusively in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and researchers believe this word evolved from the word "joint" in the 1970s. "Jawn" can mean multiple things, depending on the context. The closest comparison to this all-purpose noun would be "thing" — "Are you going to the thing?" "Can you grab that thing?" "I need to take that thing to the garage." "Jawn" works in the same way. Need to remind someone to bring food to the cookout? "Don't forget the jawn." Or it can be used to compliment a great pair of shoes. "Those jawns are so cool!" Any Philadelphians will also understand the request to "bring that jawn to the jawn."

Kitty

"Kitty," a term that is now used as slang for any cat, originated from the word "kitten," which has been around for nearly 700 years. It is an Anglo-French variant of kitoun, from the earlier Old French chaton or chitoun, meaning "little cat." The word "kitty" itself was first recorded in 1719 as another word for a "young cat." The use of "Kitty" as a common nickname for "Catherine" started around the 16th century, and around that time, it was also used as a sort of synonym for a young girl. This means that using "kitty" to describe a young girl was actually used BEFORE "kitty" to describe a cat. Other historic definitions of "kitty" include its use as a noun for "the pool of money in a card game" (from late 19th century American English) and as another word for "jail" (from early 19th century England). Perhaps most obscurely, in the early 20th century, "to have kittens" meant "to lose one's composure."

Like

"Like" should describe similarities between two or more things, but it has become one of the most common crutch words. "Like" is peppered throughout our sentences, and most of us aren't even aware how often we use it. It's so ubiquitous it's become a replacement for "said." Reduce your reliance on this word and you'll find your sentences flowing smoothly and with more purpose.

Literally

"Literally" may be the most misused crutch word. In the literal definition, if you take something literally, you're taking it to mean exactly what the person said. Sadly, this crutch word has become so commonplace that most current usages of "literally" are assumed to mean "figuratively." Even the OED added a figurative definition to "literally."

Mississippi

"Mississippi," like "Illinois," comes from the French interpretation of a Native American word. This one is a variation of the Algonquin phrase misi sipi, meaning "big water" or "great river."

Myrmecophilous

"Myrmecophilous" comes from the word "myrmecophile," which translates from Latin to mean "ant lover." This word is mostly used in biology to describe plants and animals who have a symbiotic relationship with ants — but if you have a particular affection for the tiny, collaborative insects, you could describe your feelings as "myrmecophilia."

Plaza

"Plaza" describes a town square or open space in both English and Spanish, but the Spanish version came first, when it was commonly used in Spanish and Spanish-American cities. "Plaza" was adopted into English around 1830 and has retained its same meaning.

Pronto

"Pronto" is a good descriptor for something that has to be done without delay. It was first used in English around 1850, copied from the Spanish pronto, meaning "ready, prompt."

Qophs

"Qoph" is the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet — "qophs" is the plural version. It comes from the Hebrew word qōph.

Quaff

"Quaff" means "to take a hearty drink of something, especially alcohol," as in, "He quaffed the pint of ale." It can also be used as a noun to describe a beverage that is being enjoyed. It has been in use since the 16th century.

8 Idioms To Get Your Flirt On

"Roses are red, violets are blue" is just one of many, many swoon-worthy idioms to help you share your love. If you're ready to declare your affection for a long-time love or an unspoken crush, here are a few of the sweetest ways to say, "Pucker up buttercup."

SWAK

"SWAK" is still defined as an acronym in the dictionary, meaning "sealed with a kiss." During the war, soldiers and their sweethearts might write SWAK on the back of an envelope, perhaps even with a lipstick imprint. But as the war continued, soldiers and civilians came up with even more acronyms to express their love. Some were romantic ("OOLAAKOEW" meant "Oceans Of Love And A Kiss On Every Wave"), and some were more risqué ("CHINA" meant "Come Home, I'm Naked Already"). Consider taking some inspiration from the mid-century generation the next time you're texting your beau.

What Is a 'Schwa'?

"Schwa" is more than just a fun word to say. It's that upside-down "e" seen in the dictionary, squeezed into a string of phonetic symbols. If you're not a linguistic student, that schwa might not mean much. But the schwa is indeed a very big deal.

Noodling

"She can't noodle worth spit!" If you're not from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, chances are, you've never heard of noodling. "Noodling" is fishing, but with much more personal risk and impending anxiety. Catfish like to hide in underwater holes. A noodler will shove their arm (their noodle) down into the hole in hopes of feeling a catfish. When the catfish bites their hand, the noodler uses their fingers as a hook and yanks the fish out of the hole. If going elbow deep in a catfish hole sounds like a great time, make sure to check your state's fishing laws. Noodling is only legal in 18 states.

Sultry

"Sultry" can mean two different things: one usage is attractive and passionate. It can also be used to describe weather, particularly hot and humid. There's also a certain romantic atmosphere attached to the word. Think Savannah, Georgia, or Charleston, South Carolina, at the peak of the summer months.

Exception 2: "They"

"They," "them," and "their" refer to a group of people. But "they" can also be used when talking about a single person. You may have been taught to use "he" (or even "he or she") as a generic placeholder if the gender of the person is unknown. But with a push toward more gender-neutral language, the use of "they" as a singular pronoun has gained traction. The American Dialect Society selected "they" as its Word of the Decade for the 2010s. This isn't some new-fangled word trend, though. The singular "they" first emerged in the 14th century, and has only been criticized as an error since the 18th century. Writers including Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, and Jane Austen commonly used "they" as a singular gender-neutral pronoun.

What Is "Toxic Positivity"?

"Toxic positivity" is the practice of promoting or attempting to maintain a positive attitude regardless of what you are experiencing.

9 British Slang Words You Should Be Using

Across the pond, they have a few words that may sound a tad peculiar to American ears. It's not just tea and crumpets. The Brits have creative slang to describe everything from your mood to your friends to your drinking habits.

Perspicacious (pur-spə-kā-shuhs - adj.)

Highly perceptive, keen Or Discerning, shrewd Origin: Latin, 17th century

Groovy

Hippies also used "cool," but something especially impressive was "groovy" or "outta sight."

Angst

Although this word is often used to describe moody teenagers or strumming guitarists, angst is the German word for fear. Thanks to Sigmund Freud, it became part of the English lexicon when his works on psychology were translated in the 1940s.

Qadis

A "qadi" is a Muslim judge whose decisions are based on Islamic religious laws. "Qadis" is the plural version of the word. It comes from the Arabic word qāḍī, which has been around for centuries. These judges were an essential part of early Muslim society since at least the seventh century.

How to Pronounce "Schwa"

A "schwa" is the "ǝ" symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It is an unstressed syllable pronounced like "uh." Most of the time, this syllable comes in the middle of a word — notice how the "e" in "dozen" and the "o" in "memory" don't have an outsized presence in the pronunciation of the word. The word "schwa" comes from the Hebrew word shva. When reading Hebrew, two dots beneath a letter indicate a schwa. In English, there isn't a visual indicator other than in the IPA pronunciation in the dictionary. That upside down "ǝ" symbol indicates the pronunciation of the "uh" of "schwa."

"Karat" vs. "Carat": The Difference Between How These Measure All That Glitters

A carat is a unit of measure for the weight of gemstones, as in an eight-carat diamond or The jewel is 1 carat. In the US and other places, the word karat is typically used as a unit of measure for the purity of gold, as in 14-karat gold and 24-karat gold. In the UK and other places, the spelling carat is applied to both gems and gold.i

The Charming Origins of These City and State Mottos

A city or state motto carries a lot of weight — it is meant to represent both the history of the place and its spirit. Some of these are just a simple word, yet others are phrases or even drawn from a foreign language. The next time you're planning a trip, get inspired by some of our favorite official and unofficial city and state mottos.

appellation

A more official nickname might also be called an appellation. This word, which entered English in the early 1400s, means "a name, title, or designation." Often, an appellation indicates a more official or well-known designation than just a familiar nickname. Think: Alexander The Great or the early American leaders known as The Founding Fathers. An appellation may also include an official title, such as doctor, bishop, or duke.

Quarry

A quarry is a place where stones are removed from the earth, or it is another word for something that is being chased. The first (more common) definition comes from the Latin quadrus, meaning "squared stone" — a fitting name for a place where stones and minerals are excavated. Its lesser-used definition relates to a game or a hunt, as in, "The mouse was an easy quarry for the hawk," or "The detective finally found his quarry." The etymology of this word comes from Middle English quire (the name of the entrails given to hounds after a hunt).

What Are Homophones?

A quick refresher: A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation but a different spelling and meaning from another. The word "homophone" breaks down to "homo," meaning the same, and "phone," a spoken part of speech. English is full of homophones, but "they're," "their," and "there" as well as "you're" and "your" are some of the most commonly used. Homophones can function as different parts of speech: one word may be a noun, while another may be a verb or an adjective. What's the best way to check that you're using the right word?

Dithyramb (DITH-ə-ram - noun)

A wild choral hymn of ancient Greece, especially one dedicated to Dionysus. Or A passionate or inflated speech, poem, or other writing. Origin: Latin from Greek, early 17th century

Flower Power

Hippies were fond of using flowers as accessories at concerts, gatherings, and, of course, protests. "Flower power" described the hippie desire to make the world a better place with peaceful actions.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

According to legend, Phnom Penh was founded by a woman known as Lady Penh or Duan Penh. During her life, Lady Penh built a shrine on a hill. That shrine, referred to as Wat Phnom, is said to still be standing today. Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh takes its name both from Wat Phnom and Lady Penh.

Capitalize acronyms

Acronyms should be capitalized. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), POTUS (President of the United States), and DOB (Date Of Birth) are all capitalized. Some acronyms have been incorporated as recognizable words that should not be capitalized (laser, or "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation"); when in doubt, it's best to consult a dictionary. Of course, in informal conversations (like texting), acronyms (lol, brb, idk, etc.) aren't always capitalized. Not all rules apply to very casual writing styles.

aegyo

Aegyo (애교) can be used to describe K-pop idols (both male and female) who are acting cute and childlike. Aegyo moves require specific word choices, vocal tones, and both facial and body gestures. Aegyo (often translated as "cuteness") is usually meant to show a flirtatious side of idols and is also used by the general Korean population. Example: The judges made Felix do aegyo as a punishment for losing the game.

"Affect" vs. "Effect": Use The Correct Word Every Time

Affect is most commonly used as a verb meaning "to act on or produce a change in someone or something." Effect is most commonly used as a noun meaning "a result or consequence," as in cause and effect. But effect can also be used as a verb meaning to make happen, most commonly in the phrase effect change. And affect can also be used as a noun referring to a state of emotion, as in He had a sad affect.

Quaff (kwaf -

Part of speech: verb Origin: Unknown, 16th century 1: To drink a beverage, especially an alcoholic one 2: To drink heartily with large sips

Alaska

Alaska's name has ties both to Russian settlers who sold the land to the United States in 1867, and to the native Aleut people. Russians referred to the land as Аляска, while the Aleut referred to it as Alyeska, both of which mean "great land." This is fitting, given that the state is larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.

Zoology

All the "o's" in this one can make pronunciation confusing. You've got the word "zoo," which you know how to pronounce. But what about the "-logy"? This suffix changes the pronunciation of the word. You break up the first two "o's" into two separate syllables, but it's up to you whether to keep the "zoo" or turn it into a "zoh": "Zoo-AWL-uh-jee" and "zoh-AWL-uh-jee" are both correct.

Qorma

Also spelled "korma," this curry dish consists of meat or vegetables cooked in a creamy yogurt-based sauce. It comes from the Urdu language of Pakistan and India.

"Paradox" vs. "Oxymoron": How To Tell The (Seemingly Similar) Difference

Although both a paradox and an oxymoron involve contradictions, they have an important difference. A paradox is a rhetorical device or a self-contradictory statement that can actually be true. While an oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs two opposing words.

biaswreckers

Although fans have their fundamental biases, it doesn't mean that a bias is monogamous. Most fans with biases will have their biaswreckers, too. These wreckers are members in a group that make you question who your true bias is.

Ammunition

Ammunition, like culprit, is from French, one of the more dominant languages throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. The word "la munition," which means military weapons, was heard incorrectly by English speakers as ammunition, and the word has maintained its firing power today.

Gadzooks (gad-ZOOKS - exclamation)

An exclamation of surprise or annoyance. Origin: English, late 17th century

Simulacrum (sim-yə-LAK-rəm - noun)

An image or representation of someone or something. Or An unsatisfactory imitation or substitute Origin: Latin, late 16th century

What is dwarfism?

An important aspect of understanding dwarfism is understanding that dwarfism is a general term and doesn't refer to one specific medical condition that causes short stature. Instead, the term is used to refer to shortness of stature that can be caused by many different medical or genetic conditions. Generally, an adult is considered to have dwarfism if they have a height measured at 4 feet 10 inches or lower.

Kaffeeklatsch (KAH-feh-klach - noun)

An informal social gathering at which coffee is served. Origin: German, late 19th century

Interstice (in-tər-stəs - noun)

An intervening space, especially a very small one. Or A short period of time in between events. Origin: Latin, 15th century

Recommend

As a mirror to "accommodate," "recommend" stands out because it's missing that double consonant that seems like it could fit so well. Plus, some people shorten the word to "recco" when sharing their faves, further confusing the issue.

Sweetheart Table

As its name suggests, a sweetheart table is a small table that is exclusively for the newlyweds during the reception. This modern invention is in place of a "head table," which, traditionally, includes the new spouses and their bridal party. The word "sweetheart" has been used since the 16th century as a synonym for "loved one."

The Lasting Acronyms of the Mid-Century and World War II

As acronyms become more prevalent in the online lexicon (BRB, LOL, WTF, OMG, WFH), they've also begun to shape the way we speak and the development of colloquialisms and slang. At its most basic, an acronym is a word formed from the letters of the words it represents, generally the first letter of each word, but sometimes syllables or other parts of the word. Some acronyms have become so commonplace that they are no longer thought of as acronyms, but are more commonly used as words in and of themselves. These acronyms grew out of World War II and the mid-20th century generation.

Qubit

As another word for a quantum bit, "qubit" is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer. This relatively new term has only been in use since 1994.

Capitalize time periods

Historical eras should be capitalized. For instance, use Middle Ages, Dark Ages, and the Renaissance. You'd also capitalize prehistoric eras such as Stone Age and Bronze Age.

John McWhorter

As the most modern character on this list, John McWhorter didn't make up language as much as he influenced how we see and use it. McWhorter is a linguist and professor at Columbia University, and the author of The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language. McWhorter often talks about the meaning of language and how English has evolved and changed over the years — as well as how we adapt with it.

"Shall I" vs "Should I"

As auxiliary verbs, "shall I" is technically synonymous with "should I," but there are best practices for each. By definition, "shall" expresses what is inevitable or likely to happen in the future. It indicates certainty. "Should" expresses what is probable or expected, but it's less certain than "shall." Both "shall I?" and "should I?" can be correct, but it depends on the context of the question. For example, "Shall we dance?" has a different connotation (extending an invitation) than "Should we dance?" (questioning whether it should happen).

Altostratus clouds

Are dark blue or gray clouds that cover the whole sky in a thick sheet. If the sun or moon shines through, the light will be watery or fuzzy. When these appear, continuous snow or rain may be on the way.

Arvo (ah-vo)

If you're meeting up for a midday lunch or beer, you'll probably greet your table mate with "good arvo" (pronounced ah-vo). Add an "s" to the beginning, as in "s'arvo," and you'll be saying "this afternoon."

Use the Right Laughter Level

Are you LOLing? ROFL? What about an LMAO? Some people will use an LOL at the end of a sentence, almost like a punctuation mark to indicate lightheartedness or even sarcasm. And then there's the reliable "haha." When communicating with someone, decide how many "ha's" are appropriate. A single "ha" conveys less humor and can even come across as short and annoyed. The more "ha's," the funnier the last message actually was, and you'd do well to know how invested you want to appear to the other person. Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! — Only for your absolute best friend.

Throw Out

Are you coming or going? We may throw out an idea as a way to introduce something to a group. And if it's not well-received? That same group may throw it out and never think of it again.

Cossie/Cozzie

Pick either spelling; these two words are pronounced the same, and definitely have the same meaning. They're nicknames for a women's swimsuit.

Embarrass

Are you embarrassed by your spelling mistakes? One of the most cringeworthy experiences also happens to be one of the most painful to spell, too. Just remember that embarrassment is usually not a singular experience. There are two "r's" and two "s's" in embarrass. Double the letters and double the pain.

Ridgy-Didge

Are you lying, or are you telling the ridgy-didge? This funny-sounding word is slang for "truth."

Bound

Are you stuck in one place or springing forward? Bound can mean tied up or restrained, but it can also refer to heading to a destination, as in, "I'm homeward bound."

moniker

Any name you go by can be considered a moniker. This term simply means "a person's name, especially a nickname or alias." The origins of this word aren't exactly clear. One possibility is that it's associated with monk, as nuns and monks frequently change their names upon taking their vows. It may also be a permutation, or transformation, of the Old Irish ainm, meaning "name."

Epistemology (i-ˌpi-stə-ˈmä-lə-jē - noun)

Any study relating to human thought or knowledge Origin: Greek, mid 19th century

bloomcore

April showers bring May flowers, and that's a good thing if you're into bloomcore. Bloomcore, also known as flowercore, celebrates flowers, gardening, and nature. This might include things like picnics, fruit picking, and even garden-style fashion, like overalls. As you might imagine, bloomcore is big on visual sites, like Pinterest and Instagram.

Sock It To Me

Aretha Franklin popularized this phrase in her 1967 song "Respect." It didn't always have a family-friendly connotation, but comedians began using the phrase to mean "give it to me," and they'd often see consequences, such as getting a pie to the face.

Echt (ekt - adj.)

Authentic and typical. Origin: German, early 20th century

Liaison

Beware the silent letter. That extra "i" is just waiting to be forgotten, or if you do happen to remember it, chances are you try to insert it after the "s" and not before it.

Big Ben, the Bean, and Other Famous Landmarks' Nicknames

Big-name architectural landmarks offer bucket-list experiences. The allure of structures like the Colosseum and the Arc de Triomphe is unmistakable, but some of these world-famous monuments don't go by their real names. "The Bean," for example, has a more fanciful label, and the Statue of Liberty has a more official title. These better-known monument nicknames can be found around the world, from England and France to Egypt and China. Do you know the real names behind these famous monikers?

5 Important Exceptions to Famous Grammar Rules

Billions of people around the world speak and study the English language, yet it's notoriously tricky to master. Some words don't sound how they're spelled — like "island" and "sword." Grammar rules change over time, and pronunciation? Don't get us started on silent letters like the "h" in "honest" or the "g" in "gnome." It seems like English has just as many rules as it does exceptions to those rules. Here are five exceptions to well-known grammar rules to trip up even native English speakers.

black holes

Black holes are extremely dense celestial objects whose gravity is so intense that not even light can escape them. This means that we can't even "see" them with astronomical equipment and must detect them using the area around them. Black holes are mysterious parts of our universe where the laws of physics break down and normal scientific rules don't apply. So, what would happen if someone entered a black hole? The assumption is that a person would simply be destroyed by gravity. However, another theory among physicists is that black holes might be tunnels or wormholes that lead to other universes. If this theory is true, it is assumed that our own universe resembles a black hole in other universes as well.

"Learnt" vs. "Learned": Learn The Difference

Both learned and learnt are correct forms of the past tense and past participle of the verb learn. Of the two, learned is far more commonly used in American English. Learnt is used in British English and some other varieties.

Submarine races

Brace yourselves. When Grandpa had it made in the shade, he would drive Grandma to a secluded place so they could get cozy and "watch the submarine races."

Viscount

Bridgerton fans have a leg up here. A "viscount" is a lord, ranking above a baron and below an earl. It looks like it should be pronounced as "VISS-count." However, with this British aristocratic rank, the "s" is silent, and it should be pronounced "VIGH-count." Now you can read more of those period romance novels with the correct pronunciation.

Eructation

Burping is considered impolite, but saying you've eructed may make you feel better about belching in public. If using Latin makes you feel more refined, you can claim you suffer from ructabundus if you can't stop belching after a good meal.

8 Color Names To Take You Over the Rainbow

Can you name even 50 shades from the millions that exist? The everyday English speaker bases color descriptions on 11 categories: yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, red, orange, brown, black, gray, and white. An object falls into one color category, or it becomes an amalgamation — reddish-yellow or red-orange — of two or more color categories. These common categories are the easiest way to communicate a description, especially when you throw in adjectives like "light" and "dark" to further specify a color's shade. With a full spectrum of colors out there, it's high time we put face (color) to name. We're going beyond turquoise, indigo, teal, magenta, and the like. Here are eight colors you've definitely seen, but never had a name for.

Comma Rule Number 4: Non-Essential Descriptions

Captivating writing often includes details to bring a sentence to life. If you can remove the phrase without changing the meaning, it's considered non-essential. These descriptive words or phrases need to be shielded with commas. Example 4 (the non-essential phrase is bolded): The jellybean cake, which tasted sweet, was the perfect dessert.

Sashay

Chassé is a French ballet term, meaning to move across the floor and then to jump and bring your feet together. Then English ears heard it and wrote down sashay, which means a sassy, dance-like walk.

Deliciate

Check again, this word is NOT "delicate." "Deliciate" means to amuse or please oneself by indulging in revels. It does, however, come from the Latin word delicatus, which means delicate. With this confusing etymology, it's better that this word dropped out of use.

Chicanery

Chicanery means "the use of trickery to achieve some purpose." It is mistakenly pronounced "chi-CAN-er-ee"; however, the correct pronunciation is "shi-CANE-er-ee." It's a tricky word to describe tricks!

Fell

Children learned this verb when singing about how Jack and Jill fell down the hill, but it has a few additional meanings. "In one fell swoop" is a common idiom that has nothing to do with falling. It means "all at once," using the adjective "fell," which is synonymous with "fierce," "sinister," or "destructive." In Scotland, "fell" means "sharp," and in England, it can mean a high, barren field. All forms of this word (noun, verb, and adjective) stem from Middle English.

chimeric

Chimeric is an adjective used to describe something "imaginary, fanciful" or in the context of biology, chimeric describes an organism "having parts of different origins." The word chimeric is derived from the name of an ancient Greek monster, the chimera. Typically depicted as a having both a goat and lion head sprouting from its back and a serpent as a tail, the chimera was a terrifying and formidable opponent.

Deterge (də-tərj - verb)

Cleanse thoroughly. Origin: Latin, early 17th century

8 Comma Rules to Remember

Commas are one of the most commonly used punctuation tools, but also one of the most misused in the writer's toolbox. You may come across prose littered with stray commas, or you may encounter writers who simply omit the punctuation, creating wildly confusing sentences with no breaks in sight. You may have been taught to use a comma when the reader would naturally pause, or need to take a breath, but that's just a guideline. Of course, grammar gets more specific. There are, in fact, explicit grammar rules to govern the application of commas. But those rules can vary from style guide to style guide, creating a more confusing mess for even skilled writers. So we're here to clear up some of the most useful rules in an attempt to end the plight of the comma.

Silent I words

Compared to the other vowels, the letter I seems to love to be heard. We could only find a few words that feature a silent I, such as business, suit, and fruit.

Fulsome (FUL-səm - adj.)

Complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree. Or Of large size or quantity; generous or abundant. Origin: Middle English, unknown

Fulsome (FUL-səm - adj.)

Complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree. Origin: Middle English, unknown

Farinaceous (fer-ə-NAY-shəs - adj.)

Consisting of or containing starch. Origin: Late Latin, 1640s

contextualism

Contextualism is a legal philosophy that says the Constitution should be interpreted based on the context surrounding the time it was written. Contextualism is usually seen as the opposite of strict constructionism or what's called textualism, philosophies based on the notion that only the text of the Constitution matters when interpreting it. A supporter of contextualism looks beyond the text and considers what the authors' goals and intent were when the Constitution (or an amendment) was written. A contextualist considers what exactly a particular section of the Constitution was trying to accomplish rather than just looking at what it literally says. Supporters of contextualism are more likely to view the Constitution as a "living document," meaning that interpretations of it may change as society and technology change. For example, a contextualist's interpretation of the Second Amendment may be based on the fact that it was written at a time when the only firearms widely available were single-shot muskets (whose power has been exceeded by modern firearms like automatic weapons).

cosmology

Cosmology is a branch of science that studies the nature of the universe. Cosmology often combines astronomy and physics when describing celestial phenomena. Basically, cosmology is concerned with studying where our universe came from and how it works. In practice, this involves a lot of extremely complicated math and experiments. The term cosmology also refers to a branch of philosophy that theorizes how the universe works, what our place in it is, and whether or not there might be other universes out there somewhere.

cottagecore

Cottagecore isn't just referring to a cottage. Rather, it's a romanticization of the "aesthetic or imagery inspired by an old-fashioned, rural lifestyle, characterized by rustic décor and fashion." Also called farmcore, cottagecore often presents as an idealized version of Western agricultural life.

Habile (HA-bəl - adj.)

Deft. Origin: Latin, 15th century

Frabjous (FRAB-jəs - adj.)

Delightful; joyous. Origin: Author Lewis Carroll, 1871

English Words You Didn't Know Were German

Deutschland has given us many useful things — amazing beer, Bavarian pretzels, and even the refrigerator. Add a great deal of your daily vocabulary to that list. Even if you don't know how to say "hello" in German (Guten Tag), you're probably still using these German words.

"Disc" vs. "Disk": Get Around The Different Uses For Each One

Disc and disk can be and are used interchangeably in many contexts, though disk may be slightly more common. The D in CD and DJ (usually) stands for disc, which is the spelling also used in disc golf. The spelling disk is usually used in the context of computer storage in terms like disk drive, floppy disk, and hard disk. It's also usually used when referring to intervertebral disks—the ones in the spine.

lovecore

Do you ever wish it could be Valentine's Day all year long? Then check out the lovecore aesthetic. For this trend, think grand gestures and mushy, over-the-top displays of love. And, of course, also sprinkle in some pink and red, dashes of hearts, boxes of chocolate, and all things romance. People have had heart-eyes for this whimsical aesthetic since at least 2021.

doxing

Doxing, or doxxing, is the act of publishing someone's personal information or revealing their identity without their consent. The term comes from the word docs (short for documents). Doxing is often done in an attempt to intimidate someone by invading their privacy and causing them to fear for their safety, especially due to the threats they often receive after having been doxed. In many cases, doxing involves revealing the identity and information of people who were otherwise anonymous or using an alias. For example, a hacker might post the real name and home address of a popular streamer or influencer who is otherwise known by a fake name. Sometimes, celebrities are the target of doxing. In one prominent incident in 2013, several high-profile celebrities, including Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian, were the victims of doxing after a hacker publicly revealed their addresses, social security numbers, and financial documents online. In a more recent instance, a Twitch gaming streamer known online as XQc was doxed and then repeatedly targeted with the practice known as swatting.

Soigné (swan-YAY - adj.)

Dressed very elegantly; well groomed. Origin: French, 19th century

Dubaization

Dubaization refers to a rapid period of development of a city or area with futuristic architecture. Dubaization takes its name from the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which is known for its architectural development dating back to the 1990s.

8 Words Americans Pronounce Differently

Even among fellow English speakers, pronunciation is a curious thing. You could be watching your favorite British crime drama and have to turn on the captions just to understand it. And visitors to the U.S. may find themselves asking for people to repeat themselves. Here are eight words that Americans pronounce differently from everybody else.

6 People Who Changed the English Language Forever

Even before the internet, people created new words and invented usages for existing ones. Much of our modern language didn't exist more than a few hundred years ago. So who changed it? Who made up all these words and phrases? Let's take a look at some people who permanently altered the English language.

Every Dog Has His Day

Even the mangiest among us will have a good, triumphant day at some point. This saying could be offensive, or could be used to inspire hope.

When To Use "In To"

Even though the same letters are used, that one space makes a world of difference for the meaning. The distinction is made by the word "in" used as an adverb to modify the preceding verb. When these two words are paired together, they don't usually have any connection to each other, aside from adjacent placement. Example: Turn your essays in to the teaching assistant when you're done with the exam. Note that for that last example, if you used the incorrect "into" it would completely transform the meaning of the sentence. You're not a wizard, and can't transform your teacher into anything. To determine which configuration to use, you need to examine the intention of the words "in" and "to." If they are connected to different parts of speech in the sentence, you'll insert that space.

Use Emojis Judiciously

Everyone uses emojis these days. In a text-based form of communication with no indication of tone or intent, emojis add meaning and nuance to your text. If you don't use them, you run the risk of coming off bland or even like you don't want to talk to that person at all. Feel free to sprinkle them into your messages, but think about the context. As in, maybe don't use the kiss emoji for your boss. But if you're texting a friend, a smiley face or heart emoji will let them know your message is lighthearted and affectionate.

Avidity (ə-VID-ə-dee - noun)

Extreme eagerness or enthusiasm. Origin: Late Middle English, mid 15th century

Falu

Falu is a shade of dye often used in deep-red paint. Think of the quintessential red barn door. Historically, the pigment was originally found in the mines of Falun, Sweden, which is presumably where it got its name.

To "Flush Out" Or "Flesh Out": When Do You Use Each Phrase?

Flesh out means to add substance to something or expand it—like adding more specific details to the "bones" or "skeleton" of an idea. Flush out has a few different meanings. Most literally, it means to cause water or liquid to flow through and out of something, such as a pipe, often as a way to clean it. It can also mean to force someone or something to come out into the open.

AOC

Full Name: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez AOC are the initials of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected to the House of Representatives from New York's 14th District in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez has also used the initials to refer to herself, such as in her Twitter usernames @AOC and @RepAOC. While Ocasio-Cortez was sometimes referred to as AOC by the media during her congressional campaign, the nickname became more widely used after she became a major figure in politics following her successful campaign.

ACB

Full Name: Amy Coney Barrett ACB are the initials of Amy Coney Barrett, a Supreme Court justice who replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg following Ginsburg's death in 2020. Barrett was often referred to as ACB soon after becoming a major public figure once she was officially nominated by President Donald Trump.

JFK

Full Name: John Fitzgerald Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is commonly known today as JFK. Since at least the start of his presidency in 1961, newspapers and magazines often used the initials JFK to refer to the president. When asked what he personally preferred to be called in newspapers, the president answered "Kennedy" but said that JFK was fine too.

"Stew" vs. "Soup": Simmer On The Differences Between Them

Generally speaking, a dish is called soup when it's primarily liquid-based. Stews are thicker and chunkier. But an especially thick and chunky soup could be called a stew. Broth is a liquid that serves as a main ingredient for many soups, and can be considered a soup when eaten by itself. Bisque and chowder are different types of soup.

Kansas

Given Kansas' reputation for powerful tornados, the roots of its name aren't surprising. It takes its name from the Kansa tribe that lived in the area, with the name loosely translating to "people of the south wind."

"Has Been" vs. "Have Been": When To Use Each One

Has been and have been are both present perfect forms of the irregular verb be. Has been is the form used with a third person singular subject (including the pronouns she, he, and it—but not singular they). Have been is the form used with any other subject (including the pronouns I, we, and they). Had been is the past perfect form of be and is used regardless of the subject. All three of these phrases are combined with the present participles of other verbs to form their past perfect continuous (as in had been working) and present perfect continuous (as in has/have been working) forms.

cluttercore

Have you heard of minimalism? Cluttercore is basically the opposite. It's a design trend popularized on TikTok that celebrates not only having lots of stuff, but also putting it on display. Though it has clutter in the name, which usually means "to fill or litter with things in a disorderly manner," cluttercore typically includes unique collections and special items that show off your interests or hobbies.

heliotrope

Heliotrope may sound like a chemical compound, but it's actually a color that comes from a plant. It means "a light tint of purple; reddish lavender," as found on the flowers of several plants belonging to the genus Heliotropium. These plants turn their leaves to the sun, hence their name, which can be traced to the Greek god Helios, or "sun."

Well

Here's a bonus: "Well" is a hedge word. It's meant to soften the impact of whatever comes after it. On the other hand, "well" also decreases any value your statement might have had without the hedge. Be thoughtful when you use this one in your speech.

Wand At The Ready! These Magic Words Will Cast A Spell On You

Hocus pocus, abracadabra, alakazam! These are the words we invoke when magic is at work—even if it might just be a card trick at home. While a few of these words and phrases have wholly crossed over into entertainment magic or originated there from the start (e.g., presto change-o), some of these words are rooted in older commands that called upon higher powers to influence the material world. Whether called hexes, hymns, prayers, or simply spells, the words we invoke to communicate with a greater power to work our will all require an intangible force that can be universally described as magic. Take a look and decide for yourself if magic is real or if it's just a bunch of hocus-pocus.

Anatomical snuffbox

Hold your hand up, palm facing away, and spread your fingers. Look in between your thumb and index finger, and you'll notice a triangular depression at the base of your thumb. This deepening is called the "anatomical snuffbox." Back in the day, people would place ground smokeless tobacco (snuff) in the groove and ingest it through the nose.

Neandertal

Homo neanderthalensis was first discovered in 1856 in a little part of Germany known as the Neandertal Valley. This early species of humans died about 40,000 years ago, but their toponymic name lives on.

What's the Difference Between a Homograph, Homonym, and Homophone?

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, like there/their/they're and its/it's. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Homographs can be pronounced differently (like bass the fish and bass the instrument) or the same (like fair meaning "equitable" or "a carnival"). The word homonyms is often used to refer to all such words in general. Some words, like bark, fall into more than one category—bark on a tree and bark of a dog are both homophones (sounding the same) and homographs (being spelled the same), for example.

(Sometimes) after a colon and rarely after a semicolon

If what follows the colon is a complete sentence, some style guides do recommend capitalizing the word that follows the colon. It snowed all morning: The roads were impassable by 8 am. Capitalization after a semicolon is not required and would be grammatically incorrect. When an explanation takes the form of a second independent clause that follows a main independent clause, you can join the two clauses into a single sentence with a semicolon. Here is an example: Jenny had an idea; she would pick up a cake on her way to her friend's house. However, you would capitalize proper nouns or the pronoun I if they follow a semicolon as in Marcy got a bag of candy; I got a bag of rocks.

Worse comes to worse

If worse comes to worse, isn't that just the same thing? But if "worse comes to worst," then you can worry. Get in your bunker and prepare for the worst.

Namaste

If you've ever taken a yoga class, you've probably heard the teacher close the class with this expression. In India, however, this is an actual greeting, not just a way to wrap up a spiritually-infused workout. In Sanskrit, it literally translates to "the divine in me bows to the divine in you." Typically, one folds both their hands together before saying it, and may even bend down to touch the other person's feet. There's a lesson here, for us English speakers, and it's that we can do a lot better than "sup" - we might want to recognize the divine in one another.

Drake's-Neck

If you've spent some time watching the ducks in the park, you'll recognize this rich, bottle-green color. The name refers to a male mallard, also called a drake. The shade was first replicated as a dye in the early 18th century.

Wicked

In Boston, "wicked" is an adverb that means "very" or "really." People get wicked excited for a Red Sox game, and they get wicked pissed when the Bruins lose a game. There's not a clear explanation for how or when Bostonians started using "wicked," an adjective that means "evil," as an emphasizing adverb, but it was popularized outside of Boston through entertainment such as the movie "Good Will Hunting."

Geezer

In British Cockney slang from the 1880s, a "geezer" was a man in a mask or a disguise (emphasis on the "guise" part of the pronunciation). By the time the term crossed the pond in the 1940s, it meant "old man," which is how the word is still used in American English today. But, in contemporary British slang, "geezer" means a man of any age, but specifically, the type of guy who would be called "dude" or "bro" in the States.

Salaam

In many Islamic nations, one greets another with the expression "salaam," which literally means "peace" in Arabic. Peace is at the very core of the Islamic faith, and the greeting may be paired with certain gestures depending upon who you're greeting. For family members or those of the same gender, you might include a handshake, hug, or cheek kisses. In a more formal scenario, you might simply place your right hand on your heart, avoiding physical contact as a symbol of respect for personal boundaries.

Caramel

In the Northeast, caramel is usually pronounced with three syllables and an "air" sound on the first syllable. In the Midwest and the West, it's most often pronounced with two syllables and a "car" sound at the beginning.

Mano

In the Philippines, one greets their elders using the practice of "mano," which means "hand" in Spanish. You take one of their hands and gently press it to your forehead, as a means of showing respect.

Mate

In the U.S., "mate" is thought of in the sense of a romantic partner, but it's more casual for Brits. It can be used affectionately to mean "friend," and it's also used more informally when referring to or addressing strangers. Examples: Johnny has been my best mate since university. I take sugar in my coffee, mate.

The Bean: "Cloud Gate"

In the case of Chicago's famous "bean," this structure's legume-inspired nickname actually came first. Before British artist Sir Anish Kapoor had the chance to title his work, locals began referring to the reflective sculpture as "The Bean" because of its distinctive curvy shape. After its unveiling in Millenium Park in 2004, Kapoor named the structure "Cloud Gate" because 80 percent of its surface reflects the sky above.

High-Altitude Clouds

In the highest altitude of the sky, you have four main types of clouds: cirrocumulus, cirrus, cirrostratus, and cumulonimbus.

Comma Rule Number 2: Linking Independent Clauses

Independent clauses are fully formed ideas that could stand alone as sentences. When they are joined together with a conjunction (and, or, but, etc.), they need a comma. Example 2 (the two independent clauses are bolded): I baked a jellybean cake, and it tasted delicious. In this case, the two independent clauses could each be its own sentence. But because they are combined, and linked by the word "and," they need a comma to separate them.

Indiana: "Crossroads of America"

Indiana's state motto was adopted in 1937 by a General Assembly resolution. The motto references Indiana's positioning at the intersection of many state and national highways. Furthermore, the state is also within a day's drive for two-thirds of Americans.

"Inflation" vs. "Deflation": Understanding The Effect Of Their Differences

Inflation is a general decrease in the value of money due to increased prices and a higher money supply—it's what happens when the same things cost more and more. Deflation is a general increase in the value of money due to lower prices and a low money supply—it's often linked to higher unemployment and lower wages (since businesses aren't charging as much and therefore aren't profiting as much).

"Ingress" vs. "Egress": Do You Know The Difference?

Ingress can refer to both the act of entering or to an entryway (an entrance) itself. Egress refers to both the act of exiting or to an exit itself. In astronomy, they're used in a more specific way relating to heavenly bodies (like planets) entering into or emerging from an eclipse.

Eburnean

Instead of painting your walls ivory, off-white, eggshell, pearl, or beige, try eburnean. This yellowish-white has a Latin name that simply means "made of or relating to ivory."

kindergarten

Literally translated, this means garden for children, and it's an appropriate place for four and five-year-olds to spend their days.

Comma Rule Number 6: Introductory Elements

Introducing a sentence with an adverb (unfortunately, interestingly), or joining words and phrases (on the other hand, furthermore), requires a comma. Example 6: Unsurprisingly, jellybean cake is about to take the world by storm.

Curiosity Killed The cat

Investigating other peoples' business, or things that you have no involvement in, can have bad results. Be careful what you stick your nose into. Investigating other peoples' business, or things that you have no involvement in, can have bad results. Be careful what you stick your nose into.

"Is" Vs. "Are": What's The Difference?

Is and are are both forms of the verb be. Is is the third person singular present tense form. Are is the present tense form used with the second person singular and all plurals. The subject of a sentence determines whether is or are should be used. For example, is is used with the pronouns he, she, and it; are is used with the pronouns you and they.

10 Commonly Misspelled Words

Is there a pesky word haunting you with its tricky spelling? You know, that one you constantly stumble over whenever you're typing a text, writing a report, or crafting an email? You're not alone. Whether it's because of double consonants, silent letters, or just breaking common language patterns, there's a whole mass of words that tend to trip us up. Thanks to the patron saints of digital communications - spellcheck and autocorrect - for helping us avoid looking like total ignoramuses! Here's a refresher on ten commonly misspelled words you might need to double check.

Pig

It seems as though all the words for swine have become muddled over the centuries. Now, "pig," "swine," "hog," and sometimes, "boar," are used interchangeably, but there are differences between all of these terms. A "pig'' (from Middle English pigge) is technically the word for a young swine that isn't an adult yet (similar to "puppy" or "kitten") but instead, we usually use "piglet" or "piggy," leaving "pig" for a much broader definition. The word "piggy" (also spelled "piggie") has been used since the 18th century, to denote a "little pig." A "hog" (from Old English hogge) is technically a swine that weighs over 120 pounds, but again, "hog" is usually used for any adult swine. Further differentiating the porcine creatures, a boar (from Old English bar) is a domestic male pig, and a sow (from Old English sugu or su) is a domestic female pig. There is some modern understanding of a boar as a wild pig with tusks, but the word technically applies to all uncastrated domestic male pigs (and some other species, including badgers, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs).

More Examples of "May" vs "Can"

It's not wrong to ask your teacher, "Can I go to the bathroom?" but, according to traditional English rules, "can" is still the less formal version of "may." Depending on the situation and personal preference, "may" is still favored when asking for permission. Let's look at a few examples for context clues. "May I have some water?" vs "Can I have some water?" Both are technically correct, but at a fancy restaurant or formal event, use "may." At home, feel free to use either. "I may golf." vs "I can golf." When used in a statement, the differences between "may" and "can" are a lot more noticeable. The first sentence means that someone might golf, perhaps if the weather cooperates. The second sentence is suggesting that someone knows how to play the game.

Plastered, Trolleyed, Pissed, Battered, Gazeboed

It's often said that language reflects culture. Inuits have many words for snow, and Arabic has myriad words for sand. In Britain, they have a huge volume of words for being drunk. Add "-ed" to any number of nouns or verbs, and your mates will understand you mean drunk. Example: After fours hours in the pub, I was completely cauliflowered.

Galah

It's pronounced like the word "gala," but it has a far less elegant definition. Aussies use the term "galah" to refer to a fool or silly person, after a dim-witted bird of the same name.

Honestly

It's said that people who start a sentence with "honestly" are about to say something dishonest. While this may not always be the case, it's certainly not used to emphasize truthfulness. More often this crutch word is used to show surprise or superiority.

Independence, Missouri: "Where the Trail Starts and the Buck Stops"

Just like people and businesses might go through a rebranding, so can cities. Independence, Missouri, has rebranded itself as "A Great American Story," but a rich American history leaves an older motto in the memory of many residents. "Where the Trail Starts and the Buck Starts" is a combination of two historic legacies. The first half references the city's role as the beginning of the trail west for American pioneers, and the second is a nod to President Harry S. Truman, who was born and raised in the town. He famously had a sign on his desk that read, "The buck stops here."

Lawyer

Lawyer has a pronunciation distinction between the South and the North. In the North, it's generally pronounced "LOY-yer," whereas in the South it's pronounced "LAW-yer." Both pronunciations are valid and will get you legal help from the appropriate sources.

How To Use "Lay" vs. "Lie" Correctly Every Time

Lay means to place or put (Lay that here). The word lay is also the past tense form of the sense of lie that means to recline, as in I lay in bed yesterday. Lay down can mean to place down (Lay down your bags), but it can also be the past tense of lie down, as in I lay down for a few hours. A nonstandard but common use of lay is to mean the same thing as the present tense of lie, as in I just want to lay in bed for a few more minutes or I laid down for a few hours. It's best to avoid this use (and the confusion it can cause) in formal contexts.

First Degree

Legally and medically, this phrase is used in opposite ways. In a murder case, first degree refers to the most severe type of charge. But with a burn, first degree is the mildest form. Maybe you got a light sunburn, or you touched a hot pan.

Parentheses ()

Let's look at each of the four different types of brackets, moving from the pair you are most likely to see to the pair you will almost never see (in writing, at least). Despite being the most commonly used of the four types of brackets, parentheses are still less common than other punctuation marks in formal writing. Most writers will tend to use them sparingly but effectively. Parentheses have a lot of different uses. One particularly common use is to insert additional but unessential information, such as a writer's commentary, into a sentence. Last year, the first pitch was thrown by Santa Claus (yes, really). Bananas are good for you (and tasty, too). Some other information that might be contained within parentheses includes sources, references, abbreviations, acronyms, telephone area codes, and lifespans. Parentheses examples The owners loved dressing their dogs up in funny outfits. (The dogs were much less enthusiastic about it.) The cat population doubled over the past 10 years. (Purrcy and Kitchins, 2005) The shuttle was built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Edward I of England (1239-1307) was called "Edward Longshanks."

Changing Grammatical Rules

Let's start with the Received Pronunciation of British English, also known as Standard Southern British English. In the example below, the subject ("they") is plural. The conjugation of the verb matches it. This is most likely the grammatical structure used in the halls of Parliament or when teaching primary school. Example: They were going to the park. Linguists consider this an example of standard grammar, with uniform rules and applications. However, outside of London, different regional dialects have their own grammatical rules. In Birmingham, speakers with a "Brummie" accent are more likely to use the third-person singular of a verb with the third-person subject. Example: They was going to the park. Linguists call this non-standard grammar, but importantly, it's not incorrect — that would be prescriptive. Instead, linguists prefer using the descriptive term (and its counterpart, standard grammar) to highlight that this grammatical structure simply isn't as prestigious as the first example. Someone who learns both standard and non-standard grammar may use the former to signal their education or social status.

Viridian

Let's talk about green things, like Kermit the Frog, grass, or viridian. Viridian is the color of "a long-lasting bluish-green pigment." Its name comes from the Latin viridi or viridis, which literally means "green." Viridian entered English in the 1800s.

Flake

Light, airy, and oh-so-quick to crumble — just like your plans with a flaky friend. The rest of the world primarily uses this word when describing baking textures, but Americans have extended the meaning to anyone who is indecisive or flighty.

Picture

Like "pecan" and "crayon," "picture" has some variation that isn't bound by regional differences. People tend to drift into two groups: one pronounces the word with two distinct syllables, like "pick-chur," and the other group pronounces the word shorter and quicker, like "pitcher." Both are correct, but the slower version owes its roots to a British accent.

Crayon

Like "pecan," "crayon" has no real distinction on how to pronounce it — but there are two general camps people fall into regarding it. Some people say "cran," and others say "cray-awn."

Glutinous (GLOO-tih-nəs - adj.)

Like glue in texture; sticky Origin: Middle English, 15th century

Karma

Like juggernaut, many words in English that come from Sanskrit are connected to Hinduism and/or Buddhism. One such word you may be familiar with is karma, "action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation." Karma is popularly understood in the West as the belief that the actions you take ultimately will come back to you. The word karma comes from the Sanskrit kárman, meaning "act, deed."

Ohio

Like many other states, Ohio was named for a river. We know the river, but the name came from the Iroquois term "Ohi:yo," which means "the great river."

Altocumulus clouds

Look like gray puffballs and tend to appear in groups. If you see them on a warm humid morning, thunderstorms will be coming in soon.

Tyrian purple

Looking for "a vivid, purplish red"? Tyrian purple is your color. Tyrian purple was highly prized during the Byzantine empire, in part because of how difficult it was to obtain. The base to create this shade of purple had to be obtained from the secretions of a predatory sea snail. The term Tyrian purple has been in use in English since the late 1500s.

RADAR

Lots of technological terms are acronyms. A long string of words isn't always easy to remember, so industry jargon evolves into regular vocabulary. "RADAR" stands for "Radio Detection and Ranging" — at least this one makes a little more logical sense than TASER, right?

Lightsome (LIHYT-səm - adj.)

Merry and carefree. Or Gracefully nimble. Origin: Middle English, 14th century

Can You Name All the Cloud Types?

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere, especially as it relates to weather patterns and conditions. Among other things, it includes the classification and observation of different types of clouds. Clouds can tell us a lot about the weather, but the casual weather-report watcher probably doesn't know the various types or what they may signify. Here's a brief overview of the names of the clouds in the sky, where they're located, and just what they represent for your weather forecast.

Superannuated (soo-pər-ANN-yoo-ey-ted - adj.)

Outdated, or obsolete Or Too old to work; retired due to old age Origin: Latin, 17th century

How To Refer To Little People: The Terms To Know

Most people are familiar with the use of the term little people in reference to people who have dwarfism—people whose short stature is the result of a medical or genetic condition. But it's not the only term. In this article, we'll note the range of terms and preferences and explain some of the notable reasons behind these preferences. Content warning: The end of this article includes an explicit mention of an offensive slur. As part of our mission to educate about words and their impact on people, we believe it is important to include information about this word, especially since some people may be unaware that it is considered offensive.

Skirr (skər - verb)

Move rapidly, especially with a whirring sound. Origin: Late Middle English, mid 16th century

Howbeit (hou-BEE-it - adverb)

Nevertheless; however. Origin: Location unknown, 15th century

Penultimate (pi-nəl-tə-mət - adj.)

Next to last in a series Or The next-to-last syllable of a single word Origin: Latin, 17th century

normcore

Normcore is associated with fashion, but it's about more than clothes. It's "a subculture that embraces things that are simple, ordinary, mainstream, or that do not stand out as being trendy." The name references the word normal, as in "conforming to a standard." Coined between 2005 and 2010, normcore gained popularity after the term was used by the trend forecasting group K-Hole. It especially describes nondescript style, like neutral makeup and gender-neutral clothing.

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Nothing in life is guaranteed, so don't count on potential good things until that potential has been realized.

Squid Vs. Octopus: Can You "Sea" The Difference?

Octopuses have round bodies and eight sucker-covered limbs. Squids have a more triangular shape and 10 limbs—eight arms and two tentacles. Both range in size, but the largest squids (around 60 feet) are far larger than the biggest octopuses (around 16 feet). Squids travel continuously, and some move in schools, while octopuses are more solitary, often living in dens. They also differ in anatomy and diet.

Bible

Of course "bible" had been around for centuries before the Kardashian-Jenner troupe landed on screen, but the ladies of Keeping Up With the Kardashians started using it as a way to say "I swear." It traces back to the use of a Christian Bible in court and lets viewers know when members of reality TV's most famous family are being serious.

Brobdingnagian (brohb-ding-NAG-ee-ən - adj.)

Of gigantic size Or Of or relating to the fictional land of Brobdingnag Origin: English, early 18th century

Mephitic (mə-FIHD-ik - adj.)

Offensive smelling Origin: Latin, early 17th century

"In my many years, I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

Often misattributed to President John Adams, this humorous quote actually comes from the Broadway musical, 1776, by Peter Stone. In it, the future President throws out the line in Act 1, amid a sea of complaints about Congress.

alakazam

Often used as the finale word in the presentation of a grand stage illusion, alakazam is intoned as a powerful command. While the origins of the word are unknown, according to Magic Words: A Dictionary, alakazam may have ties to a similar-sounding Arabic phrase, Al Qasam, which means "oath." Therefore, a conjuror invoking alakazam may be calling back to a promise made by a superior being to help complete the miraculous feat they are presenting. One of the earliest printings of alakazam in an English text is the poem "Among the White Tents," first published in the Chicago Herald Tribune in 1888. While the poem uses alakazam in the context of entertainment and as an excited expression ("We're goin' to de cirkis! / Alakazam!") there is oddly no connection to magic.

Mistake 4: its or it's?

Only a single apostrophe separates the frustrating duo if its and it's. The word its is a possessive pronoun that is used like the words my, his, her, and our. The word it's is a contraction for the phrase "it is" or "it has." Despite how similar they look, its and it's have completely different meanings and usage. For example: The door fell off its (possessive) hinges. The idea is really bad but it's ("it is") the only one we have. This common mistake likely has to do with the fact that an apostrophe is used to form the possessive of nouns such as Dave's or Canada's. As weird as it looks, its is in fact a possessive despite not using an apostrophe. If you are still a little lost, our thorough guide to its and it's can provide more assistance in separating these two very similar words.

Dawg

Original American Idol judge Randy Jackson might not have invented the spelling or pronunciation of "dawg," but he gave contestants an easy letdown with the catchphrase. "It's a no for me, dawg" was Randy's way of softening the rejection and "check it out, dawg" was his way of getting the audience's attention to share some music-industry knowledge. Randy might not have known the etymological history of his catchphrase, but "dawg" has been used as slang to mean "buddy" or "dude," and also as a facetious way to spell "dog" (as in a cheating or lying boyfriend) since at least 1898.

originalism

Originalism is a legal philosophy that says that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the meaning it had when it was originally written. A person who supports originalism can be called an originalist. Originalism is not concerned with the intentions of the Constitution's authors and does not support the idea that the meaning of the Constitution changes alongside societal values or as a result of later Supreme Court decisions. Originalism is often viewed as a conservative philosophy. On the current Supreme Court, Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett have described themselves as originalists.

The "Ch"

Pair a "c" with an "h" and — most of the time, at least — you have a cushy, soft sound, as in "cheese," "chew," or "teach." The sound of the "ch" changes depending on the placement and the origin of the word. In English, when "ch" is at the beginning or end of a word, it's the soft pronunciation. Examples: church, change, chocolate, watch, spinach, smooch But if the "ch" is in the middle of the word, it's usually a hard "k" sound, as in "echo." Words of Greek origin also pronounce "ch" with a hard "k." Examples: chrome, mechanic, chemistry French-inspired words use the soft "ch" as well, no matter where the letters are located. Examples: nonchalant, charade

Pajamas

Pajamas is another term with a West/Midwest and an East distinction. In the West and Midwest, it's pronounced a short middle "a" (like jam), whereas in the East it's pronounced with a long middle "a" (like father). You say "pajama," I say "pajahma."

Et Voila! Voici Les French Loanwords

Parlez-vous français? If you answered "yes" to that question, you speak French (at least a little). If you didn't have an answer, don't worry, you actually still speak a bit of French — and we'll explain why. The English language is made up of many other languages, and some words, called "loanwords," are borrowed straight from the source. Let's take a look at some French loanwords and prove that every English speaker is a part-time French speaker, too.

Abstentious

People who use 25-cent words may be considered pretentious. But if you are described as abstentious, you might be the opposite — a person who is able to contain themselves. "Abstentious" means self-restraining, or not indulging an appetite. It tends to refer specifically to an appetite for food or drink.

Capitalize namesof people

People's names are proper nouns, and therefore should be capitalized. The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith. Take note that some non-English surnames may begin with lowercase letters, such as Vincent van Gogh or Leonardo da Vinci.

Sesquipedalianism

Perhaps the most appropriate word to round out this list is "sesquipedalianism." These 17 letters line up to mean the practice of using long, sometimes obscure words in speech or writing. Live up to your reputation and, if anyone points out your habit of using such interminable words, you can use "sesquipedalianism" to prove how much you know.

Inveigle (in-VAY-ɡəl - verb)

Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery. Or Gain entrance to (a place) by persuading (someone) with deception or flattery. Origin: French, late 15th century

nostalgiacore

Pop culture and precious childhood memories combine in nostalgiacore. This movement centers around nostalgia for TV shows, movies, music, snacks, trends, fashion, and video games, especially if they're from the '90s or '00s. Whether you're into boy bands or still just wish you had an Atari, nostalgiacore likely has a spot for you.

ragnarok

Popping up everywhere from video games to blockbuster movies, the word ragnarok [ rahg-nuh-rok ] just sounds cool. It's typically used as a synonym for the end of the world—and that's what it originally referred to. In Norse mythology, this apocalyptic moment will occur when three roosters crow and the monster hound, Garmr, breaks free of his cave. A frightening battle among gods ensues along with natural disasters. The Old Norse word Ragnarǫk that it derives from is a compound of "gods" (ragna) and "fate" (rok).

Eager Beaver

Popularized during World War II, this slang term refers to an enthusiastic, hard-working person. The idea of the "eager beaver" likely originated in the military, where cadets, according to one 1942 article, "most thoroughly apply themselves to tasks in ground school and on the drill fields."

Puissant (PWIS-ənt - adj.)

Powerful Origin: Latin, 15th century

Pony

Powny, the Scottish word to describe a very small horse, has been around since the mid-17th century. Back then, the direct definition of a powny was a horse less than 13 hands tall. It likely came from a (now obsolete) French word, poulenet, that had roughly the same meaning: "little foal." A foal, of course, is the technical term for a horse less than one-year-old, but in English (and especially among children) we commonly use the term pony instead. The modern definition of a pony is a horse of a small breed that is less than 58 inches (14 and a half hands) tall at the shoulder. The usage of "pony" as an indicator of something smaller than usual has spilled over (literally and figuratively) into barware. As "pony" can also mean "something that is smaller than standard," the pony glass comes in two styles: a quarter-pint of beer or a one-ounce shot (sometimes called a cordial glass).

"Proceed" vs. "Precede": What's The Difference?

Precede means "to come before," as in He preceded me in this role or Several steps should precede this one. Proceed means "to move forward" or "to continue an action," as in Please proceed with Plan A. The plural noun proceeds to refer to money or profits made from sales. The spelling preceed is simply a misspelling.

Knackered

Pronounced "NAK-erd," "knackered" means worn out or exhausted. You can be physically exhausted, or an item can be so worn out, it just needs to hit the bin (British slang for trash can). Examples: After that gym sesh, I'm completely knackered. Those shoes are knackered, mate. You've not got a new pair in years.

Watch Your Punctuation

Punctuation is just as big a deal as emojis. The harshest thing you can do is end your text with a period. Seriously. Periods come off as flat at best and at worst, hostile. You're better off using no punctuation at all if you want to sound neutral. (It's okay. It's not a school paper.) Punctuation quantity matters, too. A single exclamation point is fine for a coworker or a casual acquaintance. But if you're talking to your bestie, feel free use liberally. Without exclamation points in a casual, friendly text, you might as well be using a period!!

Historical Puns That Can Still Make You Laugh

Puns, silly turns of phrase, and the groan-worthy Dad joke are not modern inventions. Plenty of text-based giggles were available before the meme took over the Internet. Whether you're looking to lighten the mood, reconnect with a friend, or make a child laugh, here are a few historical favorites that are as effective now as ever.

quercitron

Quercitron might sound like a new type of robot technology, but it's actually a shade of yellow. It's named for the yellow dye produced by the bark of an oak tree that's native to eastern North America. The word is a combination of the Latin quercus, or "oak," and citron, "a grayish-green yellow color."

quetzalcoatlus

Quetzalcoatlus is a genus of pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Its remains were discovered in 1971 in Texas. As a flying dinosaur from the Americas, its name derives from the god Quetzalcóatl, or "the feathered serpent," in Nahuatl. Often depicted as exactly that (in addition to having incarnations that ranged from axolotls to dogs to corn), Quetzalcóatl was a prominent god of creation and order in the pantheon of the Mexica people. His domain included powerful and sustaining forces such as the sun, the wind, agriculture, wisdom, and writing.

rage farming

Rage farming is a slang term that refers to the practice of posting intentionally provocative political content in order to take advantage of a negative reaction that garners exposure and media attention. The term rage farming emerged in early 2022, first being used to describe a social media tactic used by conservative groups, such as the Texas Republican Party. The term was applied to the practice of purposefully posting provocative memes and other content in order to anger liberal opponents. The word farming in the term refers to its apparent goal of generating a large amount of critical and angry comments in hopes that the negative response draws media exposure and attention and attracts support—and donations—from like-minded people.

Recherché (rə-sher-SHAY - adj.)

Rare, exotic, or obscure. Origin: French, 17th century

Don't Be 'Catfished' by These Reality TV Words and Phrases

Reality television has undoubtedly influenced the way we communicate by introducing us to creative slang words via classic on-camera moments. Sometimes these terms might be real words cleverly repurposed and other times our favorite reality stars coin new words of their very own. Not always, but every-so-often, one of these slang terms surpasses their reality TV roots and becomes part of the cultural lexicon. From Tyra Banks' "smize" to MTV's Catfish series, let's look at some of the reality television terms that are here to stay.

Afghanization, Finlandization, And The Politic-ization Of Place Names

Recent news has been filled with analysis that attempts to make sense of current events by comparing them to past moments in history—and applying some of the terminology that originated in the midst or aftermath of those earlier events. Prominent examples include terms based on the combination of a place name and the ending -ization, such as Afghanization (in the context of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan) and Finlandization (in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine). Not only are such terms used in fraught political discussions, use of the words themselves is often controversial due to debates about what they mean exactly as well as how—or whether—they should be used. Add context to your reading of current events with this list of some of the -ization terms you're most likely to encounter in historical analysis, along with explanations about the different meanings they can have.

Advert (ad-VERT - verb)

Refer to in speaking or writing. Origin: Late Middle English, 12th to 14th century

Picaresque (pi-kə-ˈresk - adj.)

Related to a mischievous character Or A type of fiction concerning the adventures of roguish but likeable characters Origin: Spanish, early 19th century

Portentous (pȯr-ˈten-təs - adj.)

Relating to a serious matter; ominous Or Self-important to the point of pompousness Origin: Latin

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro translates to "January River" in English despite the fact that the city is located next to a bay and not a river. The popular story goes that when Portuguese explorers found the Guanabara Bay in the early 1500s, they mistook it for a large river and named the new settlement there after the "river."

Tutelary (TYOO-dl-er-ee - adj.)

Serving as a protector, guardian, or patron; relating to protection or a guardian. Origin: Latin, early 17th century

SONAR

Similar to "RADAR," "SONAR" refers to a different type of ranging. Instead of radio detection, this one's all about using sound to navigate — it stands for "Sound Navigation Ranging."

"You're the apple of my eye"

Similar to "only having eyes" for someone, this idiom refers to the person you hold nearest and dearest. It was first used as the anatomical description of the central aperture of your eye, but good ol' Shakespeare and the Bible infused the phrase in the early 1600s with the more romantic overtones we associate it with today. It became common parlance after Sir Walter Scott's novel Old Mortality repeated the phrase in 1816.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Similar to "the grass is always greener on the other side," the idea here is that things may appear nice from a distance, but the reality is often not what you thought it would be. While the notion has been around for a long time, its original form comes to us from the Bard himself. Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, 1596, has the line as "all that glisters is not gold."

Sinicization

Sinicization refers to the spreading of Chinese culture, religion, and politics. The term Sinicization has also been used, including by the Chinese government, to refer to China's policy of enforcing the assimilation of ethnic and religious minorities to Chinese practices. The beginning of the term is a version of Sino-, which comes from a Latin word referring to China and is used in many other terms referring to China or Chinese culture (such as Sinology).

Pad

Slang for an apartment. "Come back to my pad, and we'll put on some records." (You can translate this as the older cousin of "Netflix and chill.")

Wyoming

Some believe "Wyoming" originates in the Lenape word chwewamink, meaning "big river flat." However, the Lenape didn't live in Wyoming, so the theory is settlers borrowed that from a place name in Pennsylvania. It also could stem from the Delaware people's word mecheweami-ing, meaning "at the big plains." Either way, it articulates the vastness of that state's great outdoors.

Arizona

Some historians believe "Arizona" came from a Tohono O'odham name that sounded like Aleh-zon or Ali-Shonak, which mean "small spring" or "place of the small spring," respectively. However, there is some dispute about this, since springs don't necessarily come to mind with the dry heat and desert of Arizona. The alternative theory is that "Arizona" is a Basque word that means "good oak tree," which would have come from Spanish missionaries.

These Everyday Words Are Actually Acronyms

Sometimes an abbreviation will become so ubiquitous that it replaces the full word or phrase. Some of the words you use every day started out as acronyms before they became common vocabulary. Sometimes they evolve through common usage and other times they're copyrighted. Make sure to R.S.V.P. for this language lesson.

Hacked

Sometimes paired with "off," this term was used to describe someone who was angry. Nowadays, you'll get pretty hacked if your email gets hacked.

Natation (nā-ˈtā-shən - noun)

Swimming Or The action of floating Origin: Latin, 16th century

First Floor

Sure, people around the globe say "first floor" — but they're referring to the floor of a building above the ground floor. In the U.S., if you said you were on the first floor, you'd probably be referring to the floor where you enter a building. This difference can lead to some confused hotel guests when staying abroad.a

Arc de Triomphe: "Triumphal Arch of the Star" or Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile

The Arc de Triomphe, or "Victory Arch" in English, was commissioned by Napoleon I in 1806, and over 200 years later, it's still one of the most-beloved monuments in the City of Light. The arch is located on the Champs-Élysées, one of the most recognizable streets in Paris, and surrounded by a busy traffic circle called Place Charles de Gaulle. Historically, this traffic circle was called Place de l'Étoile — l'etoile meaning "the star" for its many intersecting points. While the shorthand name of l'Arc de Triomphe is instantaneously recognizable and brings to mind that small area of Paris, historically, the arch was known as Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.

The Baader-Meinhof effect

The Baader-Meinhof effect, also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, refers to a phenomenon in which the frequency of something seems to increase immediately after a person learns about it—such as when you learn a new word and then see it multiple times soon after. In actuality, this sensation is thought to be due to a cognitive bias in which the brain is putting more emphasis on new information. The Baader-Meinhof effect is named for the Baader-Meinhof Gang, a 1970s German terrorist group. A man named Terry Mullen coined the name in a letter to a newspaper in which he claimed he to have encountered the mention of the group in the news shortly after having discussed them, despite the group not having been newsworthy for many years. The phenomenon is also sometimes called the frequency illusion.

The Pygmalion effect

The Pygmalion effect refers to a phenomenon in which expectations have an impact on performance: positive expectations lead to better performance and negative expectations lead to worse performance. For example, students whose teacher believes they will succeed will perform better than students whose teacher expects them to fail. The explanation behind the Pygmalion effect seems simple: people often try to make the results match the expectations, which in turn significantly increases the likelihood that they do match. The Pygmalion effect is named after Pygmalion, a Greek mythical character who prayed to the gods to give life to a statue that he had sculpted and fell in love with. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, granted Pygmalion's wish.

The Rashomon effect

The Rashomon effect refers to a phenomenon in which an event is described differently, often in contradictory ways, by different people who witnessed the same thing. The explanations behind the Rashomon effect often depend on the specifics of the event in question. For example, each witness might have been in a different physical location, might be unable to accurately remember what they saw, might be trying to give answers that investigators want, or might simply be lying. The Rashomon effect is often used to explain how subjectivity and a witness's own personal psychology and experiences can affect how they describe an event they saw. The Rashomon effect is named after Rashomon, a 1950 film directed by Akira Kurosawa. In the film, four witnesses to the murder of a samurai give four different, contradictory accounts as to what happened.

The halo effect

The halo effect refers to a phenomenon in which a person's single positive trait or action influences how others see them overall. For example, physically attractive people are often assumed to be nice, smart, charismatic, and funny based purely on their appearance alone. Psychologically, the halo effect is yet another type of cognitive bias—we notice that a person has one positive quality and jump to the conclusion that they must have other ones, too. The idea of the halo effect was first researched by psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1920. In his research, Thorndike discovered that military officers were more likely to attribute positive qualities such as leadership and intelligence to subordinates that they considered to be physically fit and attractive. Thorndike referred to this bias being caused by what he called the "halo." The term has since been widely applied by psychologists.

Jerusalem, Israel

The holy city of Jerusalem, known as Yerushalayim in Hebrew and Al-Quds in Arabic, has a long history of religious prominence and conflict. The origins of the ancient city are still being researched today, but evidence says that the Egyptians knew of the city as early as the 14th century BCE. They referred to the city as Urusalim, a Semitic name that seems to translate to "city of Shalim," referring to the Canaanite god Shalim, also known as Shalem or Salim.

Delicatessen

The idea of a corner deli might feel exclusively big-city America, but this word is actually the plural form of the German word delikatesse, which means "delicious things to eat," or simply, "delicacy." Anyone who has indulged in a well-crafted, smoked meat sandwich is sure to agree.

Purser

The purser is the chief flight attendant in the cabin. They are responsible for overseeing the duties of other flight attendants, filling out paperwork, and making sure that everyone is safe and comfortable during their travels. The term comes from old seafaring days when the person in charge of the ship's money or provisions (the purse) was called the "purser."

respondent

The respondent is the person or group on the side opposing the petitioner. The respondent is also referred to as the appellee. The respondent is typically the victorious side in the previous lower court decision that is being appealed. It is possible for individuals, organizations, companies, or government agencies—or the US government itself—to be either the petitioner or the respondent.

Zip Codes

The rest of the English-speaking world uses postal codes to send their mail (also known as the post in the U.K.) via the postal system. But America's five- or nine-digit ZIP codes stand apart. The USPS strategically chose ZIP to imply snail mail was, believe it or not, fast and efficient. But it's not just a zippy marketing ploy — it's also an acronym, for Zone Improvement Plan.

Speaking in Code

The rhyming slang of the Cockney accent is commonly heard in the East End of London (try to imagine the accent of actor Michael Caine). While technically English, Cockney has its own vocabulary. Invite someone to stop by for a "Britney" (short for Britney Spears, which rhymes with beers) and share a pint. If that same friend owes you money, ask them for "bees and honey." Sometimes the rhyming words get dropped off, as in "Call me on the dog" instead of "call me on the dog and bone," which rhymes with "phone." Why the confusing word swaps? In the 1800s, it may have developed as a way to talk in code in front of the coppers.

über

The ride-sharing app borrowed this word that means above and beyond. We'll let you describe your own experience with the service.

Cabotage (KAB-ə-tazh - noun)

The right to operate sea, air, or other transport services within a particular territory. Origin: French, mid-19th century

Mistake 5: their, there, and they're? (And what about your or you're?)

Their, there, and they're are a trio of homophones that frequently get mistaken for one another. However, they all have different, unique meanings. Let's look at each one. Their is the possessive form of they, and it can be used in place of either the singular or plural they to express ownership or possession. For example: The scientists put on their lab coats. They're is a contraction of they are and fills in for it to shorten sentences. For example: Becky and Jayden were supposed to be here already, but they're ("they are") late. There is a word that usually means "that place" as in Tokyo looks so exciting; I wish I could go there. It has a few other meanings, but it isn't a synonym of either their or they're. Your and you're are another pair of homophones that commonly get mixed up. Like their, your is the possessive form of the singular and plural you. Like they're, you're is a contraction that stands for "you are." Here are examples of how we use these two similar words: I like your jacket. (possession) You're ("you are") smarter than you think.

Restaurant

This word comes from the Old French restorer, meaning "restore or refresh." In the 1760s a Frenchman named Boulanger became famous for opening a shop near the Louvre and selling restaurants or bouillons restaurant, meat-based broth soups intended to "restore" a person's strength. In perhaps the best restaurant marketing tactic, it has been in use in English since 1821 after it was borrowed from the modern French restaurant," which meant, in general, "food that restores." By the 1870s, "restaurant cars" were popular on passenger trains, and by 1925, ristorante was seen in Italian, as well. The restorative word is now found in the culinary lexicon across the world.

Aviation

This word for the operating or flying of an aircraft was coined by the French aviation pioneer Guillaume Joseph Gabriel de La Landelle in his 1863 book Aviation ou Navigation aérienne. He used the Latin stem avis, meaning "bird," to describe the act of manmade flight.

Aunt

This word has a South versus North distinction. In the Northeast, the word is pronounced with a long "ahh" sound, while the South makes the word sound like the insect, "ant."

Pecan

This word has no regional distinction. It's all over the place, and everyone thinks their pronunciation is correct. Roughly 45 percent of Southerners and 70 percent Northerners say "PEE-can," while the inverse say "peh-CAHN." Either way, pecan pies are delicious.

Inspirit (in-spir-it - verb (used with object))

To infuse spirit or life into; enliven.

Elide (əl-eyed - verb)

To omit or strike out something Or In speech or writing, to cut off a vowel or a syllable, usually the final one

Hooroo

To round things off, let's say goodbye, Aussie-style, with this quirky expression.

Tootle (ˈtü-tᵊ - verb)

To toot gently, repeatedly, or continuously on an instrument Origin: English, early 19th century

Auxiliary verbs

To understand the "may" versus "can" debate, a look at auxiliary verbs is necessary. Auxiliary verbs, sometimes called helping verbs, are used alongside another verb to show the verb's tense or to form a question. In addition to "may" and "can," other words that function as auxiliary verbs include "have," "be," "do," "shall," "will," and "must." Consider the question "Shall we eat?" — "shall" is the auxiliary verb and "eat" is the main verb. "Shall" can be replaced with other auxiliary verbs, such as "should," "can," "may," and "must." The question still makes sense but would have a different meaning or level of formality.

Deracinate (dē-rasə-nāt - verb)

To uproot Or To take something out of its native environment Origin: French, 16th century

Vintage Slang We Want to Bring Back

Today's teens might think they invented slang with their hashtags and their TikToks. But Grandma and Grandpa were full of code words and made-up sayings, too. Try out some of this vintage vernacular and bring back some old-school cool.

Drunk-Tank Pink

Turns out, this particular shade of pink has been proven to reduce hostile, violent, and aggressive behavior, making it the perfect shade to paint holding cells. The official name of this color is Baker-Miller Pink, after the directors at the Naval Correctional Facility where research concerning this color was done.

When Should You Use "Among" vs. "Amongst"?

Two words, with two letters' difference: "among" and "amongst." But is there really a difference between them in meaning and usage? The short answer is, no. Both "among" and "amongst" are prepositions used to describe something in the midst of, in the company of, surrounded by, or in association with. For example, "I know that contract is somewhere among this mess." Or "Mary had one suitor in mind amongst the many clamoring for her attention."

Silent X words

Unless we made an embarrassing mistake, we are pretty sure the letter X is silent in the words faux and faux pas. As it is in other French-derived words, such as roux and doux and some plurals, like choux and reseaux (the plurals of chou and reseau, respectively).

Nike

Typically depicted with wings, Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. Her influence was not limited to athletics, and she could oversee any field from art to music to war. Nike is said to have earned this title as one of the first deities to offer her allegiance to Zeus during the Titanomachy, the great battle between the Titans and gods for Mount Olympus. Of course, with a winning streak like that, it's no wonder a popular sports apparel company would name itself after her.

Smize

Tyra Banks explained to would-be models on her hit reality show, America's Next Top Model, how to "smize," that is, smile with their eyes, during 2009's Season 13. The supermodel taught her trademark pose to her contestants who then competed in a challenge to see who could perform the best smize. "Smize" is a portmanteau, a word that is a combination of two words (such as smoke and fog to create "smog").

Silent U words

U must get nervous around G's because it can't seem to say anything when it comes after them in words like guard, guide, guilt, guitar, guess, disguise, guest, guilt, guise, baguette, dialogue, monologue, league, colleague, rogue, vague, and tongue. You can also find a silent U in words like build, biscuit, circuit, and laugh.

Logorrhea (lȯ-gə-ˈrē-ə - noun)

Uncontrollable talkativeness Or A tendency toward overly complex wordiness in speech or writing Origin: Greek, early 20th century

Logorrhea (lȯ-gə-ˈrē-ə - noun)

Uncontrollable talkativeness Origin: Greek, early 20th century

Inimitable (in-im-ə-tə-bəl - adj.)

Unique and beyond imitation Or Impossible to duplicate or copy Origin: Latin, 15th century

Vietnamization

Vietnamization is the name given to a strategy employed by the Nixon administration as an attempt to end US involvement in the highly unpopular Vietnam War. The strategy intended for the US to transfer all military responsibility to South Vietnamese forces and prepare South Vietnam to fight North Vietnam. The process called Afghanization is sometimes likened to Vietnamization due to similarities in the failures and other aspects of the respective conflicts.

Silent H words

We have already listed quite a few words with silent Hs but there are plenty more to find. The letter H is sometimes silent when placed at the beginning of words such as hour, heir, honor, herb, homage, and honest. The letter H is silent in many words where it follows the letter C, such as anchor, archive, chaos, character, Christmas, charisma, chemical, choreography, chorus, choir, and echo. The letter H is also silent in words where it follows the letter W, as in when, where, which, why, whine, whistle, and white. Finally, the letter H doesn't seem to be doing much at all in the words ghost and rhyme.

Doxing, Sealioning, and Rage Farming: The Language of Online Harassment and Disinformation

We know all too well that the internet isn't all fun memes and hamster videos. The darker side of online life is home to trolls, spammers, and many varieties of toxic behavior, spanning from tactics intended to harass one person to nefarious attempts to spread harmful disinformation as widely as possible. For many of the practices that play out exclusively online, specialized terms have emerged, allowing us to name and shine a light on some of these actions—and their real-life consequences.

Silent V words

We looked as hard as we could for words with a silent V, but we sadly came up empty. Some sources claim that V is the only letter in English that is never silent, and we couldn't find any examples to prove that claim wrong. Poetic contractions like e'er and ne'er do cut it right out, though.

Masticate

We masticate our food for sustenance, but there's a simpler verb to describe this action: "chew." The word "masticate" was introduced to the English language in the 1500s and comes from the Greek verb mastikhan, meaning "gnash the teeth."

Guarantee

We pronounce this word as "GEH-ruhn-tee," so it's no wonder our brains want to kick off the spelling with "gar" or "gare" instead of the correct "guar." We're just saying - if "guacamole" has a "guah" sound at the start, why don't we say this as "GUAH-ruhn-tee" to make it easier to spell?

Understanding Time and Date Abbreviations: From B.C.E. to UTC

We see them all the time at museums, in history books, and on the clock: A.D., BCE, UTC, and EST — but what do they all mean? These abbreviations denote dates and times, and in some cases, may describe the exact same thing (A.D. and CE, for example). This might sound confusing, but once you learn their origins and what they stand for, they're a lot easier to remember.

Crayon (cran vs. cray-on )

What is that thing children color with that comes in a box of 8, 16, 24, or 96? It's called a "cran" — unless you aren't an American, and then it's a "cray-on." This one also has nuance across the U.S., with some regions following the rest of the world in their dual-syllable pronunciation.

hurricane

When a windstorm whips up torrential rains, it can definitely seem like a god's fury has been called down. This might explain why hurricane is derived from a Taíno storm god, Hurakán. The Taíno were an Indigenous tribe of the Caribbean, so it certainly makes sense that their deities would hold the name now associated with major tropical storms. Working its way from Spanish into English, hurricane was likely first recorded in English around the mid-1500s.

Made in the shade

When Grandpa had a great job, a cool car, and Grandma to take out on Saturday nights, he had it made in the shade. "Ethel, your cute boyfriend looks like he's got it made in the shade."

"Prognosis" vs. "Diagnosis": What's The Difference?

When a doctor tells you what specific disease or condition is affecting you, that's a diagnosis. When they tell you how that disease or condition is going to affect you—how long you'll be sick or whether you're likely to fully recover—that's a prognosis. In general usage, diagnosis refers to an assessment of what the problem is with something, while prognosis can refer to any prediction.

Mistake 8: pronoun antecedents

When we use pronouns, they must agree in number with their antecedents. The antecedent is the noun that a pronoun is filling in for. It is a mistake to use a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent and a singular pronoun with a plural antecedent. For example: ❌ Mistake: The bees hid in its hive. ✅ Fixed: The bees hid in their hive. Additionally, we wouldn't use its to refer to a person, nor would we use personal pronouns to refer to non-living things. ❌ Mistake: The zoo that Amanda owns is having her grand opening tomorrow. ✅ Fixed: The zoo that Amanda owns is having its grand opening tomorrow. At the same time, it should be clear in a sentence what a pronoun's antecedent actually is. Avoid making the mistake of having missing or unclear antecedents. Missing antecedent: I looked everywhere but couldn't find her. (Who is her?) Unclear antecedent: The toaster was next to the sink when it broke. (What broke? Does "it" refer to the toaster or the sink?)

Doona

When you cuddle up under the covers at night, you'll be pulling up your doona — or what North Americans know as a duvet or comforter.

Beat feet

When you have to get somewhere fast, you beat your feet against the pavement. "We're running late! Let's beat feet out of here."

Esky

When you're heading to the beach, you need to be equipped with an esky, or what we'd call a cooler, ideal for loading up drinks and frosty treats.

California

While many of us might view the Golden State as the land of sunshine, mild winters, and plenty, this idyllic image of California is first glimpsed in Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo's novel Las Sergas de Esplandián ("The Adventures of Esplandián") from the 1500s. At a time when Spanish invasion and exploration of the Americas was at its peak, Las Sergas de Esplandián describes a fictional island ruled by Queen Calafia of the Indies, hence the name "California." It's possible Rodríguez de Montalvo derived California from the Arabic khalif or khalifa (a spiritual leader of Islam), or the term Califerne from the 11th-century epic French poem The Song of Roland. When the Spanish first encountered the Baja California peninsula, it was initially believed to be an island and so was dubbed for the fictional island in Rodríguez de Montalvo's novel. Eventually, this name would apply to the region that we now know as California in the US and Baja California in Mexico today.

mojo

While mojo can apply to the magic influence of a charm or amulet (usually positive), the term can also refer to the influence or charm an individual can have on the people around them. A popular Muddy Waters song, "Got My Mojo Workin'," alludes to the degree to which the singer is able to charm the women he encounters. Mojo is less of a spell and more specifically an aura of power. An Americanism first recorded between 1925-30, it is believed to draw from the West African Gullah word moco, which means, "witchcraft." It is probably connected to Fulani moco'o, or "medicine man."

string theory

Without getting too confusing, string theory is a theory in physics that suggests that subatomic particles in quantum mechanics are string-like objects rather than points. String theory also supposes that space-time actually consists of more than three spatial dimensions. The theory states that these dimensions are simply so small that we are unable to detect them. If string theory is true, these extra dimensions would make the multiverse scientifically possible. In one interpretation of string theory, for example, it is theorized that our universe exists on a membrane, called a brane. Our world exists on a three-dimensional brane alongside other branes which may have more dimensions and thus different laws of physics. If we could somehow reach those other branes, we may discover entirely new worlds and universes.

Capitalize familial relationships

Words that indicate family relationships should also be capitalized when used as titles in front of a person's name. However, if you're just talking about relationships with no names involved, the titles shouldn't be capitalized. For example, you'd capitalize Uncle Ben and Grandpa Ed will be at the picnic, but you wouldn't capitalize them in a sentence like My uncle and my grandpa will be at the picnic. Similar to the rules for professional titles, you should capitalize the names of family titles when they're used in place of proper names. For instance, in Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë writes, "She is at the lodge, Aunt."

10 Contronyms You Use Every Day

"Bark" — is it a dog's bark or the bark of a tree? Are you using a pen to write a letter or do you keep your animals in a pen? These words with multiple meanings for the same spelling and pronunciation are called "homonyms," but there's a special class called "contronyms." A contronym is a word with multiple meanings that are the direct opposite. Take a look below and learn how often these contrary words pop up in your vocabulary.

Subdermatoglyphic

"Dermatoglyphics" is "the study of skin markings or patterns on fingers, hands, and feet, and its application, especially in criminology." Add the prefix "sub" and you're talking about the composition of the underlying matrix that maintains your fingerprints. Fun fact: "Subdermatoglyphic" is the longest isogram, a word without any repeated letters, in the English language.

Bowed Up

"Don't get all bowed up. It's just a hat!" If you've ever witnessed the preamble to a bar fight, you've seen people get bowed up. "To bow up" means to be overtaken with impatience, or puff up like an animal about to fight. Imagine the way a snake looks right before it's about to strike. That same kind of energy can flow through the best of us in times of distress.

Drupe

"Drupe" is what a botanist would call a stone fruit. It's a fleshy fruit with a thin skin and a pit, like a peach or an apricot. Such fruits usually are ripe and ready to eat in the summer. A juicy plum or a bowl full of cherries is welcome on a scorching day.

Estivate (the hot weather version of hibernation)

"Estivate" is the act of spending a hot period in a dormant state — the hot weather version of hibernation. You may not be an amphibian, but you can still use the verb to describe days spent lounging on the beach or even in your backyard. In summer, we all want to estivate and soak in the sun.

F Words: When to Use Further vs. Farther

"Further" and "farther" both technically refer to the same thing — distance. "Farther" is used to describe tangible distance. In other words, distance when it comes to a physical area. You use it when you're giving directions ("go three blocks farther"), or when you're asking how much farther you have to go before you get to your destination. Kids in the backseat can correctly ask, "How much farther?" "Further" is meant for figurative distance, or distance without an exact measure. For example, you can tell your hiking buddy that it's just a little bit further, or you can discontinue your subscription until further notice. The journey to the satisfaction achieved at the top of a mountain, for example, isn't something you can figure out with a ruler. Here's a trick to help you remember when to use "further" or "farther." If the distance is literAl, you use the word with an "a" — "farther." If you're talking about a figUrative distance, it's "further."

Gallery

"Gallery" was borrowed from the Old French term galerie in the mid-15th century when its meaning changed slightly. In French, a "galerie" was a long portico (a covered porch leading to the entrance of a building). Its modern use, as a home for fine art, was first recorded in the 1590s.

Hammock

"Hammock" has been used in English to describe hanging beds since the mid-1600s. It came from the Caribbean Spanish word hamaca. It is believed that the Caribbean Spanish word came from the word for "fish nets" in the Arawakan language of the West Indies.

When To Use "Into"

"Into" (as a single word) is a preposition that expresses the relation between things. Within this part of speech usage it can still have different meanings. 1) "Into" can be used to indicate movement of something toward something else. Example: I walked into the table because the lights were off. 2) "Into" can also mean "in the direction of." Example: Don't look into the laser directly. 3) "Into" can reference a point within time or space. Example: How far into October are we? 4) "Into" can indicate a general interest. Example: He's getting into collecting Marvel action figures.

When to use "lay" vs. "lie"

"Lay" is a transitive verb. Transitive means that you have an object that is being acted upon. So "lay" means to set down or place something — an object — in a horizontal position. Here's an example in the present tense: "I lay the book on the nightstand." In this instance, the book is the object that is having something done to it. "Lie" is an intransitive verb, meaning the object doesn't need something else to put it down. Instead, the person or subject is doing the action. "Lie" means to stay at rest in a horizontal position, or to recline. An example of "lie" in present tense would be, "I feel the wind as I lie in my backyard on the grass." In this example, the person is performing the action rather than having the action done to them. So, in the present tense, the simplest way to determine which word to use is by looking at what is actually being reclined. If the reclining object is inanimate and/or requires someone to put it down, use "lay." If the object is self-sufficient, such as a person, use "lie." Quick memory tip: Only a person can lie on a bed and tell a lie.

Over yonder

"Ma, where is my favorite hat?" "I think I saw it over yonder." Where is yonder? Who knows! "Yonder" is somewhere far away, or fairly nearby, but not too close. "Yonder" could be the guest bedroom, or the next town over. "Yonder" basically means it's "not in this immediate vicinity, but it's around somewhere." "Yonder" came from the Dutch term ginder, meaning "over there."

"May I " vs "Might I"

"Might" is generally interchangeable with "may" when used in a question, but "might" is considered more polite. For example, "Might I ask who is calling?" is more polite than, "May I ask who is calling?" Both, however, are correct. In general, swapping auxiliary verbs won't make a question incorrect, but it might change its level of formality or its connotation. When in doubt, insert a phrase like "pardon me" or "excuse me" to assure your audience that your intentions are formal or polite.

Thalassophile

"Thalassophile" is the word for someone who loves the sea. A true thalassophile might walk the beach during all seasons, but in the summer, they can't stay away.

Far out

"That Bob Dylan concert was far out, man." It had nothing to do with distance. Even if Dylan played a set in the backyard, it was still far out, fantastic, first-class.

Great/Fine/OK (used when trying to avoid casting an opinion)

"That's great." "OK." "Sure, that's fine." These middling adjectives are used when there's nothing to say, or maybe when the speaker is trying to avoid casting an opinion. Instead of falling back on a wishy-washy statement, take a minute to decide what you really want. Unless it's where to eat dinner — that's tough for everyone.

Bow

"The sailors bowed to the Queen standing near the bow of the ship." Stemming from Old English, "bow" has been used for centuries as a nautical term for the forward part of a ship. Its other use, a sign of respect (or simply bending over), "bow" comes from Old High German biogan, meaning, "to bend." Figuratively, someone can also "bow out" of a competition, meaning, ending their participation. "Bow" also has a few homographs: "bow" (and arrow) and "bow" (tie).

What Is A "Trigger Law"?

"Trigger law" refers to a law that is written to go into effect immediately when a specific event or condition occurs. The term trigger law is typically used to refer to US state laws. In particular, it has been most commonly used to refer a number of state laws specifically written to prohibit or significantly limit abortion in the event of the overturning of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which established abortion as a Constitutional right in 1973. In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade, causing trigger laws related to abortion restrictions to go into effect in a number of states.

Utah

"Utah" likely owes its roots to the Apache word yuttahih, which means "high places" or "people who live in high places." This stuck with the settlers, who used it to describe the Indigenous people they encountered in the mountains.

Verdant

"Verdant" feels like a heavy summer word, and it matches the atmosphere of being in a garden in the heat of July. "Verdant" comes from the old French word for green, verd. It represents the lush green of outside vegetation, like a summer field or a blooming garden.

Bless Your Heart

"What did you say? Oh, bless your heart." If you're in the South and you hear a lady exclaim, "Bless your heart!" — watch out! This is the Southern politeness version of "What the heck are you thinking?" and there's a dash of salt hidden under that sweetness.

Wisconsin

"Wisconsin" comes from the Miami word meskonsing, which is what the local tribe called the river that runs through the state. Historians believe the word translates closely to "the stream meanders through something red," with the "something red" being Wisconsin's sandstone bluffs.

With Regards vs With Regard

"With regard" is a more formal usage that mostly pops up in business writing, so keep in mind that you probably only need to use that "s" when you're writing a get well card.

Yinz

"Y'all" has long been the primary way to refer to a group of people in the South, but "yinz" is the Pennsylvania alternative. Try out this non-gendered word and say "Hey, yinz!" or "Are yinz coming over after the game?"

Sapient (SAY-pee-ənt - adj.)

(Formal) wise, or attempting to appear wise. (Chiefly in science fiction) intelligent. Or Relating to the human species (Homo sapiens). Origin: Middle English, late 15th century

Blithesome (BLITH-səm - adj.)

(of a person) having a cheerful disposition. Or Filled with, marked by, or causing pleasure. Origin: Old English, 17th century

Wilder (WIL-dər - verb)

(with object) to cause to be lost Origin: Unknown, early 17th century

Qanat

A "qanat" is an underground tunnel used to move water (as in an aqueduct), especially for irrigation. The word is more commonly used in the Middle East, and it comes from the Persian word with the same meaning, qanāt.

Yoga

A Hindu practice that has gone mainstream around the world is yoga. Yoga is literally "a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle." Practically speaking, it is a series of postures that people do for exercise and spiritual wellness. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word for "union," a reference to the way the practice unites the mind and the body.

Peat (peet - noun)

A brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and often cut out and dried for use as fuel and in gardening. Origin: Middle English, 14th century

Commas

A comma is used in English to indicate a short pause or to separate items on a list. Several other languages also use commas, but they have a slightly different look. In Arabic, words are written from right to left instead of left to right, so the comma faces the opposite direction (،) that it does in English. Japanese commas don't curve (、), and the straight-line punctuation mark is used extremely liberally in Japanese writing. Instead of following specific grammar rules for usage, the Japanese comma can be inserted anywhere the writer wants a break or a pause. The Japanese language also uses full-width spacing (giving that extra room around the comma), as opposed to half-width spacing in English.

Volplane (VAHL-playn - noun)

A controlled dive or downward flight at a steep angle, especially by an airplane with the engine shut off. Origin: French, early 20th century

"Few" vs. "Couple" vs. "Several": How Much Do They Really Mean?

A couple most strictly means two, but it's often used casually to mean much the same thing as a few, which commonly means around two, three, or four—it can be relative to the situation and the size of the numbers under discussion. For example, you might say only a few people came when it was 12 but 50 were invited. Several most commonly means more than two, but fewer than many. Depending on the context, the meanings of couple, few, and several, can overlap.

Corsair (cor-SAYR - noun)

A fast ship used for piracy Or A pirate, usually from the Barbary Coast Origin: Middle French, 16th century

Champagne

A favorite at black-tie affairs parties and brunch, champagne is a white sparkling wine that can only come from the Champagne region (a former province in the northeast of the country) of France. Originally, the term was used to describe ANY wine made in the region, but by the late 18th century, it was reserved for only the sparkling varietals. The French word champagne literally translates to "open country."

Carpe Diem

A longtime favorite for tattoos and painted mottos, this short and sweet phrase is considered analogous to "seize the day." More broadly, it comes from an ancient Latin poem — "pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one." It's a nice sentiment, but decidedly less succinct for body art.

Nimbus (NIM-bəs - noun)

A luminous cloud or a halo surrounding a supernatural being or a saint. Origin: Latin, early 17th century

UTC and GMT

A map of the world's time zones will include ranges of numbers (from one through 14), plus or minus a certain number of hours from the UTC 0 zone. "UTC" stands for Coordinated Universal Time. This standard zone for regulating clocks is located on the prime meridian, which is the zero-degree longitudinal line. Iceland, England, Spain, Liberia, and Ghana are located within this zone. Moving to the east, each time zone goes up +1 from UTC, and moving west, each zone goes down -1 from UTC. For example, New York City is within the UTC -4 time zone (and also the EST zone, but we'll get to that later). UTC goes by a few other names, including the obsolete "Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT) and "Zulu Time" in the American military. It was called Greenwich Mean Time from 1884 to 1972 (when UTC took its place) because of the location of the Royal Observatory Greenwich in England, from which modern time was standardized. The word "mean" came about because GMT was the average of the time when the sun crossed the prime meridian at the observatory in Greenwich. "Zulu Time" (still in use in the military) is based on this system — GMT was "zero meridian," and the letter "z" in the military is "Zulu."

BCE and CE

A modern answer for B.C./A.D. is BCE/CE, which counts years in essentially the same way. These secular abbreviations stand for "Before Common Era" and "Common Era," but are tied to the same periods of the Christian dating method. The BCE/CE system has been around since the 18th century, used by various English scholars and writers. In the 17th century, before the new system caught on, "Vulgar Era" was used instead of "Common Era." From Latin, "vulgar" meant "common," not "crude." However, "Vulgar Era" didn't stick, and "BCE" and "CE" became increasingly popular. So, which set of abbreviations is the correct set to use? There is no right answer, but certain style guides will dictate which version to use. The BCE/CE system has become more popular in the last few decades as a way to be more inclusive in secular writing, but B.C./A.D. is still widely accepted.

Square

A nerd or someone who is too normal. "Frank, I hope you didn't invite your brother to come with us. He's such a square."

What Do You Like To Be Called? 11 Words For Types Of Nicknames

A nickname by any other name would smell just as sweet. Okay, so maybe that's not how the saying goes, but we happen to think it's true anyway. Nicknames are names that are substituted for the proper name of a person or place, like calling LeBron James "King James." Nicknames are created for many different reasons. Sometimes they evolve naturally out of close association with someone. Other times, they may take hold based on qualities or features someone is well known for. There are a lot of different types of nicknames, as well as words we can use to describe them. From pet name to internet handle, here are 11 other words to use to talk about nicknames and the unique history of each one.

"Supine" vs. Prone": Laying Out The Differences Between Them

A person in a supine position is lying flat on their back (face up); a person in a prone position is lying flat on their front (face down). These terms are used in medical and anatomical contexts to be precise about body position. Outside of these contexts, they have other meanings, including more general and figurative ones.

Aptronym (AP-trə-nim - noun)

A person's name that is regarded as amusingly appropriate to their occupation. Origin: 1920s

pet name

A pet name is a nickname that might exist within a family or close relationship. It means "a name or a term of address used to express affection for a person, thing, etc." The term has been around for more than 100 years, first appearing in English between 1910 and 1915. Because pet names are typically affectionate, they're nicknames you might hear a parent using for a child or siblings using to identify one another. A pet name probably isn't something you'd hear in less familiar settings.

phoebe

A phoebe is a type of small bird whose unique call ("fee-bee") is often sounded with what sounds like a hint of annoyance, like someone scolding a person named Phoebe. Also a flycatcher, it's known for its habit of twitching its tail when perching. These birds can be found as far north as Alaska.

"Quid" vs. "Pound": What's The Difference?

A pound is a denomination of UK currency roughly equivalent to the US dollar. Quid is British slang for pound. It's used in much the same way as buck is used as a slang term for dollar—except that quid is also used for the plural, as in a few quid.

Capitalize proper nouns

A proper noun is the special noun or name used for a specific person, place, company, or other thing. Proper nouns should always be capitalized.

Phosphene (FAHS-feen - noun)

A ring or spot of light produced by pressure on the eyeball or direct stimulation of the visual system other than by light. Origin: Greek, late 19th century

Boulevardier (boo-lə-vahr-DYAY - noun)

A wealthy, fashionable socialite.

Ganache (guh-nahsh - noun)

A whipped frosting or filling made with semisweet chocolate and cream, used for cakes, pastries, and candies.

writ of certiorari

A writ of certiorari, often shortened to just certiorari, is a demand from a higher court to a lower court to transfer the records of a case from the lower court to the higher court for review. Typically, the Supreme Court only uses the certiorari process to determine which cases it will decide to hear. A person seeking the Court's review must first petition the Court for a writ of certiorari. In order for the Supreme Court to take a case, four of the Supreme Court justices must agree to review the case. If four justices agree, the Supreme Court will accept the petition and submit a writ of certiorari to a lower court. Because the Supreme Court is the highest federal appellate (appeals) court, it will typically submit a writ of certiorari to a federal circuit appellate court or the highest appellate court in a state. Whether or not a petition is accepted is entirely up to the Court's discretion and the Court is not legally required to state why it has accepted or rejected a petition.

Airport Lingo to Help You Soar the Skies Like A Pro

Airport jargon can sound like a different language. From following the flight attendant's instructions to listening to the pilot's announcements, the common traveler isn't going to know every term in the aviation handbook. If you're wondering about a cross-check before takeoff, or where the apron is, we've rounded up some popular air travel terms to further explain their meanings, ensuring that your next trip to the airport is smooth sailing.

Offensive terms

Although preferences vary around the terms that have been discussed thus far, there are some terms that should never be used. Notably, one term considered extremely offensive is the disparaging word midget. Like other slurs, its explicit mention is often avoided in discussions about the term by instead using the phrase the M word. (We feel it is important to explicitly state it here so as to leave no confusion about which word we're referring to.) Though the term once came to be used by some as a way to distinguish various forms of dwarfism, members of the community and advocacy organizations now note that its history is rooted in demeaning usage—and that it should be avoided altogether. That push for avoidance and elimination of use also extends to contexts in which the term has traditionally been applied not to people but to things in reference to their small size (such as certain types of racing cars, as one example).

angelcore

Angelcore is inspired by angels, "one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God." The aesthetic includes not only imagery of angels, but also tulle and lace, florals, clouds, gold, and a light or pastel color palette. The aesthetic borrows from the European Renaissance era and from many kinds of religious imagery.

Angle brackets <>

Angle brackets have no formal use in writing, at least in English. In other languages, double sets of angle brackets are sometimes used in place of quotation marks. Like curly brackets, you are much more likely to see angle brackets used in other fields, such as math and computing. Informally, angle brackets might be used in place of parentheses to insert asides or you might see them used to introduce a website in an older piece of writing. Angle bracket examples The following examples show how angle brackets might be used in writing. These examples would typically not be considered appropriate in formal writing. The car was both very fast and very pink. << Much too pink if you ask me >> If you're curious, you can find the rest of Chef Baker's recipes at <www.bakeittillyoumakeit.yum>

Mandarin

Another citrusy term that comes from Sanskrit is mandarin, the small orange citrus fruits that are native to China. Mandarin, especially when capitalized, can also refer to the high-ranking public officials in the Chinese Empire. In fact, the word mandarin comes from the Sanskrit mantrin, meaning "councilor." The fruit came to share a name with these high-ranking officials because it was thought they were the same color as the yellow sink robes the Mandarins wore.

Candy

Another sweet treat whose name comes from Sanskrit is candy, "any of a variety of confections made with sugar, syrup, etc., often combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts, etc." The word comes from the Sanskrit khaṇḍakaḥ, meaning "sugar candy." In Sanskrit khanda means "piece," so the word literally refers to "sugar in [crystalline] pieces."

Zen

Another word that ultimately comes from Sanskrit and is connected to Buddhist beliefs is zen, which has a variety of meanings including "a state of meditative calm in which one uses direct, intuitive insights as a way of thinking and acting." It is colloquially used in the sense of "relaxed and calmly accepting of a situation." The word zen comes from the Sanskrit dhyāna, from the verb dhyāti "he meditates" (i.e., "sees mentally"). As you may have guessed from the origins of the word, Zen Buddhism, a sect of Buddhism that originated in China, involves a lot of meditation.

Decode SCOTUS Cases With This Plain Language Legal Glossary

As the nation's highest court, the US Supreme Court takes on some of the most complex—and often the most controversial—cases. Often adding to the complexity and confusion around the cases and rulings themselves are the formal legal terms used in the justices' written decisions—and in the analysis of them. In this guide, we'll cover some of the most common legal terminology used in relation to Supreme Court cases and rulings. We'll translate the legal jargon into plain language with simple, easy-to-understand legal definitions so you can decipher the text used to render the consequential decisions.

Was That A Peep Or "Pi-pit"? 13 Birds That Sing Their Own Name

As the weather warms and the flowers start to bloom, you may have noticed an increase in the different types of birdsong you hear each day. Birds' songs and calls serve many purposes, from warning flocks of predators to helping birds catch the attention of potential mates. In the cases of the birds on this list, their songs and calls also inspired their names. The origins of these kinds of bird names are what's called imitative, meaning the name imitates the sound that the thing (in this case, a bird) makes.

11 International Vacation Destinations Worth The Ticket!

As we enter the summer, you might be planning a big trip to have some fun during your summer vacation. If you want to gallivant across the globe, there's no shortage of beautiful places full of interesting history to explore. And it's worth noting (because we're Dictionary.com, after all) many cities around the world have fascinating stories about where their names came from. Before you finalize summer travel plans, we're passing along some of the cool stories about the origins of the names of cities around the world.

astroturfing

Astroturfing is a deception tactic in which an organized effort is used to create the illusion of widespread, spontaneous support for something. The goal of astroturfing is to give the false impression that something has wide support from a passionate grassroots campaign when in reality the effort is (secretly) motivated by a person or group's personal interest. Like firehosing, the term astroturfing is often used in the context of large organizations and governments due to the resources needed to perform it. For example, the term has been repeatedly applied to the deceptive information practices allegedly used by the Russian government, such as attempts to create the perception of universal support for Russian president Vladimir Putin or to create the illusion of widespread opposition to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Elsewhere, astroturfing has been used by the media and public figures to describe attempts by businesses and special interest groups to falsely create the impression of popular support, such as for fracking, vaping, and denial of the existence of climate change.

Apron

At an airport, the area that surrounds the gate where planes are parked and serviced is sometimes called the "apron," "ramp," or even "tarmac." According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the official term for this area is the apron. "Ramp" is essentially interchangeable with "apron," but "ramp" is an informal term used in the U.S. and Canada. The apron is also sometimes referred to informally as the "tarmac," which describes the entire area that is paved with tarmacadam.

Close, but No Cigar

At fairs and carnivals of yore, cigars were often given as prizes for some of their games. As we all know, fair games are often quite unfair. Rigged near-misses are common, so many players' results would have been close, but no cigar.

Mistake 6: me or I?

At first glance, me and I seem simple enough: I is a subject pronoun and me is an object pronoun. We use I as the subject of sentences/clauses and me as the object. For example: I (subject) went to sleep. Erica likes me (object). However, it can be easy to forget these rules when sentences get more complicated, and it gets harder to figure out if something is a subject or object. Chris, Daniela, and I (compound subject) played soccer. Dad sent birthday presents to my sister and me (compound object). The main source of this confusion might be the word than, which can be used as either a conjunction or a preposition. Because of this, both of the following sentences are correct: Nobody sings karaoke better than I. Nobody sings karaoke better than me.

Seriously

At one point, "seriously" implied real gravity. But these days, similar to "literally," the word "seriously" has become more of an exaggeration. That may be fine in some scenarios when you want to be sarcastic or reinforce importance. But if you're using "seriously" without truly saying anything of import, you might want to reconsider your seriousness.

Sneakers

Athletic footwear goes by many names around the globe — Canadians refer to such shoes as runners, while Brits affectionately call them trainers. Americans favor sneakers, tennis shoes, or running shoes — don't worry if you're neither sneaking nor running.

Macca

Australians love shortening words — "Chrissy" is Christmas, "prezzies" are presents — and that extends to brand names, too. If you're heading for a bite at the Golden Arches, aka McDonald's, you might invite someone to join you at Macca's.

B.C. and A.D.

B.C. and A.D. are the oldest date abbreviations still in use. "B.C." stands for "before Christ," as in, before the birth of Jesus Christ, a central figure in Christianity. "A.D." stands for anno Domini, meaning "in the year of the Lord" in Latin. There is no year zero in this system — 1 A.D. was the year Christ was born, and 1 B.C. was the year before he was born. It is unknown when this naming system first came into use, but the terms were adopted separately — "A.D." was used centuries before "B.C." ever was. By the eighth century, "A.D." was used regularly in England in church documents and charters, and its use quickly spread throughout western Europe in the ninth century. "B.C." took much longer to catch on. There were variants of the "before" part until the 18th century, when "B.C." finally became mainstream. Although the B.C./A.D. system took a while to become standardized, it smoothed out a lot of calendar confusion. Before this dating system, years were centered around significant events, such as the rules of emperors and kings, leaving room for a lot of misinterpretation and errors. The B.C./A.D. system was the first time that every single year was accounted for in such a uniform way.

Bagel

Bagels are everywhere, although the best bagels are made in New York City. Most people say "BAY-gull" when they're describing the breakfast staple, but for some reason Midwesterners say "BAH-gull." Either way, we'll take ours toasted with cream cheese.

Ablution (noun)

Bathing, especially as part of a routine or ritual Or The act of washing something Origin: Latin, early 16th century

Deliquescent (del-ə-KWES-ənt - adj.)

Becoming liquid, or having a tendency to become liquid. Or (Chemistry) (of a solid) tending to absorb moisture from the air and dissolve in it. Origin: Latin, late 18th century

Deliquescent (del-ə-KWES-ənt - adj.)

Becoming liquid, or having a tendency to become liquid. Origin: Latin, late 18th century

Been

Been is a word that changes the further north you go. In the more southern areas of the United States, it's longer sounding and stresses the double "e" in the word. The closer you get to Canada, however, you pronounce it like the name "Ben."

Silent R words

Besides the common pronunciation of the word February that leaves out the first R, the existence (or nonexistence) of silent R's largely depends on whether you have a rhotic or non-rhotic accent. For example, a person with a non-rhotic Boston accent will likely employ several silent R's following vowels in the sentence My sister parked her car near Harvard Yard.

bobolink

Bobolink is the name for a type of "common North American songbird that winters in South America." Their name is taken from a shortened form of what some English speakers thought part of their complex song sounded like: the name Bob o' Lincoln. Female bobolinks are generally brown, while males display black, white, and yellow plumage during mating season. Historically, the bobolink was also sometimes called a rice bird due to its penchant for invading rice fields.

The Colosseum: "Flavian Amphitheater"

By definition, a "colosseum" (or "coliseum") is any large theater or stadium. Found in Rome, one of the world's most famous landmarks goes by this name. Builders began construction on The Colosseum around 70 BCE during the Flavian dynasty (under emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian), from which it gained its original name. The massive amphitheater seated some 50,000 spectators for a variety of events, including gladiator battles.

Vertiginous (vər-TIJ-ən-əs - adj.)

Causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or steep; relating to or affected by vertigo. Origin: Latin, 19th century

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens did make up some words, but he's better known for his language contortions. Dickens was the 19th-century equivalent of a millennial on the internet. Without Dickens popularizing slang in his novels, we would have lost words such as "flummox" and "devil-may-care." He was also the king of turning common nouns into creative modifiers. We can thank Dickens for descriptors such as "angry-eyed," "hunger-worn," "proud-stomached," "fancy-dressed," "coffee-imbibing," and "ginger-beery."

"Choose" vs. "Chose": Learn How To Pick The Right One Every Time

Choose is the present tense form. Chose is the past tense of choose.

"Council" vs. "Counsel": Get Guidance On The Difference

Council is always a noun, and it most often refers to an official group that makes decisions. Counsel is commonly used as a noun to mean "advice" and as a verb to mean "to give advice to." The term legal counsel most commonly refers to a person's legal representation (that is, their attorney or team or attorneys) or to the services or advice provided as part of such representation.

Kine (kahyn - noun [plural])

Cows collectively. Origin: Middle English, date unknown

cabincore

Cozy cabins in the woods inspired the cabincore aesthetic. This trend in fashion and home decor uses layers, warm textiles, rustic accents, and rich colors reminiscent of a cabin vibe. Like most of the -core aesthetics, cabincore originated and was popularized on social media. It's related to cottagecore and is sometimes also called forestcore.

Cologne

Created by an Italian perfume maker in 1709, eau de Cologne literally means "water from Cologne." Cologne, Germany, that is. Even though the original product was named for Germany, it had a citrus scent that recalled the morning air in Italy (and the term is French). Today, we use "cologne" to refer to a fragrance usually for men, while "perfume" is typically for ladies.

Start Cutting These Crutch Words

Crutch words — we're all guilty of using them. Like, seriously, it's literally so easy to just start a sentence with useless filler words and basically just keep going. See what we did there? In short, they're clutter — words or phrases we use to give ourselves a second to think while we're speaking. Crutch words are like filler episodes from your favorite TV show. They interrupt the continuity of the show, and sometimes you forget where the show was going. By cutting out crutch words in your writing and speech, you can streamline your point of view and stay focused on the message. Let's look at some common crutch words to identify and strike from your speech.

Curly brackets {}

Curly brackets, also known as braces or curly braces, are rarely used in formal writing and are more common in other fields such as science, math, and computing. Some style guides will allow them to be used for one specific purpose: grouping together a set. The pastries {cakes, pies, croissants, danishes} looked delicious. Informally, curly brackets may also be used to attempt to avoid confusion if a writer is using multiple sets of brackets in the same sentence. Clifford (a {very, very} big dog) stomped his way down the street. Both of these uses, though, are rare and many style guides and grammar resources may not have any formal use for curly brackets in writing. It is entirely possible that you may never read anything that uses curly brackets. Curly bracket examples The following examples show how curly brackets might be used. Keep in mind that these sentences may not be considered appropriate in formal writing. The circus animals {lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys} were very well trained. Madame Mysteria (who I {sadly} never met) was a legendary fortune teller.

Altar

Derived from Old English, historically, an altar was used for religious purposes during sacrifices to the gods. Fortunately, it has a happier connotation today, especially for weddings. It simply refers to the place where the couple stands during the ceremony (religious or secular). Different cultures and religions have various options for wedding altars. At Jewish ceremonies, it is called a chuppah, meaning "blanket," because a piece of cloth covers the couple for protection. At a Hindu ceremony, the mandap is a four-post altar that represents the four mantras of a fulfilled life. At non-religious ceremonies, the happy couple might use an arch to symbolize entering a new phase of life, or a trellis or gazebo as a decorative element.

5 Texting Etiquette Rules You Should Know

Do you ever find yourself confused when someone texts you? How soon should you text them back? How many emojis should you use? Do you use an exclamation point? A period? Believe it or not, there are rules that guide texting behavior. It's become an art form over the past decade or so, complete with widely accepted, yet unspoken, etiquette. People probably won't tell you you're doing it wrong, but you could accidentally be sending mixed signals. Luckily, we've got some tips for you. We might not be able to do anything about your relatives who can't seem to type without SHOUTING IN CAPS LOCK, but we can at least help you be a better texter.

19 Rare And Obscure Color Words Unlike Any Others

Do you know all of your colors? No, we aren't just talking about red and green. We mean color words like quercitron, puce, and dragon's blood. There are so many unique and fascinating words that describe shades of color in our language. If you stop at the basics, you might just miss out on some of the most vivid and historically interesting shades that exist. Luckily, we're here to prevent that. To celebrate all of the colors of the rainbow, and then some, we've put together a list of rare color words that are unlike any other. Keep reading for 19 obscure color words you may not have heard before.

Accommodate

Double consonants can also be tough to remember, even more so when a word contains not one, but two sets. Leaving out one "c" or "m" is just one of the battles people face with this convoluted word: adding an "a" instead of the second "o" is yet another common gaffe.

Definitely

Everyone wants to drop an "a" somewhere in this common word. But that is definitely not how it's spelled. Do that and you might end up with "defiantly," definitely a different word.

Hubris (hyoo-brəs - noun)

Excessive pride or arrogance Or Overconfidence leading to an eventual downfall Origin: Greek, 19th century

14 Words That Come From Sanskrit

Explore the jungle of word origins by learning about the ancient roots of these words that come from Sanskrit. You may be surprised by the words you use. 👇

What Makes Holi The Most Colorful Event Of The Year?

Explosions of color and bursts of joy—that's what makes the Hindu holiday Holi so memorable. Learn all about Holi's vibrant history and traditions.

Buckle

Fasten up or fall apart with this two-sided contronym. We tend to "buckle up" when securing ourselves in, like in a vehicle. But in a moment of weakness, our knees may buckle and cause us to collapse.

Buzz

Feeling a buzz? That means you're just a tiny bit intoxicated. This term can refer to someone who is tipsy from alcohol, drugs, or perhaps even adrenaline or caffeine. The word was first used to refer to a "pleasant sense of intoxication" in the mid 1930s, and it grew in popularity from there. With the end of Prohibition in 1933, the 1940s were full of slang terms for drunkenness, including "buzzed" and "sauced."

Low-Altitude Clouds

Finally, there are three low-level cloud types: stratus, cumulus, and stratocumulus.

Finlandization

Finlandization refers to the process by which a smaller country maintains a neutral or favorable policy toward a larger country due to influence from that larger country. Coined by political scientist Richard Lowenthal in the 1960s, the term references Finland's neutrality toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War. A 1948 treaty stipulated Finland would remain neutral during the Cold War if in turn the Soviet Union refrained from invading the country. The term can have negative connotations, as it can imply one country is under the thumb of a more powerful one and has opted for neutrality under undue pressure.

firehosing

Firehosing is a propaganda tactic that involves releasing a large amount of false information in a very short amount of time. Due to the resources often needed to pull off such an expansive disinformation strategy, the term firehosing is most often used to refer to the alleged actions of large organizations or governments. For example, the term firehosing has been used to describe Russian propaganda during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; Chinese propaganda in response to reporting on Uyghur Muslims in 2021; and numerous incidents in which President Donald Trump and members of his administration were accused of spreading false information.

open sesame

First recorded in English in the late 1700s, open sesame comes from Antoine Galland's translation of One Thousand and One Nights. These are the magic words Ali Baba speaks to open the door of the den of the 40 thieves. Perhaps one of the greatest magical commands to survive from folklore, open sesame today may be used as a noun to refer to a very successful means of achieving a result. For instance, you might say an MBA is the open sesame to landing a competitive job in finance.

What do people with dwarfism prefer to be called?

First, remember that discussing a condition or physical difference is in many cases unnecessary. Most of the time, the first thing you should ask a person is their name. Of course, it is sometimes necessary and important to use generally identifying terms, such as when discussing accessibility in the workplace or a person's membership in a community. And whenever such things are being discussed, it's important to use the terms that people themselves prefer when referring to themselves and being referred to. Because preferences vary widely, the best approach is always to ask. Preferences may also overlap—some people may use certain terms interchangeably or be OK with multiple terms. Here are some of the most common and widely accepted terms.

Why the Soft "G" Is Correct

First, the founder's intent was to pronounce it as "jiff," based on the catchy Jif peanut butter slogan — "Choosy developers choose GIF." Secondly, GIF is an acronym, not an initialism. With acronyms, the abbreviation is pronounced as a single word, like NASA, and often takes on a more sonorous sound that isn't linked to the full words. Also, while single-syllable "g" words are often pronounced with a hard "g," there are exceptions — "gem" or "gin" are two examples of a soft "g."

flickers

Flickers are "any of several American woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes." Depending on the type, flickers often have a brightly colored tail that matches the underside of their wings. They're also noted for taking insects from the ground as well as trees with the help of their sticky, acidic saliva. Though flicker was first recorded in reference to birds in the 1800s, some woodpecker species have hundreds of local names.

Badminton

Folks had been playing games with rackets and shuttlecocks for centuries before badminton came along, but the modern version was developed in Britain in the 1800s. Legend has it that the game was first played at House Badminton, the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England. British military officers may have picked up the game during their travels in India, where people played a version called "poona," another toponym named for the Indian city of Poona (or Pune, as it's known today).

Oklahoma

Following the Civil War, a delegation of tribal leaders went to Washington D.C. to resume formal relationships with the U.S. government. One of the proposals was a creation of an Indian territory, and the Choctaw delegate proposed naming it "Oklahumma" (okla means "people" and humma means "red" in Choctaw), loosely translated to "Territory of the Red People." The spelling evolved to Oklahoma, but it remained when the Indian and Oklahoma territories became one state in 1907.

Literally (precisely, actually, plainly, or really)

For diehard fans of How I Met Your Mother, it's hard to hear this word being misused and abused without recalling Robin telling Ted, "I literally want to rip your head off," and Ted yelling back, "You mean figuratively!" This word crept into the popular lexicon around the mid-aughts as a way to emphasize strong emotions or reactions. It's easy to fall back on in conversation, but "literally" deserves a figurative rest from overuse. Try "precisely," "actually," "plainly," or the old standby of "really."

Spa

For hundreds of years, people have been taking baths in water meant to treat illness. All around the world, towns with mineral-rich springs cater to people who want to enjoy healing soaks. One of the first was Spa, Belgium. Visitors have been flocking there since the 1300s, giving rise to the modern word "spa."

Mistake 9: semicolons

For many, the semicolon is not a punctuation mark that sees a lot of use, which may explain why people make mistakes when trying to use it. As it turns out, semicolons are fairly simple to use. The main thing to remember when using a semicolon is that the sentence following the semicolon doesn't begin with a capital letter unless it begins with a proper noun. For example: I love cats; they are cute and smart. Jack and Jill went up a hill; Jill made it up first. Remembering this simple rule will go a long way toward ensuring proper semicolon usage.

"A Roman walks into a bar. "He holds up two fingers and says, 'Five beers, please!'"

For those who need a visual interpretation, throw up your pointer and middle fingers to make the Roman numeral five (V).

Silent G words

For whatever reason, the letter G likes to stay quiet when it is paired up with the letter N. Examples include gnaw, gnarly, gnostic, gnat, gnash, gnome, champagne, cologne, align, assign, benign, sign, feign, foreign, and reign. The letter G also often keeps quiet when it sees the letter H, as in sigh, high, sight, light, bright, night, fight, though, and thorough.

Emesis

From the Greek emein, this is the proper name for the act of vomiting. If it sounds like an elegant way to describe a somewhat gross bodily function, it's because it entered English in the late 19th century, a more polite era.

Rodeo

From the early days of cowboys and cattle fairs, rodeo was first used in Spanish to describe a "pen for cattle at a market." The word literally meant "a going round." By the mid-1800s, it was used in English to refer to a cattle round-up, and by the early 1900s, it took on its modern meaning of a public performance, often involving a bucking bronco or two.

From Suffrage To Sisterhood: What Does Feminism Actually Mean?

From the suffragist movement of the 1800s to the 2017 Women's March in Washington, women have used the power of language and oration to inspire countless people.

Rime (riym - noun)

Frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water vapor in cloud or fog. Origin: Old English, 12th century

FDR

Full Name: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States and served an unprecedented four terms from 1933 until his death in 1945. While Roosevelt's cousin Teddy was known sometimes as T.R., FDR was certainly the trendsetter when it came to political initialisms. During his presidency, newspapers and magazines would refer to President Roosevelt as FDR or F.D.R. However, the president was known by his initials from literally the very beginning of his life. At the time of his birth, Roosevelt's parents celebrated their son's birth in 1882 with an announcement that referred to the baby Roosevelt as F.D.R.

W

Full Name: George Walker Bush George Walker Bush, commonly known as George W. Bush, was the 43rd president of the United States, serving from 2001 until 2009. Once George Walker Bush became a serious candidate for the presidency, the letter W was commonly used by the media and pollsters to distinguish him from his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, who was the 41st president. As a result, the senior Bush was often referred to as H.W. during and after his son's tenure as president. George W. Bush was often comically portrayed in popular culture by numerous impressionists. When satirizing Bush, comedians would often refer to him as W, which was pronounced "Dubya" in reference to the way he himself pronounced the letter in his distinct Texan accent.

KBJ

Full Name: Kentanji Brown Jackson KBJ are the initials of Kentanji Brown Jackson, a Supreme Court justice confirmed by the Senate in April 2022 to replace the retiring Stephen Breyer. Like in the case of Amy Coney Barrett, the initials KBJ were commonly used to refer to Jackson as soon as she was nominated by President Joe Biden in February 2022.

LBJ

Full Name: Lyndon Baines Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson, commonly known as LBJ, was the 36th US president, serving from 1963 until 1969. Johnson's nickname has an interesting history. Before they were used to refer to him, the initials LBJ were commonly used to refer to his home in Texas, the LBJ Ranch, during his time in the Senate in the 1950s. Newspapers and magazines began to transfer the initials from Johnson's home to the man himself once he became president following President Kennedy's assassination in 1963.

MTG

Full Name: Marjorie Taylor Greene MTG are the initials of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Georgia's 14th District in 2020. The initials of MTG became a common shorthand for Greene's name (she also used them on social media), but didn't become popular in the media until she became an increasingly controversial political figure after her successful campaign.

MLK

Full Name: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr., commonly known today as MLK, was a major political figure during the 1950s and 1960s as the most prominent leader of the civil rights movement of the time. During King's lifetime, newspapers rarely referred to him as MLK and instead typically used his full name. However, African American magazines often did use the initials MLK to refer to King starting in the early 1960s.

RFK

Full Name: Robert "Bobby" Francis Kennedy JFK's younger brother Robert Kennedy is also commonly known by his initials, RFK. Robert Kennedy served as US attorney general from 1961 until 1963 and then served as US senator from 1965 until his assassination in 1968. The younger Kennedy's nickname seems to have emerged after the popularization of that of his older brother. Robert Kennedy was referred to by RFK as early as 1961 in a LIFE magazine article. However, newspapers at the time typically referred to him by his full name until around 1962, when newspapers started to use RFK to refer to the attorney general.

RBG

Full Name: Ruth Bader Ginsburg RBG are the initials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who served as a Supreme Court justice from 1993 until her death in 2020. The popular usage of RBG by the media to refer to Ginsburg seems to have begun around 1995, not too long after her 1993 confirmation. Later in her life, Ginsburg was also referred to as the Notorious RBG, a reference to rapper the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls—real name Christoper Wallace). The first recorded use of this nickname comes from 2013 by law student Shana Knizhnik, who is said to have been inspired by Ginsburg's strong personality.

gamboge

Gamboge is a "yellow or yellow-orange" color. It's named for the yellow color of gum resin that comes from a type of tree native to Cambodia. Gamboge comes from Modern Latin cambogium, which is the Latin version of the place name Cambodia. This distinctive color name first appeared in English in the early 1600s.

Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein is known for her experimental poetry and support of the arts. At the time she was writing, publishers rejected her words as nonsensical, but many other writers absorbed and admired them. While her writing can now be treasured as psychological, complex work, one of her greatest contributions to the English language might be in the "salons" she hosted at her Paris apartment during World War I and II. These parties were host to expatriate American and British authors, including James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sherwood Anderson. It's hard to narrow the scope of English language influence to a mere few people. Language as a whole never stops evolving. It changes according to our needs and practices, and it shows no signs of stopping. Keep reading and writing — there may be people alive today who become as linguistically influential as Shakespeare.

WHAT IS GOBLIN MODE?

Goblin mode is a slang term for a way of behaving that intentionally and shamelessly gives in to and indulges in base habits and activities without regard for adhering to social norms or expectations. The behaviors thought to constitute goblin mode vary from person to person, but it's commonly associated with things like consuming "junky" food and media and disregarding one's appearance and sometimes hygiene. Goblin mode is most often used to refer to a temporary state, such as one entered on weekends or after work, but this is not always the case. Example: This weekend I went into goblin mode and ate a bucket of ice cream in my underwear while watching reality shows. The phrase is typically used to be at least somewhat humorous and is commonly applied to oneself as a way of embracing such behavior. Since the term refers to a mode of behavior, it's often used in phrases like enter goblin mode and go full goblin mode. Goblin mode is often considered the opposite of and a reaction to the kinds of healthy, organized, productive habits and lifestyles that are commonly presented (and glorified) in highly curated social media content. Goblin mode is also sometimes used in reference to people and animals who suddenly become "wild."

Razzmatazz

Here's a fun name for a bright, bold color reminiscent of a mix between raspberries and roses. It was invented in 1993 by Crayola, which first introduced it in the Big Box containing 96 crayons. It was named by five-year-old Laura Bartolomei-Hill in Crayola's Name the New Colors Contest.

Foyer (foy-yer vs. foy-yay)

Here's an example of French pronunciation gone wrong. If you're lucky enough to have the space for a special entryway area, you might as well call it something fancy. But Americans have tarnished the pronunciation, calling it a "foy-yer" instead of the French "foy-yay."

Exception 4: "Double Negatives"

Here's another rule your English teachers told you about. Double negatives are no good, very bad, and you should never, ever use them. You may have been scolded for saying things like, "You don't know nothing," or "I don't wanna go nowhere." In English, similar to in your math lessons, the assumption is that two negatives form a positive. Take the phrase, "We don't need no education." Remove the two negative words that supposedly cancel each other out and you get, "We do need education." Talk about hidden meanings. But there are often differences between written and spoken English. In spoken conversation, double negatives are often used for emphasis. "There isn't no problem" doesn't mean we're about to fight. Instead, by using a double negative, it communicates that there are absolutely no worries. It's all good. Even famous writers such as William Shakespeare use double negatives. In Twelfth Night, Viola says, "I have one heart, one bosom, and one truth, And that no woman has; nor never none shall be mistress of it." The use of negatives reinforces the point — the woman on stage is dressed as a man, and she's pretending to woo a lady. No gal will ever catch her eye.

Boatswain

Here's another very British one. A boatswain is a member of a ship's crew — the person in charge of equipment and crew. This word looks like it would be pronounced as two separate words, "boat" and then "swain." But a sailor would look at you in confusion. It's actually pronounced as "BOH-sun," dropping out the "t" and the "w."

Cirrostratus clouds

High and thin, like sheets that cover the sky. They're so thin, in fact, that the sun and moon can shine through them, creating a halo. These clouds tend to come 12 to 24 hours before snow or rain.

Give me some skin

High fives or low fives, Grandpa was giving skin upon greeting a friend. "Hey, George! Give me some skin."

London, England

Historical sources trace London's name back to when the Romans first founded it in 43 CE and named the new settlement Londinium. Beyond that, though, there is heated debate on where the Romans got this name from. One common theory says that the name comes from King Lud, a mythical pre-Roman British king. Another theory suggests that the Romans took the name from the Celtic word Plowonida, which means "from two roots."

Foil

If a detective foils a criminal's plan, they are preventing the plan from happening, not wrapping them in a thin sheet of metal. The latter definition comes from the Latin folia (leaf) but the homonym was used more recently (since the 14th century) in French as foile to describe a very thin sheet of metal. To foil a plan is much different. It comes from the early 14th-century word foilen which meant, "to spoil a trace or scent by running over it."

Amazing (fascinating, incredible, stunning, unbelievable, magnificent, or prodigious)

If everything is "amazing," then nothing is. The actual definition of this word is "causing great surprise or wonder." Yet "amazing" has been hijacked to describe everything from a much-needed vacation in an exotic locale to a tasty latte — not exactly equals on the wonder scale. Maybe it helps to think about whether something truly is "amazing," or if it just sparks joy in that moment. Consider using an alternate adjective in place of "amazing," such as "fascinating," "incredible," "stunning," "unbelievable," "magnificent," or "prodigious" (if you want to show off a little).

Dig

If someone explained a difficult concept or experience, they might want to confirm by asking, "You dig?" The term arose in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the 1930s, in relation to the excavation sense of the word, as in unearthing knowledge. "Dig" is also used to denote approval, such as, "I really dig your threads!"

smaragdine

If something is "emerald-green in color," you can call it smaragdine. While this term is more rare, smaragd actually means "emerald" in Middle English. It's likely that English speakers borrowed the term from the Greek smarágdinos, which was probably itself borrowed from Sanskrit marakata. The term has a long history and was first recorded in English as early as 1350.

Furphy

If something seems truly unbelievable or absurd, you might proclaim it's downright furphy!

citreous

If the word citreous gives you visions of lemons and limes, you're on the right track. This color is "lemon-yellow" or "greenish-yellow." As you may have guessed, it is closely associated with citrus. In Latin, citreus means "of the citrus tree." We've been using this term in English since at least 1865.

"Those three little words"

If things are getting serious, you might be feeling pressure to say those three little words. This expression is shorthand for "I love you" and is often used by those on the cusp of saying it, as in, "She's waiting for me to say those three little words." If you're ready to take the leap from flirting to commitment, just say it!

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday

If we want an example of mythology rooted in our day-to-day, we needn't look any further than the days of the week. Initially, Romans named their days of the week after the planets, which included the sun and the moon (Sunday and Monday). As the Roman Empire expanded to include Germanic-speaking peoples, the names of the weekdays were adapted to reflect the names of gods familiar to the local populations. Today, five out of seven days of the week are linked to the names of mythological gods, four of which are Old Germanic/Norse in origin. Tuesday is rooted in the name of the Norse god of war and justice, Tyr. Wednesday descends from Woden (alternatively, Odin), a widely revered Germanic-Norse god who presided over healing, wisdom, death, war, poetry, and sorcery. Thursday is derived from the thunder god Thor. Finally, Friday owes its name to Frigg, the goddess of marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance, and motherhood. The outlier of the weekday group is Saturday, which traces its name back to Saturn, the Roman god of time, wealth, and renewal. While scholars are uncertain as to when the Germanic-Norse adaptations of the days of the week were introduced, it is estimated to have occurred between 200-500 CE to predate the spread of Christianity and the final collapse of the Roman Empire.

I could care less

If you could care less about something, that means you still care about it. If you really want to tell someone how few rat tails you have to give, tell them you "couldn't care less."

Pulchritudinous

If you find someone very attractive, there are a number of different words you can string together to let them know. Shall you compare them to a summer's day? Tell them they are the most beautiful creature you've ever seen? Whisper that they are simply ... pulchritudinous? This protracted word, meaning "beautiful," will come in handy if you want to both flatter and impress with your large vocabulary.

Ayurveda

If you have any familiarity with traditional Indian holistic remedies, you may have come across the word Ayurveda, "the ancient Hindu art of medicine and of prolonging life." The word Ayurveda comes from the combination of two words in Sanskrit: āyur- meaning "life, vital power" and veda meaning "knowledge." Ayurvedic practice emphasizes balance and whole-body approaches to healing.

Diaphoresis

If you prefer to glisten rather than sweat, then you'll love this poetic word, which refers to perspiring. The term comes from the Greek diaphorein. Medical experts today use this term to describe sweat produced as a side effect to a drug.

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

If you put all your hopes into one thing, and that thing doesn't work out, you'll be in trouble. Sometimes, baskets break or fall, and that's bad news for the eggs inside them.

15 Americanisms You Won't Find Anywhere Else

If you threw a party with guests from Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Jamaica, and the United States, they might have a hard time understanding each other. English is spoken in all five countries, but every culture puts its own spin on things, from using the same word in wildly different ways, to coining words that are unique to a specific nation. Here's a guide to some words and phrases that are 100% American.

Extract Revenge

If you want revenge on someone, you don't want to extract it. You want to exact it. "Exacting revenge" means you demand your desire for revenge is satisfied

prima donna

If you're at the opera, you'll be watching the prima donna, the lead female singer, perform. It doesn't speak well for her reputation that the other definition of prima donna is a temperamental or conceited person.

ultramarine

If you're imagining ultramarine as "a deep-blue color," you are correct. In Medieval Latin, from which this word derives, ultramarinus literally means "beyond the sea." This is because, historically, pigment from the mineral lapis lazuli was needed to make ultramarine dye, and this mineral had to be imported to Europe from Asia. Ultramarine has been in use in English since the late 1500s.

"I'm head over heels"

If you're in the early stages of a relationship, you're probably feeling deeply, madly in love (infatuation). The original meaning of this idiom was related to people falling — literally. Those who took a bad tumble were described as falling "heels over head," but by the late 1700s, it changed to "head over heels" and became associated with falling in love.

Take a Rain Check

If you're looking to politely turn down an offer for drinks with colleagues, or a last-minute dinner invite, you might tell someone you'll "take a rain check." This charming Americanism also comes from baseball. If a game was rained out, ticket holders were given a ticket — or rain check — for a future game.

Quick Test

If you're not sure on the specifics of parts of speech or how to distinguish between a subjective and objective pronoun, that's OK. You probably still know where words belong in a sentence, even if you're not sure what they're called. The easiest way to remember the difference is to consider the sentence without the word "you." Example 1: "My mom ordered pizza for you and I to share during our study session." OR "My mom ordered pizza for me and you to share during our study session." Take out the "you" and see what sounds best to your ears. "My mom ordered pizza for I to share during our study session." NOPE. The correct usage is: "My mom ordered pizza for me to share during our study session." In this case you want to use "me," the objective pronoun, because "me" is the recipient of the pizza." Example 2: Let's turn this around so we're using "I," the subjective pronoun. "You and I can order pizza to share during our study session." This is correct because you would say "I ordered pizza" and not "Me ordered pizza." "You and I" is the subject of the sentence, so you're using "I," the subjective pronoun

Try To Wrap Your Mind Around 9 Terms That Circle Around The Multiverse

If you're one of the many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you'll know that Dr. Strange has the power to explore the multiverse. He can travel to other worlds and meet alternate versions of himself, maybe even one that isn't inexplicably charming. In comic books and science fiction, the multiverse refers to a collection of different universes that include our own. But what about real science? Surely, the idea of the multiverse is purely limited to fantasy and imagination, right? Well, it might surprise you to know that the idea of the multiverse is actually part of scientific theory, and its existence would actually help explain some phenomena we already know about. That being said, the science and theory behind the multiverse gets really complicated really quickly. If you're still committed to trying to untangle this multiverse madness, there are a bunch of terms you'll need to learn first before you can begin your multidimensional journey.

sepia

If you've ever used an Instagram filter, you're probably familiar with sepia. This "brown, grayish brown, or olive brown" is often used in photography to give photos an old-fashioned vibe. The Latin sēpia, from which this word originates, means "cuttlefish" (and this is the creature that secretes the pigment used to create sepia).

Word Choices: Lay vs. Lie

Imagine your friends are over for a movie night, and they've brought a tray of brownies to share. You take the platter from them — but do you tell them you're going to "lie" it down or "lay" it down? And will you all "lie" down to watch the movie, or "lay" down? It's an age-old question: What is the actual difference between "lay" and "lie"? When do you use one over the other?

hocus-pocus

Immortalized in a '90s cult classic family film, hocus pocus may be both invoked as an incantation and might also be used to refer to an act of trickery. For instance, one who is dismissive of fortunetelling might call the act of reading tarot cards "a bunch of hocus pocus." First recorded in the 1660s, hocus pocus is likely a corruption of the Latin phrase used in Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum ("here is my body").

Sick as a Dog

In 17th-century Britain, people often associated dogs with vomiting a lot; that's where this saying comes from. If you're sick, especially with your head in a toilet, you're sick as a dog.

Bikini

In 1945, the modern two-piece swimsuit started to get a lot of attention. The designer called it the "bikini," a name he got from Bikini Atoll, an island made of coral reef in the Pacific Ocean. The island had recently been in the news when the U.S. performed its first peacetime nuclear weapons test there. The designer of the bikini hoped his creation would cause a similar cultural "explosion."

Qapik

In English, "qapik" is an alternative spelling of the word "gepik." It is a monetary subunit of the manat, the currency of Azerbaijan.

Cafeteria

In English, a "cafeteria" describes a large dining room, typically at a school or business, with counter service. In Mexican Spanish, la cafetería is a coffee shop or a snack bar. The word was adopted into English in the mid-1800s.

These Words Were Invented by Mistake

In English, no mistake is really a mistake. Just stick to your guns and say something long enough, and loud enough, and it will become a word.

puce

In French, puce means "flea" or "flea-colored." In English, it's most often used to describe "a dark or brownish purple." Historically, it may also have been associated with the color of the scab or mark that a flea bite leaves behind. In any case, this creepy, crawly color word has existed in English since the 1780s.

bias

In K-pop slang, a bias is a member in a group that you like or relate to the most. K-pop fans collect merchandise—for example, photocards (more on that later)—of their biases. Fans use this term to learn more about other fans. Example: Who is your Twice bias? (And you'd answer with your favorite.)

visual

In K-pop, there are roles for each idol in a group, including a role as visual. The visual role is assigned by the company to the member or members in a group who best fit a strict Korean beauty standard. Fans also debate who they believe the visual to be in each group. For example, Jin is the official visual of the group BTS, but many consider Taehyung to fit the role. This harsh beauty standard prizes small facial features, cuteness, and specific measurements of the face, body, eyes, and much more.

De Facto

In Latin, this phrase translates to "of fact." It's used a little differently in modern parlance - for suggesting the default, assumed, or clear meanings or intentions, if not explicitly stated. To use it in a sentence, you may say, "Beyonce was the de facto leader of Destiny's Child."

Hongi

In New Zealand, many use this traditional Maori greeting, which literally means "sharing of breath." To perform this greeting, you would press your forehead and nose against that of the person you are greeting and look into one another's eyes.

Sanger

In North America, slang for sandwiches is often "sammies," but Down Under, it's "sanger," "sambo," or "sambie."

Bangkok, Thailand

In Thai, the city of Bangkok is officially known by a much longer name that is often shortened to Krung Thep, which translates to "city of angels." The city's official name, at 168 letters, actually holds the record for the longest place name in the world. The exact origin of the English Bangkok is disputed, but it may be based on native Thai words for "city" and an olive-like fruit (makok).

This Slang Reveals Your Home State

In a country as large as the United States, it's natural that certain regions have their own lingo. From fizzy drinks ("pop" in the Midwest) to the roadways that bring drivers from point A to point B ("freeways" in California), some words immediately call to mind a specific place. Test your American slang knowledge with some of these terms from around the country.

14 Words You'll Say Differently Depending On Where You Are In The U.S.

In a nation as vast and diverse as the United States, it's no wonder there are so many different regional dialects. Each region's history and generational stories all play a part in how language is formed and codified. Below are 14 words that Americans pronounce differently depending on where they live or where they grew up. Did we get it right for your neck of the woods?

Aquiver (ə-ˈkwi-vər - adj.)

In a state of excitement Or Trembling Origin: Middle English

Aquiver (ə-ˈkwi-vər - adj.)

In a state of excitement Origin: Middle English

Orange

In addition to religious terminology, there are some everyday words that come from Sanskrit. Some of these might surprise you. One such word is orange, which can refer both to the citrus fruit and the color. The word orange ultimately comes from the Sanskrit nāraṅga. You can clearly see the Sanskrit origins of this word in the Spanish word for orange, naranja.

Red-eye

In aviation, a red-eye flight is one scheduled to depart at night and arrive the next morning. Its nickname comes from the sleep deprivation involved in overnight travel, causing passengers to have red eyes from fatigue. The term was popularized in the 1960s, shortly after the boom of the airline industry when overnight flights became available.

"Boat" vs. "Ship": Chart A Course To Understand The Difference

In casual use, the word boat is often used to refer to any watergoing vessel, regardless of its size or how it's powered. However, large oceanfaring watercraft—those that use multiple sails or engines—are more properly called ships. In contrast, the word ship isn't commonly applied to smaller craft. The word yacht is typically used to refer to any larger noncommercial vessel—one used for sailing or other recreation, as opposed to business.

goblincore

In folklore, a goblin is "a grotesque sprite or elf that is mischievous or malicious toward people." As an aesthetic, goblincore is based on the appreciation of things not typically perceived as beautiful. This might include things like snails, buttons, tarnished jewelry, or even frogs and mushrooms. It's important to note that goblincore is also a subject of debate. Goblins were at times used as a symbol of anti-Semitism, and for that reason, it's been suggested that the name be changed to gremlincore.

precedent

In law, a precedent is a legal decision that serves as an authoritative one that's consulted in future cases—and on which future decisions may be based. The Supreme Court justices will often cite prior precedents established by the Supreme Court itself or other courts to support their decisions. Similarly, lawyers will also often cite precedents when arguing their side before the Supreme Court. It is possible for the Supreme Court to reach a decision that disagrees with a prior precedent. When this happens, the new judgment is typically considered the new precedent going forward. Many landmark cases are referred to as such because the Court altered a precedent or established a new one. Because it is the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court's decisions overrule any precedents set by lower courts. Because of this, state and lower federal courts will often base their decisions on precedents established by the Supreme Court.

Pine

In modern English, "pine" can mean two very different things. Hikers are likely to come across forests of pine trees, a genus of evergreen tree that takes center stage during the Christmas holidays, or as material for furniture and flooring. As a verb, "to pine" means to yearn for someone or something, as in, "The dreary weather made her pine for some sunshine." Though they are spelled and pronounced the same, these words come from two different origins. The noun comes from the Latin word pinus, while the verb comes from the Old English word pīnian, meaning, "to suffer."

Exception 5: Irregular Plurals

In most cases, to turn a singular noun into a plural, you add an "s" to the end of the word. Easy peasy! "Cat" becomes "cats." "Dog" becomes "dogs." "Goose" becomes ... "geese"? Welcome to the world of irregular plurals. There are some rules, but, of course, there are lots and lots of exceptions. Got a word that ends in an "f" sound, like "knife," "wife," or "leaf"? Change the "f" sound to a "v" and add "-es." "Knife" becomes "knives." "Wife" turns into "wives," and "loaf" becomes "loaves." Then again, "belief" turns into "beliefs," and more than one "cliff" becomes "cliffs." Rules are made to be broken. Some plurals seem to have no rhyme or reason. The plural of "child" is "children." "Person" is "people." "Sheep," "fish," and "deer"? In a group, they're still called "sheep," "fish," and "deer." The plural of "box" is "boxes," but the plural of "ox" is ... "oxen"? OK, now the English language is just messing with us. In reality, many of these exceptions to the rules come down to a language of origin. English is a melting pot, with inspiration from many sources, so one rule won't apply to every word.

The Contenders: "Jiff" vs. "Giff"

In one corner, we have "GIF" pronounced with a soft "g" sound, identical to Jif peanut butter. The founder of the GIF file type — short for Graphic Interchange Format — stated back in 2013 that he intended for the pronunciation to be with a soft "g," which incited thousands of tweets on either side of the matter. If the founder's intent matters, consider that a tick in the "jiff" column. On the flip side, we have proponents for the hard "g" sound, as in "gift" (without the "t"). If popularity counts for anything, the hard "g" is the most widely used pronunciation.

brigading

In online contexts, the word brigading refers to a practice in which people join together to perform a coordinated action, such as rigging an online poll, downvoting or disliking content, or harassing a specific individual or group. Brigading is similar to the online practice known as dogpiling, which involves many people joining in on the act of insulting or harassing someone. Unlike dogpiling, which may be spontaneous, brigading typically follows a coordinated plan. Both the practice and the name for it are often traced to the forum website Reddit, where brigading (which is explicitly against the site's rules) typically involves one community joining together to mass downvote content or to disrupt a community by posting a large amount of spam, abuse, or trolling comments. For example, a person who posts a negative review of a TV show may be targeted by users of that show's fan forum, whose brigading might consist of messaging the original poster with abusive comments.

From FDR To KBJ: An Abbreviated History Of Political Initials

In politics, having a catchy nickname will go a long way to help you stand out from the crowd and be remembered throughout history. After all, we still recall how much people liked Ike and how they loved listening to the Great Communicator. But a nickname doesn't have to be that fancy to stick in people's minds. Sometimes, all you need are a couple of letters. To demonstrate, let's take a quick look at some of the most memorable initials that people have used to refer to major political figures throughout American history.

dimension

In science and math, a dimension is a property of space. You probably know that our spatial movement involves three dimensions: height, width, and depth. You can move forward and back, left and right, and up and down. There is also a fourth dimension: time. On Earth, time only moves forward at a constant rate. However, the measurement of time starts to behave oddly once you start moving really fast or decide to hang out around a black hole-more on them later. So, scientists tend to describe outer space in terms of both time and space. Speaking of which ...

docket

In the context of law, the word docket refers to the list of cases that a court is scheduled to hear. The Supreme Court also uses the term docket to refer collectively to all of the filings, briefs, requests, and other legal documents that make up a case. All case dockets and the Court's docket calendar are available for public view on the Supreme Court website. In recent times, the term shadow docket is used (usually in a critical way) to refer to cases or issues that are resolved by the Supreme Court without oral arguments or public records. Unlike the primary docket, known as the merits docket, the so-called shadow docket includes decisions or rulings made without transparency or publicly available information.

petitioner

In the context of the Supreme Court, the petitioner is the person or group who files a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court. The petitioner may also be referred to as the appellant (the one appealing the decision). The petitioner is typically the side that previously lost the case in a lower court.

handle

In the digital age, most of us have some kind of handle. That's "a username, as on a social media website." And yes, that counts as a type of nickname. It's another name you're known by, after all, even if it's only among online friends. The word has existed in English since before the year 900, though it didn't come to be associated with names until the 1830s, when it was used more generally to mean "nickname." The term eventually came to include radio nicknames, and later, usernames on the internet.

Roof

In the eastern part of the United States, roof is pronounced with a long double-o sound, like how it's spelled. In the western part of the country, particularly noticeable in California, it's pronounced more like "ruff."

Quire

In the late Middle Ages, "quire" was a popular word for a short book. Specifically, it was 1/20 of a ream, or 24 to 25 sheets of paper.

Mid-Altitude Clouds

In the mid-altitude range, you have two different types of clouds: altocumulus and altostratus.

Why Do We Babble and Use Baby Talk?

It happens to all of us. You're around a newborn baby and you start "oohing" and "ahhing" and maybe even let out a "coochie-coo" or two. You'd never talk to another adult like that, or even an older child, so why do you speak like that to babies and toddlers? It turns out that there's a scientific reason for this instinctive behavior. It's actually a good thing to babble and use baby talk around young children. How do they benefit from it, though, and why do we do it?

Johannesburg, South Africa

It is agreed that Johannesburg, the largest city of South Africa, was likely named after a person or multiple named Johan or Johannes. Who exactly this person or these people were is still a matter of debate. Some popular picks include Johann Rissik and Christiaan Johannes Joubert, two early surveyors of southern Africa, and Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, a president of the South African Republic. Of course, these are just some of the name tales of the many great vacation destinations around the world. There are many other cities out there with fascinating stories on where their names came from. Personally, we might book our next trip to Wales and learn about the story behind Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch ... after we spend the summer learning how to pronounce it first!

Why Do We Say "Bless You" In Response To a Sneeze?

It is unknown exactly why we say Bless you in response to a sneeze. There are many theories, and some believe it started as a practice to ward off demons and spirits or to bless someone with good health. It is likely that the Bless you response has remained commonplace because of its connection to good manners.

Ancient Latin Phrases Still Used in Modern English

It may be ancient Latin, but the former lingua franca — common language — of the world is still alive and well as part of modern vernacular. But the literal translation isn't how all of these phrases are still used. Get ready to get studium (that's schooled in Latin).

"It's a match made in heaven"

It might be fate, kismet, or divine intervention. Whatever the case may be, if you truly love someone, this is a sweet way to suggest it. While most people associate this expression with some sort of spiritual pairing, there's also a quantum physics meaning (bear with us!): If you believe "heaven" refers to space, then this idiom could be read as two classes of subatomic particles (what you and your true love are comprised of) that are perfectly compatible with one another.

Q: "If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?" A: "Pilgrims."

It might take a minute, but the audience will certainly give a groan when they realize the Mayflower was the ship that brought the pilgrims to the New World in 1620.

Supererogation

It sounds like an advanced form of interrogation, but it means going above and beyond what is required by duty, obligation, or need. Its roots lie in Medieval Latin, and when "supererogation" was first coined, it was primarily used in religious contexts.

'May I' vs 'Can I — How to Phrase Formal Questions

It's an age-old grammar debate: "May I go to the bathroom?" versus "Can I go to the bathroom?" So, which is it? The answer isn't simple. While the two are relatively interchangeable in conversational speech, there are some traditional English language rules based on formality for when to use "may" or "can." The simplest answer is that "may" is asking for permission, and "can" indicates ability — but let's dive in a little deeper into the differences.

On accident

It's correct to say "on purpose," so naturally "on accident" is the opposite, right? Wrong. The correct usage is "by accident."

12 Mythic Words From Mythologies Around The World

It's in human nature to tell stories and in many ways, our stories—our mythologies—work their way into every aspect of our daily lives, from meme culture to the language we speak. You may be familiar with some of the words derived from the names of Greek and Roman gods and characters (herculean, echo, narcissist, to name a few). But some of the words with similar origins are more obscure and may surprise you, and still others are drawn from completely different cultural lineages! Many of our modern words are inspired not only by Greco-Roman mythos but also by West African, Indigenous, Far East Asian, and Nordic folktales, gods, heroes, and legends. Here's a closer look at some of our everyday words and the many diverse mythologies that have contributed to their use and interpretation today

Five-Letter "Q" Words to Help You Win Your Next Word Game

It's no fun to get stumped during a word game, and a repeat culprit for Scrabble losses is undoubtedly the letter "q." Conversely, knowing a few key "q" words can score you some big points in word games. "Quail," "queen," "quirk," "quilt," and "queso" might pop up on your Wordle grid, but what about lesser-known words? Check out these Scrabble dictionary-approved five-letter "q" words to use during your next game night.

Common Grammar Mistakes You May Be Making

It's no secret that English is a tough and pretty weird language to learn. There are so many grammar rules and exceptions that even the best of us make mistakes every now and then. However, some grammar mistakes are more common than others. In fact, you might be making some simple grammar mistakes without even knowing it. To do our part in helping everybody become a grammar great, we've put together a list that will help solve some of the most common grammar mistakes out there. Keep this list handy before you turn in your next paper or hit send on that important email to be the boss!

11 Turns Of Phrase Commonly Misused

It's not always easy to hear things correctly the first time. Sometimes common phrases get bungled in transit, and we're stuck saying them wrong for years. Here are some of the most common phrases that people say wrong — see how many you've been using incorrectly.

Cocktail Hour

It's not always strictly 60 minutes, but this is a modern wedding term that describes the time between the wedding ceremony and the reception. During this time, the wedding party might take pictures, while guests mingle, have a cocktail, and enjoy some hors d'oeuvres. The phrase "cocktail party" has been around since at least 1907. The word "cocktail" to describe a mixed drink was first documented in 1806, but its origins are murky, and might involve a horse with a docked tail, or possibly the French word coquetier, which means "egg-cup."

Juggernaut

Juggernaut is used colloquially to mean "any large, overpowering, destructive force or object, as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team." However, the word literally designates a giant, decorated cart bearing an idol of the Hindu god Krishna that is used in processions at the temple Puri in Odisha, India. In fact, the word juggernaut comes from the Sanskrit Jagannātha- "lord of the world" (i.e., the god Vishnu or Krishna). According to a 14th-century Italian friar, devotees would throw themselves under the wheels of this massive cart and subsequently get crushed to death. While this myth was widely circulated throughout Europe and gave rise to the colloquial meaning of the word juggernaut, there is no evidence that this ever happened—or even that the friar had visited Puri himself.

Volcano

Just north of Sicily, there's a small island named Vulcan. It's a landmass capable of spewing molten hot lava, and it received its name from the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. The term "volcano" (and Spock's home planet) is inspired by this tiny, yet mighty, place.

From Trainee To Bias: The Big 16 K-Pop Slang Terms To Know

K-pop is the name of a pop music sensation that originated in South Korea and is sweeping the globe. From its energetic choreography and music to the beauty of its idols, K-pop (or K for Korea combined with pop) has entranced international and Korean fans alike—and chances are you've heard it, hummed it, or danced to it. (Did you catch BTS' "Friends" playing in the Marvel movie Eternals? And who knew Clifford the Dog was also a K-pop stan? At least, his trailer made it seem so.) Emerging from the 1990s, K-pop has created a unique fandom culture along the way. Fans have indulged fully in this media, creating their own celebrations, traditions, and—of course—slang. All of this can overwhelm the casual listener trying out K-pop sounds, and I have to admit, I once thought this fandom was a little over the top. But I've since been won over—after all, being a fan of a group like Red Velvet is no different from being a fan of Ariana Grande. To get you started, I am providing a short guide to K-pop's complex terminology. Whether you're interested in K-pop, saw BTS on the news, or have friends who listen to all of the above, here are a few terms to know. Please note: these words are used mainly by English-speaking international fans and are found across fan Twitters, Instagrams, TikToks and Tumblrs.

First "RBG," And Now Meet "KBJ"

KBJ are the initials of US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The initialism KBJ is popularly used as a short way of referring to her. The abbreviation of Ketanji Brown Jackson's name follows the popular practice of abbreviating the name of some other Supreme Court justices, including Amy Coney Barrett (ACB) and, most prominently, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG).

Subaru

Known in most of the English-speaking world as a popular car manufacturer, Subaru is a Japanese word for the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades, constellation. The Subaru logo even features the six stars visible to the naked eye in the constellation. In 2021, astronomers Ray and Barnaby Norris proposed that the constellation referred to as "Seven Sisters" by various ancient peoples (which today looks like six visible stars) once had a seventh visible star whose light has been swallowed up by the light of another.

The Statue of Liberty: "Liberty Enlightening the World" or La Liberté Éclairant le Monde

Lady Liberty is one of America's greatest and most well-known monuments. The statue was given as a gift to America from France in 1885 to celebrate the enduring friendship that began during the American Revolution. Upon gifting the masterpiece designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel to America, the statue was named "Liberty Enlightening the World" (La Liberté Éclairant le Monde), but the statuesque female form inspired the more simple nicknames of "Statue of Liberty" and "Lady Liberty." The statue was constructed at Fort Wood on Bedloe Island, which is now known as Liberty Island, in New York Harbor.

Mistake 1: who or whom?

Let's start with a biggie: who and whom are a pair of commonly confused pronouns that are often used to ask questions or refer to unknown people. In short, who is a subject pronoun while whom is an object pronoun. This means that you would use who as you would use I, he, she, and they, and you would use whom in the same places as me, him, them, and us. For example: Who (subject) ate my lunch? You went to the beach with whom (object)? But interrogative sentences often jumble word order around, and many writers hesitate to place the object whom at the beginning of the sentence. Although correct, it just seems odd. For example: Whom (object) did you (subject) ask questions to? All of that said, in informal speech and writing, speakers will often opt for who where whom has traditionally been used.

Comma Rule Number 1: Lists

Let's start with an easy one. Commas are used when writing lists of three or more items. Example 1: I'm going to the store to buy flour, sugar, eggs, and jellybeans so I can make a jellybean cake. Sound simple? It's a bit more complicated than that. That last comma in the series (the one after "eggs") is called the Oxford, or serial, comma, and it's optional, depending on whom you ask. Some style guides, in particular the Chicago Manual of Style, include this comma. But you'll find others, like AP Style, that eschew this rule and leave out that final comma. I'm going to the store to buy flour, sugar, eggs and jellybeans so I can make a jellybean cake. If you're running an independent platform, you can decide for yourself if you want to include the serial comma. However, if you're publishing in a professional setting, do a little research on which style guide your outlet follows.

lovat

Lovat doesn't just describe one color. It means "a grayish blend of colors, especially of green, used in textiles, as for plaids." First recorded between 1905 and 1910, lovat is likely named after Thomas Alexander Fraser, also known as Lord Lovat, who helped popularize tweeds in muted colors as attire for hunters.

Frutescent

Love shrubs? This word means having the appearance of a shrub, but Merriam-Webster shows it in the bottom 10% of word searches. Perhaps it's time for this word to meet its retirement.

Stratocumulus clouds

Low, lumpy, and gray, and appear in either waves or lines. But with stratocumulus clouds, the forecast is dry.

Stalwart (STOL-wərt - adj.)

Loyal, reliable, and hardworking. Or (dated) Strongly built and sturdy. Origin: Late Middle English, mid 1300s

CARE (Package)

Lucky summer campers and college students might receive a care package from mom when they are away from home for the first time. Colloquially, this is "a parcel of food, money, or luxury items sent to a loved one who is away." However, the acronym comes from a program known as the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe. The first CARE package arrived in Le Havre, France, in May 1946, beginning a wave of responses to millions in need of food and other supplies at the end of WWII. The CARE packages usually contained staples such as butter, dried milk, canned meat, and even chocolate or chewing gum.

Titivate (TIH-də-veyt - verb)

Make small enhancing alterations to (something). Origin: Origin unknown, early 19th century

Vacation

Many English-speakers look forward to taking a holiday from work. Americans, however, are all about booking a vacation, or even more colloquially, a vacay. In America, holidays are typically reserved for talking about the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Alabama

Many U.S. states were named after waterways, and "Alabama" comes from the name of the river that European explorers named after local Indigenous people — possibly the Alabama or Alibamu. The tribal name (in several different spellings) appeared in written accounts of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540. Some historians believe the name could have connections to the language of another native Alabama tribe, the Choctaw or Ojibwe. In this case, "Alabama" could be a portmanteau combining alba (vegetation) and amo (gatherer), for the tribes that cleared the land for agriculture.

History of Punctuation

Many ancient alphabets and languages didn't include a system of punctuation, but the earliest-known recording of punctuation is the Mesha Stele, also called the Moabite Stone, found in what is now Jordan. It dates to 840 BCE and is written in a version of the Phoenician alphabet, but with points and horizontal strokes to indicate words. Most languages continued to develop without punctuation or even spaces between words in written form, making it tricky for readers to parse out the meaning. Around the fifth century BCE, Greek playwrights began to use marks to help with reading their stories out loud. The Greek scholar and librarian Aristophanes of Byzantium is sometimes credited as the inventor of punctuation because he marked sections of writing with different types of dots — what would come to be known as commas, colons, and periods. Punctuation became even more widely used with the advent of the printing press in the mid-15th century. When the typewriter was invented in the mid-19th century, it became more important to standardize the use of punctuation marks as both a reading and comprehension aid.

"Maternal" vs. "Paternal": What's The Difference?

Maternal describes things related to a mother or motherhood. Paternal describes things related to a father or fatherhood. Sometimes, they mean motherly and fatherly, as in phrases like maternal/paternal instincts. But they can also be used more narrowly to distinguish relations involving a mother or a father, such as in terms like maternal/paternal grandmother. In some cases, the gender-neutral term parental can be used in place of maternal or paternal as well as maternity or paternity.

voilà

Maybe you've seen a magician conclude an amazing feat with this little phrase. She'll flourish a sheet over a table and voilà, where there was no one a second ago, her whole assistant will appear! First recorded in English between 1825-35, voilà is used as an expression of success or satisfaction, typically to give the impression that the achievement happened quickly or easily. Combined from the French words voi ("see") and là ("there"), voilà is used to direct attention during performance magic.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is the last of the words that are pronounced differently all over the country. It can be pronounced in two different ways: with three syllables (may-oh-nays) or two (may-nays).

Mazarine

Mazarine is "a deep, rich blue," most commonly associated with textiles and ceramics. The word first entered English between 1665 to 1675, but its origins aren't fully known. The name may be an homage to a famous Italian cardinal, Cardinal Mazarin, who was culturally influential.

Stratus clouds

Mean rain if it's warm and snow when it's cold. They're thick, heavy gray clouds. When they're especially low, they are called "fog clouds."

Vinyasa

Modern ashtanga yoga has an emphasis on vinyasa, popularly understood as "flow," a reference to the movement between the different yoga poses. The word vinyasa comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "disposition [placement] (of limbs)." Essentially, vinyasa yoga emphasizes the movement of the limbs between the poses in connection with the breath.

Esemplastic (es-em-PLAS-tik - adj.)

Molding into one; unifying. Origin: Greek, early 19th century

Money

Money may be a universal language, but "monie" appeared in mid-13th century English as a broad term for anything that was convertible into funds. It came directly from the Old French monoie, which retained the same meaning (coins or currency). Much of the Old French language has Latin roots, and "money" is no different. In Latin, a moneta was a mint (a place where money is coined), named after Moneta, the surname of the Roman goddess, Juno.

term of endearment

Nicknames are for lovers, at least in this case. A term of endearment is a nickname that shows esteem, affection, or love. This may be more personal, like a pet name, or it might include commonly used affectionate names, like honey, baby, or sweetie. Terms of endearment are typically reserved for intimate relationships, though some could also apply to family or close friends.

Deglutition

No need to gobble down your food. This word is a more elegant way to describe swallowing food. Like many other words on this list, it comes from Latin. The word "glutton" — a person who eats in excess — is closely related to "deglutition." Bonus word: "Peristalsis" is the technical term to describe the movements in your esophagus that facilitate swallowing.

Nadine (nay-deen vs. nuh-deen)

Now we get to the names portion of this list. Which is the correct pronunciation? Whichever one your mother gave you. But you can distinguish the choices across border lines. Most Americans pronounce this moniker "nay-deen." If you're a Nadine, don't be offended if you hear another version on your travels.

When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do

Often shortened to simply "when in Rome," this phrase has expanded far beyond referencing the Italian city. It is now used to justify any behavior that could be attributed as specifically popular in the local setting, such as dining late in Spain or cheek kisses in France.

Algorithm

Often used in reference to computing, an algorithm is a set mathematical process with clear steps in order to arrive at the right answer. But the word algorithm is a mistranslation of the name of 9th-century Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī. It was Latinized to be "Algoritmi." That's right — one of the fundamental terms in the field of mathematics comes from a mispronunciation of a name.

The Soft "C"

On its own, the letter "c" sounds like the word "see." But the soft "c" is less common when pronouncing full words. You almost always pronounce a soft "c" only if it's paired with an "e," "i," or "y." Examples: cease, cedar, cider, cyber Various soft "c" words have slightly different pronunciations depending on the vowel. These sliding vowel sounds are called "diphthongs." For example, "celery" starts with a "suh" that morphs into an "ell." "Cyan" has more of a "sigh" sound, and "city" falls somewhere in between.

sasaeng

One group of people widely looked down upon are sasaengs (사생팬) or sasaeng fans. This slang derives from a Korean word (sa for "private" and saeng for "life") that refers to an obsessive fan who stalks or otherwise violates the privacy of a Korean idol. Sasaengs tend to own fan pages, and some say they operate much like the American tabloids of the 2000s.

Exception 1: "I Before E Except After C"

One of the first spelling rules taught in grade school is a big, fat lie. A few lines were added to try to account for the exceptions, but it doesn't cover all of them. "I" before "E," except after "C," or when sounded as "A," as in "neighbor" and "weigh." This rule works perfectly well with words such as "field," "receipt," "belief," and "conceit." But the guidance starts to fall apart with "science," "their," "glacier," and "weird." In fact, Wikipedia has a listing of more than 7,000 English words that do not follow the "I before E except after C" rule. Thank goodness for spell check.

Do You Know the Real Meaning Behind These Popular Sayings?

One of the many quirks of the English language (and most languages) is our knack for twisting words into proverbs, phrases, and idioms. But often, the literal meaning of those word combinations makes no sense at all. Even more often, native speakers are so used to hearing and using these sayings that they don't even think about the meaning. They just instantly understand the phrasing due to familiarity and context. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of idioms out there. Here, we'll survey a few of the most well-known — see if you know what they really mean.

Periods

One of the oldest punctuation marks, a period, indicates a full stop at the end of a sentence. This basic dot is not so simply represented in every language. In the Bengali language, spoken in Bangladesh, the period is simply a straight line, which is an excellent way to indicate a divide between sentences (।). In the Armenian language, the period resembles an English colon (։), and a Japanese period resembles a small circle, not a simple dot (。).

Silent T words

One pattern we could find for the Silent T occurs when it is paired with the letter L in words like whistle, bristle, thistle, bustle, hustle, and castle. The letter T is also silent in a lot of French loanwords such as ballet, gourmet, rapport, ricochet, buffet, crochet, valet, debut, and beret. Besides that, the silent T appears in a random assortment of other words, such as asthma, mortgage, tsunami, soften, listen, fasten, glisten, and moisten.

Ashtanga

One popular modern method of yoga practice is known as ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga comes from the Sanskrit aṣṭāṅga, meaning "eightfold," a reference to the eight key principles of this yoga practice: abstention, observance, posture, regulated breathing, sensory suppression, concentration, contemplation, and meditation.

Spritz

One telltale sign you're dealing with a German word in English? The letter "z," which tends to pop up more in Germanic languages. Think of "seltzer" or "blitz." "Spritz" comes from the German word spritzen, which means "to squirt."

Gourmand (gu̇r-ˌmänd - noun)

One who loves eating and drinking to an excessive degree Or One who is interested in or an expert in quality food and drink Origin: Late Middle English from Old French, of unknown origin

Flaneur (fluh-nər - noun)

One who rambles or travels aimlessly Or An idler or dawdler Origin: French, 19th century

Kitsch

Originating during the 1930s, this campy word describes things that are overly garish but still appreciated in a sentimental or ironic fashion. The German translation means "to coat or smear," which is what critics often do when reviewing kitschy artwork.

Capitalize names of places

Other proper nouns include countries, cities, and sometimes regions, such as Bulgaria, Paris, and the American South. Geographic features that have names should also be capitalized, as in Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Pacific Ocean. Landmarks and monuments also start their proper names with capital letters, such as the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Street names are always capitalized, too (e.g., Main Street). Although rare, some place names might have a preposition in them that is not capitalized, such as the Tower of Pisa or Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Ottomanization

Ottomanization refers to the adoption of the culture of the Ottoman Empire by the peoples and places under its rule. Historically, this term has referred to the transition from the Christian, Greek traditions of the Byzantines to the Islamic, Turkish traditions and culture of the Ottomans.

little person, little people

Out of all of the terms that refer to people with dwarfism, the straightforward little person (and its plural little people) is now likely the most common and the one most people are familiar with. Around the world, many organizations focused on people with dwarfism use the term little people in their name and in their communications, including Little People of America, Little People UK, and Little People of British Columbia. The increase in the awareness of this terminology is often attributed in part to the high visibility of such terms in notable aspects of pop culture, such as the title of the long-running TV series Little People, Big World. Although such terms are now widely used and preferred, keep in mind that personal preferences vary.

abracadabra

Perhaps one of the oldest and most recognized magical phrases, abracadabra has been around since the second century BCE and has famously appeared in the Harry Potter series. Its origins are contested as scholars posit that abracadabra emerged from Late Latin or Late Greek, reflecting the recitation of the initial letters of the alphabet (abecedary); others hypothesize that it could related to the Hebrew Ha brakha dabra, which translates as, "The blessing has spoken." We do understand it as a word generally meant to invoke magical power. Abracadabra is classified as a reductive spell, which means it would have been written out as a complete word on the first line, then with one letter missing on the next, then another letter removed on the following line, and so forth. The idea behind reductive spells is that by making the word shorter so would a pain or illness gradually diminish. Recorded in English in the late 1600s, abracadabra is used in incantations, particularly as a magical means of warding off misfortune, harm, or illness, and for some, is used as a nonsense word, implying gibberish in place of supposedly magical words.

Soccer/Football

Perhaps the most infamous sports-related difference in the English language is what people call the game that involves kicking a black and white ball into a goal. Throughout the rest of the world, it's called football, which makes sense because it's played with, well, your feet. But in America (and Australia), it's soccer. What Americans call football is played by throwing and carrying a ball into an end zone. It's known as American football internationally.

"Annual" vs."Perennial": What's The Difference?

Plants that live for only one growing season are called annuals. In contrast, plants that regrow on their own every season are called perennials. Plants that live for two growing seasons are called biennials.

"Q" Without "U" Words

Players might think that if they don't draw a "u" to play with the "q" they have to forfeit the points from the high-scoring tile, but there are plenty of words that fit the bill. Many of these words are borrowed from languages that don't rely on the "qu" construction.

Jocose (jə-KOS - adj.)

Playful or humorous. Origin: Latin, late 17th century

Naches (NAKH-əs - noun)

Pride or gratification, especially at the achievements of one's children. Or Congratulations. Origin: Yiddish, early 20th century

The Great Wall of China: Wanli Changcheng or Chang Cheng

Regarded as one of the world's greatest architectural undertakings, the Great Wall of China is known to the Chinese as Wanli Chancheng, which roughly translates to "10,000-Li Long Wall." The "li" is a unit of Chinese measurement that is equal to 500 meters (about 1,640 feet). The wall itself is around 13,000 miles long. Another Chinese name of Chang Cheng, which translates to "long wall," appeared in a history book from the Han dynasty (around 200 BCE - 200 CE) and remains in use as well.

Tensile (TEN-siyl - adj.)

Relating to tension. Origin: Latin, early 17th century

Auricular (aw-RIK-yə-lər - adj.)

Relating to the ear or hearing. Origin: Latin, mid -16th century

Scuttlebutt (SKUH-dl-bət - noun)

Rumor. Origin: North American English, early 19th century

Contractions

Scottish dialects have strong variations when it comes to incorporating auxiliary verbs with negatives. A standard form may look like this: Example: I haven't got any eggs. I didn't buy any. In this example, "have" and "not" combine to become a negative contraction. When speaking, a speaker would also likely enunciate the "t" sound in haven't and didn't. With a Scottish dialect — of which there are many! — that's not the case. Instead, the "t" sound often gets dropped and the auxiliary verb combines with the subject of the sentence. Example: I've not got eggs. I didnae buy them. For those used to hearing RP, a Scottish dialect may take some getting used to. Importantly, speakers in the U.K. find non-standard grammatical forms perfectly acceptable, especially in the North.

sealioning

Sealioning is a specific type of trolling. The general term trolling refers to harassing someone online with the intent of getting a (negative) reaction out of them. In the case of sealioning, a troll will relentlessly harass someone with questions or requests for evidence in an attempt to upset them and make their position or viewpoint seem weak or unreasonable. Sealioning is often disguised as earnest curiosity or interest in debate, but the real goal is to troll someone until they get angry or upset. Sealioning is a common trolling tactic used on social media. For example, a Twitter user might say that they support a higher minimum wage. In response, a sealioning troll might repeatedly and relentlessly ask them for sources that would prove the merits of higher pay scales or demand that they write detailed explanations of how increased wages have affected the economies of the world. The troll will not stop until the other person angrily lashes out (or blocks them), thus allowing the troll to paint themselves as the victim and then claim to have won the "debate" over the issue. Those who engage in sealioning are never actually interested in legitimately debating—the point is to harass and attempt to diminish.

dwarf and person with dwarfism

Some people with dwarfism prefer to be referred to—and to refer to themselves—with the standalone term dwarf. In contrast, some people prefer the term person with dwarfism, an example of what's called person-first language, which is terminology that places the person before a mention of a specific characteristic (usually literally using the word person or the plural people as the first words in an identifying phrase). Preferring to be referred to as a dwarf is an example of what's called identity-first language, which places emphasis on a characteristic that a person considers an inherent part of their identity. Read more about identity-first and person-first language. Both terms are considered catch-all terms that encompass all medical and genetic causes of dwarfism. Both versions are also commonly used in the medical community when discussing dwarfism. While organizations within the community often use such terms in discussing their members and those they advocate for, such terms are not commonly used in names of such organizations (though there are exceptions). It's important to note that some people may not be comfortable using either term for a variety of reasons. One reason is that they may consider them as too technical outside of a medical context. Furthermore, some people may prefer to avoid the word dwarf's associations with characters in folklore and pop culture (which in many cases have had the effect of demeaning people of short stature).

pen name

Sometimes nicknames are used for professional reasons, as is demonstrated by the phrase pen name. A pen name is "a pseudonym used by an author." This might be a variation of their real name or a different name entirely. Mark Twain, for example, is a pen name used by Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Meanwhile George R. R. Martin is the author's real name, but R. R. is used in place of Richard Raymond. Pen name is a translation of the French nom de plume, and it has been in use in English since the 1800s.

Q: Why were the early days of history called "The Dark Ages"? A: Because there were so many knights!

Sometimes the simplest jokes are the best ones.

space-time

Space-time, also known as the space-time continuum, refers to the four-dimensional space that our reality exists in. This includes the three spatial dimensions together with time. Understanding space-time is important to getting a grip on the idea of the multiverse and where—and even when—other worlds might exist. Given how huge the universe is, we would need to better understand space-time and develop technology for traveling through both space and time to possibly discover worlds and universes beyond our own.

cerulean

Speaking of shades of blue, what about cerulean? Cerulean is best described as "deep blue; sky blue; azure." In fact, it comes from the Latin caeruleus, meaning "dark blue." The word has been in use in English since the mid-1600s, though the artist's cerulean blue emerged closer to the late 1800s.

Square brackets []

Square brackets, often just called brackets in American English, are typically only used with quotations in formal writing. Square brackets are used to indicate to a reader that the writer added their own words to a quote, added additional context, or otherwise made a change to a quote that wasn't originally there. The term sic is also often used in a pair of square brackets to indicate that a quote originally had a grammatical error in it, and the writer didn't make a mistake when reprinting it. Square bracket examples The following examples show the different ways that square brackets are typically used with quotations. The president said, "He [the Polish ambassador] is a tough negotiator, but I'm confident we will reach an agreement that is best for both countries." The legendary pop singer said that "[she] would come back [to Miami] every summer if [she] could." My textbook says, "The explorers traveled down the Mississipi [sic] River."

Subjective vs. Objective Pronouns

Subjective and objective pronouns are what really determine which phrase to use. Subjective pronouns refer to the subject of the sentence, or what the sentence is about. Objective pronouns tell us who is doing or receiving an action. Subjective pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they Objective pronouns: me, you, her, him, it, us, you, them Subjective and objective pronouns are used with different parts of speech. For example, an objective pronoun like "me" would follow a preposition like "with" or "between." But with a verb, you'd want to use a subjective pronoun like "I."

Syrup

Syrup is a Northeastern creation in the United States; it only stands to reason that it's pronounced differently there than anywhere else. In the Northeast corridor, people say "SEAR-up." Everywhere else, they say "SIR-rup."

What Does "TFG" Stand For?

TFG is an abbreviation that stands for "The Former Guy." TFG is specifically used to refer to former US President Donald Trump as a way to avoid mentioning him by name in online posts. TFG is typically used by people who oppose Trump to indicate disrespect for him, prevent additional attention, and avoid responses from his supporters. Example: I refuse to repost anything from TFG

Knuckle sandwich

Take your hand and fold it into a fist. Voila! Knuckle sandwich. Grandpa to Great-uncle Charlie: "If you tell dad I went to the submarine races instead of the library last night, I'll feed you a knuckle sandwich."

Maunder (MAWN-dər - verb)

Talk in a rambling manner. Origin: Unkown, early 17th century

Big Ben: "Elizabeth Tower"

Technically, "Big Ben" is only the massive 13-ton bell inside of the 19th-century clock tower overlooking London's Houses of Parliament. But the tower itself is "Elizabeth Tower," named after Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. Prior to this naming, the tower was simply the "clock tower," so naturally people tended to call the whole thing "Big Ben." The original Ben is unknown, but a few possibilities include Sir Benjamin Hall (a prominent civil engineer) or possibly heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt.

Fugacious (fyoo-GEY-shəs - adj.)

Tending to disappear. Origin: Latin, mid-17th century

Indolent (IN-də-lent - adj.)

Tending to laziness Origin: Latin, mid-17th century

Tennessee

Tennessee's name is a bit of a mystery. There was a Cherokee tribe located at a village called Tanasse (or possibly spelled Tennese), but any further origin is largely unknown. The state was named for the principal river, but the meaning of the word is considered to be lost.

A Novel Novel — and Other Homonyms Explained

Thanks to homonyms, you can sink a ship, but you can also ship a sink. Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings. This term comes from the Greek for homos- (same) and -onyma (name). An example of a homonym is the word "tire," which is a part of a car or a verb for growing weary. Homonyms are not to be confused with homophones, words that have the same sound but different spelling, such as "know" and "no" or homographs, words that have a different sound but the same spelling, such as "bass" (guitar) and "bass" (fishing). Since homonyms have the same spelling and pronunciation, they're more frequently confused. Let's take a look at some very different meaning homonyms.

Quondam (KWAN-dəm - adj.)

That once was; former. Origin: Latin, late 16th century

Is It Spelled "Gases" Or "Gasses"?

That pesky letter S can really confuse things when it comes to words that end in it, like "gas." Learn the correct spelling for whenever you hit the gas. The short answer: both gases and gasses are acceptable plural forms of gas. However, gases is much more commonly used and is often considered the standard form. The explanation: in many cases in English spelling, final consonants like the s in gas are often doubled when an ending such as -es, -ed, or -ing is added to the end of the word. For example, the word nag becomes nagged in the past tense. This spelling—with a double consonant—makes it clear the word should be pronounced with a short vowel sound. Otherwise, it may seem as though the word should be pronounced with a long vowel sound as it is in words with a silent -e that follows a consonant (like cave, kite, and rope). For example, doubling the r in bar when spelling barred (short vowel sound) avoids it being confused with the word bared (long vowel sound). Since gase is not a common word that may confuse things, we usually just pluralize gas as gases. The same applies to buses.

Glawackus

The "Glawackus" is a cryptid (mythical creature) from Glastonbury, Connecticut. The story of the Glawackus arose from real events: In the late 1930s, The Hartford Times reported that farm animals were being killed, but the cause was unknown. The Glawackus (a combination of "Glastonbury," "wacky," and "us") was coined when The Hartford Courant used it to explain the random animal deaths.

Canthus

The "canthus" is the inner point where your upper and lower eyelids meet. That's not all; the little red blob at the inner canthus is called the "lacrimal caruncle," or caruncula lacrimalis. It's the tear duct and helps keep your eyes moist.

Glabella

The "glabella" is the flat area above your nose and between your eyebrows. It's Latin for "smooth," which isn't exactly accurate, as many people sport the occasional hair, or even a unibrow. Here's a helpful tip: If you gently pinch and lift your glabella and it remains tented, that's a sign of dehydration.

Can You Dig This 1940s Slang?

The 1940s were a time of enormous change in the United States. America rebounded from the Great Depression, entered World War II, and benefited from advancing technology. The new words and phrases that came out of this era reflect these major developments. Many of the terms coined in that decade are still used today, but there are some interesting origin stories behind some of the slang terms that became popular in 1940s America.

Flashback to Some Slang Invented by the Hippie Generation

The 1960s were a time of political protest and cultural change, much of which is evident in the music, clothes, and movies of the time. With that came some far-out slang. A few of these words survived and became part of our everyday lexicon, while others are relics of a more psychedelic time. You might cry, "OK boomer," at some of these slang terms today, but in the 1960s, they were the height of cool.

The CSI effect

The CSI effect—named for the popular TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation—refers to an alleged phenomenon in which the popularity of such TV crime dramas has caused the average juror to place a greater importance on forensic evidence and technology. According to those who believe it is real, the CSI effect causes jurors to have the tendency of thinking that forensic evidence is required in every criminal case, is the most important evidence, and is never wrong. However, a number of independent researchers have disputed these conclusions, noting that the effect is not as pervasive as it is purported to be by many legal professionals.

The Dunning-Kruger effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a phenomenon in which a person's lack of skill or competency causes them to believe they are much more skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area than they actually are. The Dunning-Kruger effect is attributed to a cognitive bias caused by a lack of knowledge. Often, a person needs at least a minimal amount of knowledge about something in order to recognize their own lack of skill or mastery. A person who doesn't even have this bare minimum cannot recognize their own shortcomings and will greatly overestimate how skilled or knowledgeable they actually are. The Dunning-Kruger effect is named after the scientists who first researched it in 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger.

Hurricane

The English "hurricane" is an adaptation of the Spanish huracán. It was adopted into English in the mid-1500s after the Spanish and Portuguese explorers encountered these dangerous storms and needed a word to describe them. It was also likely originally adapted from an Arawakan word.

9 Words Removed From the Dictionary

The English language is comprised of thousands and thousands of words (more than 170,000 in the Oxford English Dictionary). But as language evolves and new vocabulary (including slang) is coined, older words that have fallen out of favor are continually revised, retired, and, sometimes, removed from dictionaries. Full compendiums such as the Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary are more likely to change the usage of a word by marking it as "archaic," "historical," or "obsolete." But smaller, or more specialized, dictionaries can be more particular. A "descriptivist" philosophy means the dictionary represents how language is used, and sometimes words drop out of the lexicon. So, is a word no longer a word once it's been removed from a dictionary? Maybe. Maybe not. Have you used any of these words recently?

How Other Languages Use Punctuation Marks

The English language uses the Latin alphabet — the "ABCs" that toddlers learn to sing. But along with those building blocks of words are the punctuation marks that add structure and nuance to sentences. While many languages that use the Latin alphabet have similar punctuation marks, there are many more languages and alphabets out there. Even when the role is the same (ending or pausing a sentence, for example), there are different symbols. Let's learn how some languages around the world punctuate sentences.

Why We Call A Horse A Pony and Other Interesting Animal Nickname Origins

The English language, especially American English, is a conglomeration of other languages, and everyday words and slang sometimes get misconstrued, leaving them with a new meaning. This type of mixup has happened a lot in the world of animal nicknames. "Bunny," for example, was intended for an entirely different animal, and the word "pig" is widely misused. From "bunny" and "kitty" to "puppy" and "pony," here are the fascinating origins of common animal names.

"I only have eyes for you"

The Flamingos' 1959 doo-wop ballad made this romantic idiom famous. If you're ready to settle down, you might utter this to suggest you desire no one more than the one you're with. The idiom's origin is unclear, but it's been commonly used since the 1800s.

Zeitgeist

The German suffix -geist is most directly linked to the English word "ghost" (hence, the word "poltergeist" — another German loan word). However, "ghost" and "spirit" are synonyms, and a different definition of the latter word has grown in popularity — as in, the spirit, vibe, or atmosphere of something. Enter "zeitgeist," which pairs zeit — meaning time — with spirit. The word means the spirit or mood of a historical period.

The Hawthorne effect

The Hawthorne effect refers to a phenomenon in which observed subjects tend to change their behavior if they are aware that they are being observed. For example, an experiment designed to see if video games improve reaction speed could result in better reaction speed performance by subjects simply because they want to succeed at the test. Modern science often attempts to minimize the impact of the Hawthorne effect on experiments. The name Hawthorne effect was coined in the 1950s by researcher Henry A. Landsberger. Landsberger analyzed experiments conducted in the 1920s and 1930s to test the effects of different lighting conditions on worker performance at the Western Electric's Hawthorne Work electric company located near Hawthorne, Illinois. No matter what changes were made, the subjects' performance always improved. Landsberger attributed this increased performance to the subjects being aware that they were being observed.

The IKEA effect

The IKEA effect refers to a phenomenon in which a person places a disproportionately high value on something they helped create. For example, someone will think more fondly of a dilapidated house they built themselves than a brand new one that they didn't. The IKEA effect is often applied more broadly to say that people are more invested in things they put effort toward. For example, a person might prefer a computer program that required them to set up a user account over an identical one that didn't. The IKEA effect is named after IKEA, a popular Swedish furniture brand that sells products that often require self-assembly. The name IKEA effect was coined by Harvard researchers in a 2011 study of the concept. According to the study, people were willing to pay more money for self-assembled products and placed a much higher value on items they had built themselves. Psychologically, the IKEA effect can be explained by people associating positive feelings with successfully completed projects and wanting recognition for their labor.

Et Cetera

The Latin phrase literally translates to "and the rest," and the abbreviation "etc." is still used to imply there are more similar items included in the list. It was first used in the Middle Ages and has remained one of the most persistent uses of Latin in modern English.

The Mandela effect

The Mandela effect refers to a phenomenon in which a large number of people share a particular false memory. The Mandela effect was named by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2009 after a particular experience she and others had involving false memories of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Broome and many other people have falsely remembered that Nelson Mandela died in prison during the 1980s when in reality he died in 2013, well after his release in 1990. Other common examples of the Mandela effect include the widespread false memory that the series of children's books was called the "Berenstein Bears" (the name is actually spelled "Berenstain") or that there was a Shazaam film starring comedian Sinbad (as opposed to the actual movie Kazaam, starring basketball star Shaquille O'Neal). Explanations for the phenomenon vary, with many of them crediting it to the confusion or conflation or multiple events. More extreme theorists explain these bizarre and widely shared false memories as being the result of alternate universes or timelines.

Massachusetts

The Massachuset tribe in the early 17th century likely numbered around 3,000 people living along what is now the Massachusetts coast. The name "Massachuset" means "at or about the great hill" in the Algonquin language. The Massachuset people were virtually wiped out by disease by the 1630s, but the state of Massachusetts was named after them.

Navy

The Navy, the branch of the armed forces that conducts operations at sea, got its name directly from the Old French term navie, meaning "a fleet of ships." It's been used in English since the mid-14th century and has retained its meaning for centuries. The color "navy blue" got its name from the dark blue uniforms worn by the British Royal Navy since the mid-16th century..

Sneeze

The Old English word "fnesan" means to snort. Styles of writing and penmanship later changed, and there was confusion between the letter "s" and the letter "f." Fnesan turned into snesan, and there you have the start of sneeze. Gesundheit!

Corsage

The Old French word corsage meant "bust, trunk, or body," but today, the word is used for an arrangement of flowers worn as a fashion accessory. Typically, corsages are worn by female-identifying members of the family during the wedding. They can be pinned on or worn on the wrist. The counterpart for male-identifying members of the family is a "boutonniere" — from the French word bouton, which means "button."

Nebraska

The Oto people (of the Siouan language group) used the word nebrathka to mean "flat river." We now call that river the "Platte River," and nebrathka was adapted for the state of Nebraska.

Bloop

The Real Housewives franchise has given us some of the sassiest reality TV vocabulary to date. NeNe Leakes of Atlanta uses the term "bloop" as a filler to mean basically whatever she wants, especially during an argument, or to add emphasis at the end of a statement. During the Season Three reunion in 2011, NeNe added a dramatic three "bloops" to the end of her argument, to let everyone know she was done speaking. The dictionary's definition of "bloop" is a little different than NeNe's. Officially, a "bloop" is a mistake, as in a "blooper," but dictionary definitions often catch up later to what slang and people have been doing for a while in their speech.

The Streisand effect

The Streisand effect refers to a phenomenon in which an attempt to hide or censor something causes that thing to get more attention than it would have otherwise. This term was coined by writer Mike Masnick in 2005 and is named after singer Barbra Streisand, who in 2003 attempted to have photographs of her home removed from an online research gallery. As a result of her legal action, Streisand unintentionally created much more interest in the photos than if she had done nothing. The name is now applied to cases in which this happens, especially when it involves a celebrity.

Great Britain vs. UK vs. England: Keep Calm And Learn The Difference

The United Kingdom (UK) is a country that consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The name Great Britain refers to the island on which most of the non-sovereign countries of England, Scotland, and Wales are situated. In casual use, the names Great Britain and Britain (and even sometimes England) are often used to refer to the UK even though Northern Ireland isn't geographically part of the island of Great Britain.

Doppelgänger

The accent mark suggests the word doppelgänger is German. The word refers to someone who has an uncanny resemblance to someone else, despite not being biologically related. In German, it means "double-goer" or "double-walker."

protean

The adjective protean [ proh-tee-uhn ] describes how something readily assumes different forms, shapes, or characteristics. Something that is protean is "extremely variable." This word originates from the name of Proteus, a minor Greek sea god who served under Poseidon. Proteus was prophetic and said to be able to gaze into the past, present, and future. However, he was pretty stingy with his knowledge, so most challengers would have to surprise him and wrestle him—while Proteus continually transformed into different (usually dangerous) shapes, such as a lion or a snake! If the challenger held on throughout the transformations, Proteus would answer their question truthfully before jumping back into the sea.

Great Pyramid of Giza: "Horizon of Khufu" or Akhet Khufu

The aptly named Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the ancient Egyptian pyramids. This structure was commissioned by the pharaoh Khufu, with construction beginning in 2550 BCE. The ancient Egyptians referred to the pyramid as Akhet Khufu, which means "Horizon of Khufu." Khufu's pyramid is also the oldest at Giza. The other two pyramids were built in the following years by the pharaohs Khafre (Khufu's son) and Menkaure. While the "Great" pyramid is the most well known at Giza, the names (by descending size) are Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder

The beauty of a person, place, view, or anything else is an abstract, subjective concept. The value is determined by the person who is experiencing it. Beauty is down to interpretation, and something uninspiring to one person could be breathtaking to another.

Shotgun!

The best seat in the car is shotgun — AKA the front passenger's seat. The term was inspired by America's Wild West stagecoach days. If you ever see a group sprinting across the parking lot while yelling "shotgun," chances are they're just trying to lay claim to this coveted spot.

the big bang

The big bang, according to the big bang theory, was a sudden massive burst of matter and energy that created the universe billions of years ago. This theory is the most prevalent origin story of the universe and has supporting evidence such as the presence of cosmic microwave background, space radiation whose only scientific explanation is that it is leftover from when the big bang occurred. Some multiverse theories speculate that the expansion that began with the big bang never stopped and that the universe is still expanding. Based on this inflation theory, it might be possible that the universe will continue to expand infinitely. This possibility leads to a multiverse theory in which "randomness" repeats and infinite "Earths" with infinite duplicates of "You" exist or will exist somewhere as the universe continues to grow indefinitely. Another multiverse theory based on the big bang is the bubble theory. This theory speculates that different parts of space-time expanded at different rates. According to the theory, these "bubbles" of space-time resulted in bubble universes with different laws of physics. This multiverse theory suggests that our universe is just one of the many bubble universes out there.

The bystander effect

The bystander effect refers to a phenomenon in which a person is less likely to take action during an emergency or crisis when they are among a group of people. This bystander apathy is often explained in psychology as being due to social influence and/or "a diffusion of responsibility," a condition in which the personal responsibility that an individual feels actually decreases when there are more people present. The concept of the bystander effect was popularized by researchers in the late 1960s, when it became strongly associated with the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese. That case drew widespread media attention due to reports that none of the many people who witnessed the incident attempted to intervene or call the police. However, these reports were later revealed to be inaccurate, and many popular myths formed around the incident.

When Democratic Presidential candidate Franklin Pierce ran for office in 1852, he took inspiration from his predecessor, James K. Polk. Pierce's campaign became, "We Polked You in '44, We Shall Pierce You in '52."

The cheesy slogan might induce an eye roll, but it seemed to work, as Pierce was the next Democratic candidate to enter the White House.

Istanbul, Turkey

The city of Istanbul can trace its name back to the Ottoman Empire. Originally known as Constantinople (for Roman emperor Constantine the Great), the city belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire but was captured by Ottoman forces in 1453. Although the Ottomans didn't officially rename Constantinople, citizens outside the city began to refer to it using the Turkish name Istanpolin, based on a Greek phrase eis tan polin meaning "into the city." Going back even further, the city was known as Byzantium. It is thought that the city was originally named for Byzas, a legendary Greek king who is said to have founded the city.

Cockpit

The cockpit is the section of the aircraft that is used by the pilot and co-pilot. It holds the controls and instrument panel used to fly the plane, and on commercial airlines, it is closed off to the rest of the cabin while in flight. This unusual word comes from the 16th century when it was used to describe an enclosed space for bird fighting (gamecocks), back when the sport was popular. In the early 1700s, it gained nautical usage, describing a midshipman's below deck compartment. Like other maritime terminology, it made its way into aviation handbooks in 1914, shortly after the invention of the airplane.

What Is The Opposite of Red ... And Why?

The color red is a primary color that sits at the far end of the visible spectrum of colors. In contrast, green is a secondary color, "a color produced by mixing two primary colors." Specifically, green is a mix of yellow and blue. In fact, every primary color (red, blue, and yellow) is opposite a secondary color (green, orange, purple) on the color wheel.

"In Route" or "En Route": Which One Gets You On Your Way?

The common phrase that means "on the way" is en route, as in The shipment is en route to its final destination. Because the en in the phrase can be pronounced as in or a lot like on, people sometimes mistakenly think that the phrase is spelled in route or on route. But the correct spelling is en route.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

The external appearance of a book gives almost no information compared to the thousands of words contained inside it. This idea applies to more than just books. A person's looks have very little, if anything, to tell you about who they are within.

Affect vs. Effect

The homophones "affect" and "effect" are easy to mix up because the meanings are similar, but they serve different functions. "Affect" is usually a verb, which means it's usually part of the action. Think of "activity or action" to check if "affect" belongs in a sentence. Example: Our fight affected my mood. (The activity of our fight affected my mood) "Affect" can be used as a noun, but it refers to emotion or behavior in a psychological sense and is not often used in everyday contexts. A doctor might describe the "flat affect" of someone with depression, for example. In contrast, "effect" is mostly used as a noun to highlight the result of an action. To confirm if "effect" belongs in the sentence, try putting an article, such as "the" or "a," before it. Example: The effect of the power outage was disastrous. Another infrequent exception, "to effect" is a verb meaning "to cause or bring about." Example: My goal was to effect change at the city council level.

7 Body Parts You Didn't Know Had a Name

The human body is amazingly complex, made up of 11 major organ systems, 206 bones, and more than 640 skeletal muscles. And that's before you get to the molecular level, where we have approximately 37.2 trillion cells. For some reason, though, we skipped over a few details in anatomy class when learning about the human body. For instance, what's the space between our eyebrows called? What about the one between your upper lip and nose? And is there a name for the white coloring at the bottom of your nails? The next time you're at the doctor's office, impress her by throwing out a few of these bodily names.

Kentucky

The land now called Kentucky was home to many different Indigenous tribes, so there are multiple possible name-origin stories, though they all have Native American roots. One suggests that it comes from the Wyandot tribal word for "plain." Another posits that it comes from the Haudenosaunee word for "prairie."

North and South Dakota

The land that makes up these states was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The Dakota Territory was created in 1861, and the individual North and South states were admitted to the union in 1889. But long before that, "Dakota" was the name of a Sioux tribe. The word also means "friend" or "ally" in the Sioux language.

Silent A words

The letter A is silent in a bunch of words that include -ea, such as bread, dread, head, thread, and spread. The letter A also remains quiet in a bunch of adverbs that end in -ically, such as basically, stoically, logically, frantically, fanatically, magically, and tragically. A few words also have a silent A at the beginning that doesn't seem to do much of anything, such as aisle and aesthetic.

Silent B words

The letter B likes to silently follow the letter M at the end of many words, such as in dumb, plumb, crumb, thumb, numb, succumb, lamb, limb, climb, tomb, comb, bomb, and womb. The letter B also seems to also slip in silently before the letter T in words like debt, doubt, and subtle.

Silent E words

The letter E quietly resides in the middle of the word vegetable. However, there are tons and tons more silent E's out there. The letter E often goes unpronounced at the end of many, many words that include but are certainly not limited to the words imagine, plaque, brute, debate, excite, make, due, true, crime, grace, goose, axe, die, dye, bike, eke, pie, use, toe, cage, dude, mute, candle, and adore.

Silent K words

The letter K is silent at the beginning of lots of words where it is followed by the letter N. Some examples of this include knife, knight, knob, knock, knit, knuckle, knee, kneel, knick-knack, knowledge, know, knot, and knoll.

Silent L words

The letter L is silent in the words including should, could, would, half, calf, chalk, talk, walk, folk, and yolk. The silent L in the word salmon is also pretty fishy.

Silent O words

The letter O is silent in some words that pair it with fellow vowels E and U, such as people, jeopardy, leopard, rough, tough, enough, trouble, and double.

Silent P words

The letter P is often silent in words that pair it with the letter S, as in psalm, psyche, psychology, pseudoscience, pseudonym, and corps. It is also silent in many technical words that include the prefixes pneumato-, pneumano-, and pneumo-, such as pneumonia and pneumatic. The letter P is also silent in a few other oddball words such as raspberry, receipt, and pterodactyl.

Silent Q words

The letter Q mostly makes its presence felt whenever it appears. The word lacquer seems to be the sole example of a word with a silent Q that we could manage to find.

Silent W words

The letter W gets tongue-tied around the letter R and is often silent when placed before it in words like wrack, wrench, wreath, wrestle, wrangle, wrist, wrong, wring, wrought, write, writ, wrinkle, wraith, wrap, wrath, wretch, wreck, writhe, wry, wrapper, and playwright. A handful of other words also feature a silent W, such as answer, sword, two, and who.

Silent Y words

The letter Y is another one that depends on pronunciation to be silent. For example, one pronunciation of the word beyond [ bee-ond ] could be considered to contain a silent Y.

Texas

The long-accepted origin of the name "Texas" is that it came from a Caddo word for "ally" or "friend," which was adapted by Spaniards into "tejas," which turned into "Texas." There have been some different spellings (and possibly entirely different stories), but Texans are happy to stick with the Indigenous Caddo greeting teysha, meaning "hello, friend."

"Explicit" vs. "Implicit": What's The Difference?

The main senses of explicit and implicit are opposites. Explicit describes something as being expressed directly without anything being implied. Implicit describes things in which a meaning is implied or hinted at rather than being expressed directly. Explicit and implicit also have other specific meanings that are not necessarily opposites.

the many-worlds interpretation

The many-worlds interpretation, also known as the Many-Worlds Theory, is a theory about the existence of other worlds or a multiverse. According to this idea, every possible event that could happen exists in another world. For example, if you roll a six-sided die and it comes up as a four, the MWI theorizes that there exist five other worlds where the other five rolls happened. Out of all multiverse theories, this one is especially tempting to scientists because it doesn't imply that many random universes somehow exist. Randomness is a problematic concept in science, and this theory addresses it by suggesting all the universes exist. Also, it is possible to test this theory-albeit using methods that are much too complicated to go into here. Still, even this multiverse explanation remains entirely theoretical until we make new discoveries in quantum mechanics.

Fine

The most opulent and luxurious items in the world may be described as fine - fine furs, fine furniture, and fine silks, for example. But a satisfactory or just good enough performance may be deemed "fine" with a dismissive shrug.

chickadee

The multiple North American birds known as chickadees belong to the titmouse family. The black-capped chickadee and the Carolina chickadee are both common and are almost identical, so most birders distinguish them by song or call. The call of the black-capped sounds like "chicka-dee-dee-dee."

Cuzco, Peru

The name of the city of Cuzco, or Cusco, comes from the Quechua language and is said to mean "navel." The city of Cuzco was the central city and the capital of the Inca empire. Cuzco is still often referred to as "The Navel of the Earth" to highlight its historical importance.

Capitalize days, months, and (sometimes) seasons

The names of days and months should be capitalized, such as January, September, Wednesday, and Sunday. A season should be capitalized when it's being used as part of a proper noun as in Winter Olympics. In poetry and other literature, personification is giving an animal, inanimate object, or abstract notion the qualities and attributes of a human. When a season is used this way, it should be capitalized. (Take, for example, how Charles Mair uses summer in a poem: "We will muse on Summer's ploys.")

Capitalize holidays

The names of holidays, such as Christmas, Halloween, and Hanukkah, are capitalized because they are considered proper nouns. You would not, however, capitalize a season: Christmas season. But if you add day to a holiday, you would capitalize this word: New Year's Day and Christmas Day. Similarly, you would capitalize the word eve in holidays such as Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

The Indigenous Language Roots of the United States' Names

The names of the 50 states are as diverse as the people and cultures within them. While the exact etymology of these names has been debated and in some cases even lost over the years, almost half of them owe tribute to the Indigenous tribes that lived on the continent long before state borders existed. While the relationships between modern America and Indigenous tribes are complicated at best, a trip through the roots of the state names reminds us of our rich, diverse history.

ad nauseam

The nausea in this word should provide a context clue; this is Latin for "to a sickening degree." You might refer to your friend going on and on about his new girlfriend, ad nauseam.

The placebo effect

The placebo effect refers to the well-known phenomenon in which a person's belief in a placebo's healing properties actually causes an improvement in health. A placebo is a substance that has no beneficial health effects, but a person taking it believes or is told that it does. While we don't know exactly why the placebo effect exists, scientists agree that it is likely due to mental factors, such as pain or depression being alleviated because the brain expects that to happen (and thus causes it to actually happen), combined with the performance of a ritual (taking a pill at the same time each day, for example).

California: "Eureka"

The single word "Eureka" has appeared on the California seal since 1849 (though it didn't become the official motto until 1963). A Greek word meaning "I found it," the motto is a reference to the discovery of gold in the state in the 1800s. According to legend, the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes exclaimed "Eureka!" when he discovered a way to determine the purity of gold.

Hawaii

The state of Hawai'i is made up of eight islands named Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui, Kaho'olawe, and the Big Island of Hawai'i. There are many myths and legends about the origins of these names, but "Hawai'i" is believed to come from Hawaiki, the former name of Raiatea, the ancestral home of Polynesians.

Status Quo

The status quo as often used as a replacement for "same old, same old." In Latin, the original phrase, in statu quo, translates into "the state in which." It's an even shorter take on a longer phrase that meant "in the state in which things were before the war." In other words? Maybe the status quo isn't always a bad thing.

GTL

The summertime residents of Seaside Heights taught viewers all there was to know about The Jersey Shore lingo, most memorably the acronym "GTL" — Gym, Tan, Laundry. This essential list was the backbone of the daily activities on the MTV reality show that ran from 2009-2012.

Tarmac

The tarmac refers to the paved area where planes take off, land, and taxi. The word "tarmac" is actually a shortened version of "tarmacadam." Tarmacadam is used to describe a type of pavement made out of crushed stone, covered in tar. Any area at an airport that is surfaced with this material can be called the tarmac. The word was named after Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam, who invented "macadam" (the earliest form of this pavement) in the 18th century.

Afghanization

The term Afghanization is most prominently used in the context of US forces in Afghanistan, particularly in the lead-up to and during the withdrawal of those forces in 2021. Specifically, it refers to the US strategy of attempting to return political and military control to Afghan forces. The term is also used separately to refer to ethnic and language assimilation within the country.

Africanization

The term Africanization can be used in a variety of ways. It can mean "to bring under African, especially Black African, influence or to adapt to African needs" or more specifically, "to make African, especially to give control of (policy, government, etc.) to Africans." It is commonly used to discuss postcolonial Africa and post-apartheid South Africa. In this context, Africanization refers to restoring political, economic, and civil power to Black Africans.

amicus curiae

The term amicus curiae, which in Latin literally means "friend of the court," refers to a person who is not a formal party in a case but who submits information to the court in the form of a document known as a brief of amicus curiae or amicus curiae brief (the term amicus curiae is sometimes informally used as a short way of referring to this brief). Typically, an amicus curiae advises the court on a complex law or confusing technical matter. A party considered an amicus curiae often volunteers their advice, but the Supreme Court may also invite an amicus curiae to offer their expertise or opinion. In many cases, such advice is provided as a way of urging the justices to support a particular decision. During each term, the Supreme Court typically accepts many hundreds and possibly over a thousand amicus curiae briefs across all cases. In particular, cases that involve controversial issues often result in a very large number of interested individuals and groups submitting amicus curiae briefs to the Court in an attempt to influence the decision. These briefs can be very influential and some may even be cited by the justices when delivering their written opinion.

"Bull Market" vs. "Bear Market": What Do These Financial Terms Mean For Your Wallet?

The term bull market is applied to a market (especially a stock market) in which prices are, on average, rising. A bear market is the opposite—one in which prices are falling. At any given time, the market is usually described as one or the other—with bull and bear markets alternating as part of an ongoing cycle.

nullification

The term nullification refers to a legal theory that argues that states have the power to ignore or nullify federal laws that they believe to be unconstitutional. Throughout US history, there have been several noted instances in which states unsuccessfully attempted to nullify federal laws. For example, in 1957 the state of Arkansas attempted to ignore the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that stated segregation in public schools was illegal. In response, President Dwight Eisenhower deployed the US Army to enforce federal law. Unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that states do not have the power of nullification. This hasn't stopped states from attempting to use nullification to ignore federal laws they disagree with. Even in modern times, attempts at nullification have ultimately proven unsuccessful and typically face strong resistance and condemnation from the Supreme Court.

observable universe

The term observable universe is used to refer to the portion of the universe we can see or could possibly see. Basically, the observable universe is everything we can see using devices like telescopes, probes, or other astronomical equipment. When discussing the possibility of a multiverse, the answer seems to lie outside the observable universe. As far as we know, there are no "bizarro Earths" out there or galaxies with different laws of physics. So, a multiverse theory may suggest that parallel worlds, galaxies, or universes exist beyond the limits of the observable universe that we can see.

swatting

The term swatting refers to the practice of initiating a law enforcement response on an unsuspecting victim. Though swatting results in real-world actions, it often originates online or with the aid of digital means, such as by using software to anonymously contact 911 and report a threat or illegal activity at the target's residence. The practice is especially used to target public figures. The word is based on the term SWAT, referring to the special police tactical units that respond to emergencies. Obviously, swatting is extremely dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of such scenarios, when law enforcement officials believe they are entering a highly dangerous situation.

Capitalize major words in a title

The titles of books, songs, newspapers, and works of art should all be capitalized. Examples include Moby Dick, "Jailhouse Rock," New York Times, and The Last Supper. If you need help knowing specifically which words get capitalized in titles of creative works, check out our helpful guide to title capitalization.

"Brake" vs. "Break": Halt Everything And Learn The Difference

The verb break is the one used in the context of something being broken or divided into pieces or fragments. It's also commonly used to refer to a rest period, which is the sense used in the phrase take a break. The noun brake is the one that refers to the device used to slow down vehicles like cars (in which it's called the brake pedal) and bikes. As a verb, it means to use a brake to slow down or stop.

Philtrum

The vertical groove extending from the bottom of your nose down to the top of your upper lip is called the "philtrum." The depth, length, and width of the philtrum can be used in facial readings to derive certain characteristics; supposedly, a wide philtrum indicates luck.

Lunulae

The white semicircle at the base of your fingernails is called the "lunula." It gets its name from luna, Latin for "moon," because of its crescent shape. It's most noticeable on the thumbs, but many people's lunulae are covered by the cuticle (eponychium), so don't worry if you can't spot it.

Elope

The word "elope" comes from Middle Dutch (ont)lopen, meaning "run away." Today, not all couples who elope are running off for secret weddings. The term is also used to describe small, private weddings with just the couple, an officiant, and a few close witnesses.

Hack (tip, trick, or how-to)

The word "hack" is definitely one of the worker bees of the English language. With both verb and noun usages, it can mean rough cuts to an object, a writer who produces unimaginative work, how someone is coping, and a horse used for noncompetitive riding. But none of those are why "hack" is overused. As PC and internet usage became ubiquitous over the last quarter-century, it took on yet another meaning: "to use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system." In recent years, the word has been applied to any quick, novelty technique that helps people save time and be more efficient — often called a "life hack." Tech startups, the self-improvement community, and many entrepreneurs casually toss this word around as if everything their business does is some kind of "hack." At this point, it's just another corporate buzzword. "Tip," "trick," or "how-to" work just as well.

Americanization

The word Americanization is used to refer to two separate ideas. In the early 1900s, many advocated for "Americanizing" the large number of new immigrants who were entering the United States at the time as a way to instill cultural values considered quintessentially "American." During and after, this approach has faced criticism for forcing the loss of immigrants' original cultures. More currently, the word Americanization is often used to refer to the spread of American culture across the world, especially through American media and popular culture. This term can refer to the wide availability of American pop culture, which has been noted for its influence on many other nations' cultures.

Arabization

The word Arabization is used to refer to a process of promoting Arabic language and Arabic culture in education, government, and media. In particular, Arabization is often used to describe government policies that enforce this process in countries that were formerly under the control of non-Arab colonizers.

What Is The Difference Between "Equality" And "Equity"?

The word equality is defined as "the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability." The adverb equally is commonly used to describe things related to equality. The word equity is defined as "the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality" or "something that is fair and just." Equity also has several meanings related to finance and property law that aren't relevant for our discussion. The adjective form of equity is equitable.

Cachinnation

The word for laughter sounds very much like a serious condition, but it has Latin roots, like many medical terms. From the word cachinnare, use of "cachinnation" in English began in the early 18oos. Try using it with your friends, and it might just provoke even more giggles.

Loot

The word loot can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means "spoils or plunder taken by pillaging, as in war." As a verb, it means "to carry off or take (something) as loot." You might be familiar with this word already, but you may not know that it ultimately comes from the Sanskrit lōtra or lōptra, meaning "to rob, plunder."

Mosquito

The word mosquito fittingly translates from Spanish to "little gnat." It was a diminutive of mosca, meaning "fly," and has been used in English to describe these pesky blood-sucking insects since the mid-1500s.

What Is An "Oligarchy" & Where Does It Come From?

The word oligarchy comes from the Greek oligarchía and is formed from oligo-, meaning "few," and -archy, meaning "rule."

Pea

The word pea is actually known as a backformation, or a word created from an already existing and usually longer word. The original form of the green legume was "pease," with the plural being "pesen." However, "pease" was mistaken for the plural, and people quickly became used to calling the singular "pea." The mistake stuck around, and now "peas" is the plural of "pea."

"Venom" vs. "Poison": Which One Is More Harmful To You?

The word poison can refer to any substance that is inherently harmful to a living thing—especially a substance that's intended to be harmful. The word venom is more specific—it refers to a poisonous substance produced in the body of an animal and actively used to cause harm through injection, such as through a snake bite, a spider bite, or an insect sting. Venom is sometimes called poison in casual use, and animals that are venomous are sometimes casually described as poisonous, as in poisonous snakes. But in reference to organisms, there is a difference: poison is secreted through the skin or delivered through ingestion.

Processional

The word was first used in 15th-century churches to describe a book of hymns and directions used during religious ceremonies, but it became the traditional "Here Comes the Bride" moment. It refers to the group of people that walks down the aisle at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. The order of procession, the music, and other customs vary greatly depending on culture and religion. In modern ceremonies, many couples personalize the processional with music choices and adding participants such as children and pets.

"Wrack" vs. "Rack": Don't Torment Your Brain Over The Difference

The words rack and wrack are often used interchangeably in the contexts of destruction and torment. Rack is the more common choice (and often the one considered more standard) in expressions like racking my brain and nerve-racking, but wrack is also commonly used. In rack and ruin, rack is considered the standard choice.

Don't Send A Million Texts

The worst thing Is when Your friend Sends 16 texts Separately In the span of 30 seconds If you've ever been that person who forgot to silence their phone in a meeting, you're probably dying inside. Even reading that was annoying, wasn't it? Don't do this. Spare your loved ones. They will thank you.

Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is someone you'd expect to see on a list about made-up words. Some of them are silly, meaningless words such as "zummers" and "sneedle," while others have caught on — like "nerd." Yes, that's a Dr. Seuss word. Dr. Seuss didn't only invent words, he also contributed to changing the reading education system with his books. He created fun rhymes, lovable characters, and a basis for the phonics system used in schools.

All's Fair in Love and War

There are few experiences more extreme than being in love or involved in a war. Anything is fair under these circumstances. Using the phrase suggests that rule applies to all intense situations; any behavior is justifiable.

The Most Overused Words in English — And What You Should Use Instead

There are over a million words in the English language alone. Of those, an estimated 170,000 words are in current use in modern vocabulary. Even though there's an abundance of words at our disposal, people latch onto certain words or phrases and recycle their favorites. Some may like how a word sounds, or perhaps read it and felt it was a perfect descriptor. Or maybe it's a word that seeped into popular culture, appearing in seemingly every conversation. Instead of repeating yourself (again), let's look at some synonyms for the most overused words to use as substitutes

The Quiet "C"

There's a handful of words in English that make a fricative "s" sound like "sh" — usually only appearing in adjectives ending with "-cious" or "-cial," as in "ferocious" or "social." Of course, exceptions do pop up. The word "ocean" gets the "sh" treatment, and "ocelot" is pronounced with an "s." What have we learned about pronouncing the letter "c"? It wouldn't be English without a few exceptions.

LASER

There's a reason "LASER" goes by the acronym and not its full name — "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." It might make sense when it's written out, but that's a lot to remember.

Acnestis

There's an itch on your back that you just can't quite manage to scratch. It's right in the middle and always seems just a little out of reach — that spot is your "acnestis," quite possibly the reason back scratchers were invented.

Canola Oil

There's not a canola plant, but you can still find this all-purpose cooking oil in many a pantry. It comes from the rapeseed plant, but that's a loaded name to try to sell. Canadian scientists made the rapeseed oil better suited for cooking, and now you can purchase "Canada Oil, Low Acid."

Fiver/Tenner

These are fairly self-explanatory for anyone living in England. Two of the most commonly used denominations of currency are the £5 and £10 notes (£1 only comes in coins), colloquially known as fivers and tenners. We'll still give the award for Most Creative Currency to the Canadians, with the loonie and the toonie. Example: This bloke tried to charge me a tenner, but I gave him a fiver and ran.

Fiancé/Fiancée

These are the words used to describe the couple during the time of engagement before the wedding. A male-identifying partner is a fiancé and a female-identifying partner is a fiancée. This spelling rule comes from French, where the feminine version of the word requires an extra "e." The term comes from the Latin word fidus, meaning "faithful." In modern times, it has taken the place of "betrothed" as a noun.

sim sala bim

These magic words were made popular by the famous professional magician Harry August Jansen (1883-1955), also known as The Great Jansen or Dante, who used sim sala bim as the name of his touring magic show. Jansen was born in Denmark and immigrated to Minnesota with his family at age 6. Jansen used sim sala bim at the end in his show, saying the words meant, "A thousand thanks." (They are actually nonsense syllables from a Danish nursery rhyme.) He would tell the crowd that the larger the applause, the bigger the bow, and the more thanks that the sim sala bim symbolized.

Quotation Marks

These marks are used at the beginning and end of a quoted passage to set it off from the rest of the sentence. The Chinese, Filipino, and Hindi languages handle quotation marks the same way American English does, but others take a different approach. Several language systems, including German, Dutch, Hungarian, Hebrew, Romanian, and Icelandic, use one quotation mark at the bottom and one at the top at either end of the quoted text („..."). French, Greek, Italian, and Spanish occasionally use angular quotation marks, called guillemets («...»). The marks are flipped in the Danish language (»...«). In traditional Chinese, quotation marks appear like little bars on either side of the quote (「...」), but in simplified Chinese, the Western-style quotation marks are used.

Gobbledygook

Think back to reading a complicated instruction manual, or perhaps listening to a high-level college math lecture. For many of us, those might as well have been "gobbledygook." Former Texas Congressman Maury Maverick, who was then the Chairman of the Smaller War Plants Corporation, coined this word in a 1944 memo. He banned his staff from using bureaucratic language, writing, "Stay off the gobbledygook language. It only fouls people up. For the Lord's sake be short and say what you're talking about." The neologism became so instantly popular that just a few months later, Maverick was quoted in The New York Times Magazine, defining the word as, "talk or writing which is long, pompous, vague, involved, usually with Latinized words."

More Bang for Your Buck

This American expression refers to getting a good deal, but the origins are a little more sinister. President Dwight D. Eisenhower coined the phrase in the 1950s, with the aim of expanding America's armed forces while decreasing military spending.I IC l bqb

Vanilla

This Mexican native plant was named vainilla (little pod) in Spanish, describing both the orchid plant and its fruit. "Vanilla" was then adopted into English in the mid-1600s to describe the flavoring extracted from the pods of the plant.

Khleb da sol

This Russian expression - Хлеб да соль - literally means "bread and salt." While it's traditional for Russians to greet guests with literal bread and salt, they also just use this expression as a means of communicating good will towards a host's household. Bread is among the most respected of foods in Russian culture, and salt means "long friendship to them." It's also related to the expression "zdravstvuyte" (здра́вствуйте), which relates back to the root expression "to be healthy or well." This culture recognizes that health and bounty are among our greatest gifts as humans, and greet one another as such.

preemption

This brings us to the concept of preemption. In law, the term preemption refers to the legal fact that the decision of a higher court replaces or preempts the decision of a lower court. If the decisions of a higher court and a lower court disagree, the higher court's decision overrules the lower court's decision, which is thrown out. In US law, the legal justification of preemption is established in the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. In the US, the Supreme Court is the highest federal court. This means that any decision it reaches overrides any decisions made by any lower court in the nation. The Supreme Court has the highest level of federal preemption and its decisions override all state laws that contradict its rulings. As a result, state law is often carefully crafted to agree with Supreme Court precedents and rulings.

Crazy (passionate, excited, bonkers, absurd, or bananas)

This can seem like a catch-all adjective for everything from "extremely enthusiastic" to "extremely annoyed" to downright "foolish." People often use it as an adverb, too, as in "I've been crazy busy," or the informal "I was laughing like crazy." But the word also has a stigma attached to it, with a connotation related to mental health. Try to challenge your casual use of this term, especially when describing any behavior that doesn't seem to fit a standard of "normal." Pull out a more descriptive synonym. Maybe it's more appropriate to use "passionate," "excited," "bonkers," "absurd," or a silly option like "bananas." With over a million words at your disposal, are plenty of better options.

Greaser

This could be a compliment or a disparaging nickname. It could describe a fella who put a lot of product in his hair to make it shiny. This person might also like muscle cars and the associated grease. "Sue, are you dating a greaser? We heard you were necking at the drive-in."

Indigo

This deep blue-violet color is likely named after India. As far back as 4000 BCE, traders were sourcing indigo pigments from India. In ancient Greek, the dye was called "Indian dye," later adapted into Latin as indico.

Wanderlust

This dreamy word refers to a desire to see the world and travel. The translation is quite literal. Wander comes from wandern — meaning to wander, while "lust" is another word we've borrowed in English to describe desire. Germans today use the word fernweh to describe a sense of longing for a place you haven't been to yet.

Black Tie

This dress code designation became popular in the 1930s as daily fashions were becoming more casual. Generally, black tie is reserved for very formal, evening weddings. Guests should be thinking of floor-length gowns and tuxedos. There is technically one category of dress even fancier than black tie — white tie — but modern couples normally don't choose this.

Vice Versa

This early 17th-century Latin expression means "in-turned position." Modern English speakers use it to indicate things two things that are completely interchangeable, such as, "I can housesit for you this weekend, vice versa the next weekend."

Jumped the Shark

This fishy phrase hails back to the 1970s, when the Fonz literally jumped over a shark during an episode of the comedy show Happy Days. Fans declared this scene as the official moment when Happy Days had run out of fresh, creative, and believable ideas. But the phrase stuck, and it's still used to describe anything that undergoes a rapid and steep decline in quality.

Bona Fide

This hopeful expression translates to "with good faith" in Latin. It's used today to describe anyone or anything that is legitimate or has strong credentials. In fact, the word has been reworked into a slangy noun - suggesting someone has "bonafides" means they come with strong recommendations or demonstrable wins under their belt.

Cooking with Gas

This idiom originated in the early 1940s as an advertising slogan. As gas stoves began to replace wood-burning stoves, the phrase conveyed the superiority of using gas power. "Cooking with gas," meant behaving more efficiently and productively. The slogan was likely coined by Deke Houlgate, an employee of the American Gas Association. He wrote the line and passed it along to comedians Bob Hope and Jack Benny, who used it in radio ads throughout the 1940s.

Egg

This is a reflection of the Northern Cities Shift in vowel pronunciation. While most people pronounce egg with a short "e," some Northerners (those who've come in contact with Canadian accents) pronounce it with a long "a" sound, like "ague."

Alienism

This is an obsolete term for psychiatry, which is the study and treatment of mental illnesses. It's a fair assumption this term was phased out due to the offensive connotation of connecting the word "alien" with mentally ill patients.

Antidisestablishmentarianism

This is the original long word — the one you learned on the playground in elementary school to impress your friends. "Antidisestablishmentarianism" refers to dissension against the philosophy of separation between church and state, particularly the separation of the Anglican church and the civil government. Since this word has a very specific usage, it's not often used anymore. Still, it's considered one of the longest English words at 28 letters.

Queys

This is the plural version of the Scottish term "quey" that is interchangeable with the word "heifer" for a young female cow. Its Middle English root quy came from the Old Norse language.

Tussication

This is the real name for a small action we call "coughing." The Latin form of the word is tussis, and we refer to the medical condition of whooping cough as "pertussis."

bona fide

This means genuine, or real. You may call someone a bona fide expert, or claim someone is a bona fide friend.

Crash

This means to stay over at someone's house, usually for free and probably on the couch. When "crashing," keep in mind this old piece of wisdom: What do fish and houseguests have in common? They both start to go bad after three days.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

This one is for the window shoppers. "Floccinaucinihilipilification" means "the action or habit of estimating something as worthless." While the word is mostly used as a curiosity (such as when you're discussing very lengthy words), it can still be handy when you need to confound someone with your estimation of their garage sale haul.

Pash

This one is slang for a deep kiss, and likely stems from a short form of the word "passionate."

Endangered Species

This one is still used regularly, but it came into vogue during the '60s when people started becoming more environmentally conscious. The term refers to animals, plants, and other living things whose continued existence is in danger.

Pawn off

This one is tricky because you could indeed get rid of unwanted items in a pawn shop. Except the correct usage is "palm off," and it means to trick someone into doing something so you don't have to.

Gas

This one is used to describe something or someone outrageously fun. "That guy last night at the party was a gas!"

Deep seeded

This one kind of makes sense — a seed is planted deep in the ground. But the metaphor is still wrong. The correct phrase is "deep seated," to mean it's rooted in place and likely hidden.

TASER

This one originated in a pulp fiction series. It stands for Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle, named after the title character's weapon in the 1911 book of the same name (by Victor Appleton, apparently a pseudonym). The weapons' functionalities differ, but it's interesting how fiction finds its way into real life.

Silent F words

This one will depend on how you pronounce the word fifth, which has two common pronunciations: one in which both F's are pronounced and one in which the second F is not (as if it were spelled "fith"). As far as we know, this silent F pronunciation of fifth is the only example in English of a word with a silent F.

Screen

This one's a bit of hide and seek. You may screen off something you want to keep private, or screen someone's phone calls. We also use "screen" to highlight big, public displays, like announcing you're going to screen your new movie for an audience. You definitely don't want to mix up the two.

Gamboge

This pigment covers a range of yellow from deep saffron to mustard yellow. The easiest reference is to picture the robes of Buddhist monks. The natural dye is sourced from the gum resin of various Southeast Asian trees.

Zucchini

This quirky word pops up because it's Italian in origin and doesn't follow the typical rules of the English language. The double "c" and rhythmic "i-n-i" make this veggie a tough one to crack. (If you just can't remember this one, follow the Brits and call it a "courgette.")

Lewk

This re-spelling of "look" retains a similar meaning, with some added flare. According to stylist Brad Goreski from the Rachel Zoe Project, "A 'lewk' is like, 'I'm wearing a lewk today,' it's something that everybody will notice. It's like you're out of the pages of a magazine, that's a lewk." The celebrity stylist coined the term around 2010 and also made "werking" (an exaggerated form of "working") popular. The term "lewk" became so popular that Merriam-Webster featured it in its "Words We're Watching" series in 2019.

fait accompli

This refers to something everyone expects, or has already been decided. It's fait accompli that the governor will run for re-election.

modus operandi

This refers to the particular way of doing something. A written manual will lay out the modus operandi.

dragon's blood

This shade of red has a great name, but we're sorry to disappoint you: it doesn't actually come from dragons. Dragon's blood is also sometimes called Pompeian red, and it's a "dull, grayish red." The color is associated with the deep-red resin that exudes from the fruit of palms, like the Malaysian palm and the dragon tree. It was first recorded in English in the 1590s.

Qajaq

This spelling variation of the word "kayak" made headlines in 2014 when it was added to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. This word is found in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, described as a "more authentic" version of the original Inuit word.

status quo

This stands for the existing condition. Your manager may insist that the status quo isn't good enough, and he or she wants better results at work.

nugu

This word literally means "Who?" in Korean, and is used by fans to describe small and relatively unknown idol groups. A group like IVE would not be described as a nugu (누구) but the girl group Weki Meki would.

Momager

This word originated with the most famous "momager" in reality TV: Kris Jenner. A portmanteau of "mom" and "manager," it describes anyone who plays both roles. In 2017, Kris Jenner won the right to trademark the word, proving once and for all that she really is the ultimate momager.

Accept vs. Except

This word pair might be slightly debated as homophones, depending on the speaker's accent, but they are still easily swapped. Similar to "affect" and "effect," the rhyming "accept" and "except" function as different parts of speech. "Accept" is a verb, meaning to receive something, usually on behalf of a subject. Example: I'm thrilled to accept this promotion. Contrast that with "except," which works as a preposition. A preposition has many definitions, including "a word that introduces a noun." "Except" is used to set a noun apart from the rest of the sentence. Example: All of us are going to the concert, except Daniel.

Frigorific

This word was used to describe something that causes cold or is chilling. Today we still have "frigid," but the older cousin is no longer commonly used.

Prerogative

This word, meaning "the right or privilege exclusive to an individual," is often mispronounced by forgetting the first "r," turning the word into "PER-og-a-tive." When speaking it, pronounce that first "r" but put the emphasis on the second syllable: "pruh-RAH-guh-tive."

Chockers

This word, which rhymes with "shockers," is used to describe anything that's jam-packed or full. For example, you might say, "The subway was chockers on the way to work this morning."

Beggars Can't Be Choosers

Those reliant on the generosity of others must accept what they are given, and cannot influence what they receive. It's another way of telling someone they can't be too picky.

Culprit

Throughout the Middle Ages, the language of law was French. This particular word may have been created as a misinterpretation of a common abbreviation in legal documents, cul.prist. "Culpable: prest d'averrer notre bille," or "Guilty: we're ready to prove your indictment." As the years went on and English became more common, the abbreviations became harder to understand. It is most likely this confusion that created culprit as the guilty word we know today.

Capitalize honorary and professional titles

Titles like Mr., Mrs., and Dr., should be capitalized. When addressing someone with their professional title, you should use a capital letter at the beginning. For example, you'd address a letter to the president as Dear President Obama. Similarly, you should capitalize job titles when they come before a person's name, as in General Manager Sheila Davis will be at the meeting. Also use a capital letter when you're directly addressing a person by their title without using their name, as in We need the paper, Senator. On the other hand, titles are not capitalized if used generally as in Rebecca is the president of the company, or We talked with the queen, Elizabeth II.

Reckon

To "reckon" is to suspect or have a theory about something. It's made the journey from Great Britain to the American South, where it maintains the thoughtful usage. Example: I reckon it's going to rain today, and my team's going to lose.

Quaff (kwaf - verb)

To drink a beverage, especially an alcoholic one Origin: Unknown, 16th century

Absquatulate (ab-SKWACH-ə-late - verb)

To flee Or To take off with somebody or something Origin: American English, 1830s

Bribe

Today, a "bribe" is an offer (usually monetary) to influence the outcome of a situation. It comes from the Old French word bribe which was a morsel of bread given to beggars in the Middle Ages. It was derived from the verb briber, meaning "to beg." In the late 14th century, it retained a new meaning, closer to its modern one: "a thing stolen."

Tournament

Today, competitive folks can enter tournaments in everything from basketball to air guitar. The word "tournament" describes a series of contests in a game or sport. Back in the Middle Ages, a tornement (from Old French) was specifically a jousting contest between knights while on horseback. Its modern usage in French and English (for chess, not armored knights) has been around since 1761.

Pull Out the Map and Learn About These Toponyms

Traveling the world is an adventure, but learning about toponyms is one way to bring the journey home. A "toponym" is a word coined in association with the name of a place. Think of china place settings, or Swiss cheese. These are pretty recognizable, but here a few more toponyms you might not know are derived from place names. P.S. — An "eponym" is a word named after a person, such as "sandwich."

Tergiversation

Use this word with dodgy characters who try to evade duties, switch sides, or abandon a cause. "Tergiversation" refers to the act of attempting to shrug off responsibility, while the word it originates from — "tergiversate" — is a verb that means to "make conflicting or evasive statements," or to change one's loyalties.

Bummer

Used to convey disappointment. "Wow, that's a bummer your dad found out about the submarine races. How long are you grounded?"

Cirrocumulus clouds

Usually white, but sometimes gray, and very small. When there are a lot of them, the sky can look like fish scales (commonly known as a mackerel sky). They're most common in winter and tend to show cold, but fair, weather.

"Upmost" vs. "Utmost": Get On Top Of The Difference

Utmost is commonly used as an adjective meaning maximum, greatest, or to the highest degree—or as a noun meaning the best of one's abilities or the maximum limit. Upmost is a less common variant of uppermost and means highest or topmost, usually in terms of literal height.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve"

Utter romantics will relate to this expression, which means to openly share and reveal your feelings and emotions. Shakespeare is credited as the author, but it was the villainous Iago who used it in Othello to fake vulnerability instead of expressing any sense of romance.

The GIF Debate — What's the Big Deal?

Want to stir up the conversation at your next dinner party? Skip topics like religion and politics, and try asking people how they pronounce "GIF." For the uninitiated, a GIF is a type of image file shared online. Its distinguishing feature is the ability to combine several image frames into a single file, creating the illusion of animation. You've probably received one via email, text, or chat, and laughed. The pronunciation, however, is no laughing matter among designers, marketers, and web-savvy folks.

angst

We borrowed the German word for fear to give name to what teenagers often experience as they're trying to navigate new and big emotions.

Gelato vs. Ice Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt vs. Sherbet vs. Sorbet: Get The Scoop On The Difference

We casually call a lot of frozen treats ice cream. But according to US technical guidelines, ice cream must contain 10 percent milk fat. It's typically made with milk, cream, flavorings, and sometimes egg yolk. Gelato is similar to ice cream but typically contains less cream and air. Frozen yogurt uses yogurt as its primary ingredient rather than milk and cream. Unlike ice cream, sherbet uses fruit juice or fruit purée as its main ingredient and typically only has a small amount of dairy. Sorbet also uses fruit juice or purée as its main ingredient, but it doesn't contain any dairy products or eggs.

Words and Gestures To Say "Hello" Around the World

We have plenty of ways to greet one another in English - hey, hello, what's up, how's it going. Other cultures have their own customs for saying hello, and like us, some are more formal than others.

Mistake 3: commas—all the commas

We move from the apostrophe to possibly the most dreaded punctuation mark of all: the comma. It is hard to know where to even begin with commas, as they are the source of many, many grammar errors. To really master commas, you are best off checking out our amazing guide to proper comma usage. For now, we'll just look at a couple of common comma mistakes to avoid: Common comma mistake: the splice This mistake occurs when a comma appears where it shouldn't. When joining two independent clauses, a comma needs to be followed by a conjunction. But using a comma by itself (as in the first sentence below) is considered an error. ❌ Mistake: I like strawberry ice cream, my sister doesn't. ✅ Fixed: I like strawberry ice cream, but my sister doesn't. Common comma mistake: tricky subordinate clauses Subordinate clauses do not require a comma, and it is considered a mistake to use one. ❌ Mistake: Luke avoids cats, because he is allergic to them. ✅ Fixed: Luke avoids cats because he is allergic to them. Subordinate clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions, such as because, after, before, since, or although.

greige

What do you call "a warm beige color with gray undertones"? Greige, of course. This may sound like a trendy compound word that was invented by HGTV in the 2000s, but the color greige has actually been around for a while. Its name was first recorded in English as early as 1925, and it actually comes from the French grège, meaning "raw," which was used to describe silk.

Capitalize after the first word in a quote containing a complete sentence

When a quote is added to a sentence, it is introduced with quotation marks and a capital letter: When my father asked where I was going, I said, "Some of my friends are going to the movies." When the attribution is in the middle of the sentence, capitalization rules are also important: "The library is closed," he said, "but you can return your books in the drop box." In this case, the first word (the) is capitalized. Because the sentence continues after the attribution, the word but is not capitalized. Similarly, a colon may introduce a quote that comes after an independent clause. For example, "Bob seemed to like that idea: 'Yeah, let's do that!'" In this sentence, the words before the colon could stand alone as a complete sentence. The colon emphasizes the coming quote. If a quote contains a single word, a phrase, or an incomplete sentence, the first word typically isn't capitalized unless it is a proper noun. For example: He said that my approach to solving math problems was "unique." When asked, the mayor said the city "was prepared for all possible outcomes."

comeback

When an idol group releases new music, it's called a comeback. Comebacks usually take place every few months and include new promotions, hair colors, styles, music, etc. Era is another word used in this fandom to describe a comeback. Example: Did you hear that BTS are having a comeback in June?

What Are The 4 Types Of Brackets?

When considering punctuation marks, there are four pairs of marks that may be referred to as a type of bracket. They are parentheses, square brackets, curly brackets, and angle brackets. Of these four, parentheses are by far the most commonly used and are the punctuation marks that most writers are likely most familiar with. Although you may not get many chances yourself to bust out a pair of curly brackets or angle brackets, it doesn't hurt to learn what they are typically used for so they don't catch you by surprise.

Quid Pro Quo

When entering into a quid pro quo arrangement with someone, you're promising to do something for them, if they do something in return — it's a trade-off. In Latin, it literally means something for something, and it was coined in the 16th century as a medical term to swap out one treatment for another.

Comma Rule Number 5: Quotations

When someone is speaking or being quoted, a comma needs to precede or follow the speech. Depending on the order of the sentence, the comma can be inside or outside of the quotation marks. Example 5: "This jellybean cake is sublime," gushed the Michelin-starred chef. The waitress agreed, "It was truly delicious."

Puke

When something is described as puke colored, the mind runs to green, yellow, or any combination of your recent meals. But in the 16th century, the high-quality wool used to make stockings was called "puke" (from the Middle Dutch word puuc, meaning best grade of cloth), and so the deep brown dye used for the hosiery was also called "puke colored."

Cross-check

When the pilot asks the crew to "cross-check" before takeoff or deplaning, they're asking their flight attendants to verify that the cabin doors are armed or disarmed. Attendants first check their own doors and then cross-check their colleagues' doors. The doors are armed for takeoff, meaning that slides will automatically deploy if the door is opened. After landing, flight attendants must cross-check again to disarm the doors when approaching the gate, allowing passengers to deplane normally.

Mistake 7: dangling modifiers

When we use modifiers such as adverbial or participial phrases, we typically want to place them as close to the word they modify as possible. Otherwise, a sentence may end up with a type of mistake called a "dangling modifier." A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that either appears to modify the wrong things or seems to modify nothing at all. This common grammar mistake can result in confusing or unintentionally funny sentences. To fix these misplaced modifiers, you'll want to place them close to the word they modify and make it clear which word or part of the sentence they modify. For example: ❌ Mistake: While driving, a bear walked in front of my car. (Is a bear driving something?) ✅ Fixed: While I was driving my car, a bear walked in front of me. ❌ Mistake: Rubbing their hands together, the winter weather was harsh and cold. (Whoever is rubbing their hands is missing.) ✅ Fixed: Rubbing their hands together, the explorers tried to stay warm in the harsh and cold winter weather. ❌ Mistake: Yesterday, I found a stray dog in my underpants. (Was the dog hiding inside your underpants?) ✅ Fixed: While wearing just my underpants, I found a stray dog yesterday.

"You and I" or "Me and You"?

When you make plans with a friend, what do you say? You and I? Me and you? It's more complicated than just picking one based on preference. The rule for when to say "you and I" or "me and you" has to do with pronouns and how they work with other parts of speech. So which phrase can you use, and when?

Custom

When you're trying to make a custom order, you're probably thinking one-of-a-kind or bespoke. Yet "custom" also applies to the everyday customs, habits, and hobbies many of us practice, making this word extraordinarily ordinary.

Cattywampus/Catawampus

Whether it's spelled "cattywampus" or "catawampus," in the South it means something that is either literally or figuratively crooked. Some sources attribute it to Alabama, while others claim North Carolina, but it can be used all over the South to mean a big old mess.

Persona Non Grata

Whether the ex-spouse, or a disgraced celebrity, once labeled a persona non grata, they're simply not welcome. It's one of more recent Latin terms adopted into English, coming from what's called new Latin; it was first used around 1877.

"A Frenchman walks into a library and asks for a book on warfare. "The librarian replies, 'You'll only lose it.'"

Whether warranted or not, France is the butt of many historical warfare jokes. Just avoid telling the joke at a French restaurant.

What Does Babbling Mean to Babies?

Whether you love baby talk or roll your eyes when you hear someone babbling to a baby in public, this strange form of communication serves a real purpose. Baby talk is slow, high-pitched, and not necessarily understandable. It's also important to a baby's development. As you hold these babbling conversations with a baby, he or she learns that by making sounds, they can get you to respond. And that high, singsong voice tells them that if they smile at you, you'll respond positively. The slow speed and simple words of baby talk allow babies to listen to the words you say, so that one day they can eventually repeat them.

Cobalt

Whether you recognize this word as a color or a type of metal, it's rooted in German. Miners in the Middle Ages had a hard time extracting silver from another particular metal in the same area. Because of this difficulty, they were inspired to name the ore cobalt, after a mythological mountain demon named Kobald. Both the fictional demon and the metal proved to be devilishly tricky to deal with.

"The course of true love never did run smooth"

Whether you're dealing with unrequited love, a secret crush, or a lovers' quarrel, remember that every relationship is bound to hit a few bumps in the road. Even if your heart aches a bit, keep this Shakespearean phrase from A Midsummer Night's Dream in mind and look ahead to your happily ever after.

Freshmen / Sophomores / Juniors / Seniors

Whether you're in high school or university, American students typically progress through these levels, based on their year of study — a practice not followed outside of America. Interestingly, these terms originated at the University of Cambridge in England, only to fall out of favor until they were revived by Cambridge graduate John Harvard, when he, you guessed it, founded Harvard College.

Arkansas

While "Kansas" is tucked inside the spelling of this state, the two names don't have the same origins. "Arkansas" comes from the French pronunciation of an Algonquin name for the native Quapaw people, Akansa. It literally means "south wind" or "downstream," appropriate in the sense that the Quapaw people lived just downstream from the much larger Algonquin tribe. The spelling and pronunciation were all over the place until the state passed a law in the 19th century, spelling it as "Arkansas" but pronouncing it as "AR-kan-saw."

How To Speak English — In Great Britain

While English is spoken on both sides of the pond, the accents and even grammar vary drastically. For some Americans, "British English" means the firm elocution and hard consonants of Downton Abbey. Others think of the strong, round vowels of Birmingham-set Peaky Blinders. Travel around Great Britain (or explore its TV programs) to encounter the variety of accents, dialects, and grammatical differences within British English, spoken in England, Scotland, and Wales. Read on for tips on how to identify which British accent you're hearing.

Jughandle/Michigan Left

While Massachusetts drivers use "rotaries," New Jersey drivers use "jughandles," a specific kind of traffic loop. If an intersection doesn't allow left turns, a driver can proceed through the intersection to the jughandle — a right turn that loops them back around to the intersection to go straight through, completing what would have been the left turn. Across the country, visitors to Michigan might be confronted with the "Michigan Left," a traffic pattern that must be experienced to be understood.

Ballpark

While a professional ballpark is defined by the baseball diamond, the outfield, the stands, the concessions, and the walls around it, neighborhood fields might not have the same boundaries. You can play ball anywhere, including in the street, an open field, or a backyard. So when the word "ballpark" is used off the field, it usually means you're in the right general area, but maybe not within set boundaries. You can ballpark an estimate, hit something out of the ballpark, or meet someone's guidelines by being in the same ballpark.

"A" Before "E" — Homophones You Need to Know

While much of today's written correspondence receives the benefit of spellcheck, it's still dangerously easy to make a grammatical gaffe by swapping out commonly confused words. Some of the most easily confused homophones swap the vowels "a" and "e" at the beginning of the words. Give yourself a lesson on the most common examples to save you a headache when you're writing an email.

RADAR

While the term started out as an acronym, "radar" is a technology used for many things, defined as "a system for detecting the presence, direction, distance and speed of aircraft, ships and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source." The acronym stands for "RAdio Detection And Ranging." While the technology was developed over years by many scientists, Scottish physicist Robert Watson-Watt discovered its use for detecting enemy aircraft during WWII. While it's still used in these sorts of military and detection contexts, it can be used more casually and metaphorically — "Hey, I want to put this project on your radar."

Varsity

While the term varsity is now strictly used in the high school sense, the word actually comes from university. It's a shortening and misspelling of the word, based on an archaic pronunciation. What lessons have we learned here? In English, no mistake is really a mistake. Just stick to your guns and say something long enough, and loud enough, and it will become a word.

Statue of limitations

While there's no "statue" dedicated to limitations, there is a "statute (law) of limitations" that dictates how long justice can legally be served after a crime was committed.

Dude

While this slang word for "man" or "guy" is now most closely associated with SoCal surfer types, its origins date back to the 19th century, when posh East Coasters trekked out West for a cattle ranch vacation. It's been picked up somewhat by other English speakers, but "dude" still has a truly American vibe.

hell

While this word may call to mind Christianity and the realm of demons and condemned souls, hell is also associated with another concept of the underworld. According to Norse mythology, the prominent god Odin appointed the goddess and daughter of Loki, Hel, to preside over the realm of the dead. Hel's name subsequently became associated as the word for the underworld itself. The word hell entered Old English sometime before the year 900 CE.

weird

While weird today generally means "bizarre" or "unusual," its older use has been to refer to something that is "uncanny" or relating to the supernatural. This links into the original definition of weird, or then wyrd, as being able to control fate or destiny. The Old English derivation of the Germanic word was first recorded before 900 CE as wyrd; then in Middle English as the phrase werde sisters, which referred to the Fates. According to Greek mythology, the three goddesses known as the Fates control the destinies of the lives of man. In the early 1600s, Shakespeare's Macbeth, used werde sisters to refer to these witches in the play.

Mistake 2: who or that?

Who is back again to confuse us. Who and that are another pair of pronouns that can be easily mixed up. Generally speaking, who is used to refer to people (and possibly named animals) and that is used to refer to non-living things (and possibly unnamed animals). For example: Who lives here? (refers to a person or people) I never want to see that again. (refers to a thing or unnamed animal) Both who and that can also be used as relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses that describe nouns. As before, who is typically used to refer to people while that is used to refer to objects. I sat by the girl (person) who was wearing a hat. Kelly bought a car (object) that has good gas mileage. That being said, that is often used to describe people in informal writing. For example: He just met the girl that moved in next door. Most style guides recommend avoiding using that in this way in formal writing.

Bonbonnière

Why say "Jordan almonds" when you could call it a bonbonnière? In 19th-century Europe, aristocrats would send their wedding guests home with a small gift called a bonbonnière (bomboniere in Italian). The term comes from the French word bon-bon, or sugary confections. Today, this word might be used as a fancier way to describe wedding favors.

Corybantic (kor-ə-BAN-tik - adj.)

Wild; frenzied. Origin: Latin, 17th century

From 'Blusher' to 'Bonbonnière' — Do You Know These Wedding Terms?

With wedding season upon us, it's time to take a look at some of the lingo that makes the big day possible. As weddings become more creative and personalized, some of the more traditional elements are falling away, while some ceremonial features are finding new life. To help you navigate your next nuptial event like a seasoned guest, we've rounded up some of the most essential words of the season.

7 Words You're Probably Pronouncing Wrong

With words borrowed from myriad sources and root languages, along with some plain old made-up words, English pronunciation rules aren't really rules. You can try to sound out words phonetically, but you're just as likely to be wrong as you are right. Sometimes you only know words from reading, and you've never heard the correct pronunciation. Be proud of that! It means you're well read.

quantum

Without getting too technical, the word quantum is used in physics to describe really small quantities of energy. Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics, is a subscience of physics that studies subatomic particles and matter. Based on our current understanding of science, quantum mechanics seems to be the most likely route through which we may be able to explore whether or not the multiverse is scientifically possible. Once you start looking at things at the subatomic level, the normally impossible seems to become possible. For example, the study of quantum mechanics has proven it is entirely possible for an atom to exist in two different places at the same time. Scientifically, this would suggest the idea of multiple identical universes existing simultaneously may be possible, and most multiverse theories rely on quantum mechanics to support the argument that the multiverse is possible.

Why the Hard "G" Is Correct

Words that start with the letter "g," followed by a vowel and then the letter "f," are consistently pronounced with a hard "g," such as "gaffe" or "guffaw." In fact, most single-syllable words that start with a "g" use the harder sound — like "gas" or "gone." And given that the word "gift" is closest to "GIF," it tracks that they should sound the same. Some people also argue that because the "g" stands for a hard "g" word (graphic), it should play a role in the pronunciation (although that's not accurate for all acronyms).

Vacuum

Words with unusual vowel patterns tend to break our brains, and vacuum stands almost alone. There are a handful of words that contain a double "u" (not a "w") - like continuum - but vacuum is probably the one we mix up the most. If you've ever been stumped by which letter repeats - the "c"? the "u"? the "m"? - rest assured, you're not alone.

"Worse" vs. "Worst": Get A Better Understanding Of The Difference

Worse and worst are both forms of the word bad. Worse is what's called the comparative form, basically meaning "more bad." Worst is the superlative form, basically meaning "most bad." Worse is used when making a comparison to only one other thing: Your breath is bad, but mine is worse or The situation was bad and it just got worse. Worst is used in comparisons of more than two things: Yours is bad, mine is worse, but his is the worst or That was the worst meal I've ever eaten.

Do Babies Like Baby Talk?

Yes! Babies love baby talk. Have you ever noticed that when you talk in that babbling voice, babies smile and get really excited? They try to talk back to you and wave their arms and legs. However, babbling doesn't just make babies feel good. They like it because it makes them feel closer to you. You're speaking their language — and baby talk is a language. One study found that mothers across the world used a higher-pitched tone with their babies, that it called "Motherese," although we like the more inclusive term "Parentese." The most fascinating thing about Parentese is that it's a rare phenomenon of a common language spoken across almost every other language. Even if you don't understand the native tongue of the baby's parent, you can still identify baby talk when you hear it.

YAHOO!

Yes, even search engines and company names are acronyms. This one is "Yet Another Hierarchically Officious Oracle." This tech conglomerate is still hanging on, but its overly long name doesn't mean much anymore.

Could of

Yes, it may sound like "could of" when said out loud, but it's spelled "could've." It's a contraction of two words — could and have.

Deadhead

Yes, this is a fan at a Grateful Dead concert, but in the airline industry, a "deadhead" is the term used for a uniformed crew member who is flying, but not working. Deadheading happens often, as flight attendants are transported to their next assignment or back to their home airport after a shift. But it can sometimes cause confusion in the cabin, especially if a passenger asks the crew member to perform what would be a normal duty. So, if you see an airline attendant in a passenger seat taking a snooze or watching a movie, they aren't being lazy — they're just not on duty and are enjoying the flight as a passenger.

Gooseturd Green

Yes, this was a real color name cooked during the Elizabethan era. Like Drake's-Neck, this color is bird-inspired, and is a deeper reflection of a bird's anatomy. This bright, light green color was specifically used in fashion as part of sensational marketing tactics, in an effort to attract customers.

Australian Slang, Explained

Yes, we technically speak the same language as Aussies, but if you've ever been Down Under, you'll quickly realize they have their own unique lexicon, complete with quirky slang words. Brush up on your Aussie vocab with this fun guide to Australian slang.

Sattva

Yet another religious term that comes from Sanskrit is sattva, meaning "goodness or purity." In Sanskrit, sattva literally means "being, essence, reality." Sattva is a concept that you may have come across in the word Bodhisattva, meaning "a person who has attained prajna, or Enlightenment, but who postpones Nirvana in order to help others to attain Enlightenment."

"Advice" vs. "Advise" - What's The Difference?

You can remember that advice is a noun spelled with the ending -ice because it also rhymes with ice, which is also a noun. You can remember that advise is a verb because it rhymes with advertise, which is also a verb.

Please, Stop Saying "Could of"

You can say it, but that doesn't mean you should. To the dismay of grammar nerds everywhere, "could of" has been added to multiple dictionaries, with a caveat denoting it as a colloquial term. It's used a lot, and it doesn't seem to matter that it's used mistakenly. For hundreds of years, people have written "could of," so it had to be acknowledged at some point.

SCUBA

You can't get your SCUBA certification without learning what this acronym stands for. It means "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus," which is a pretty straightforward description of the equipment and the activity.

"Cite" vs. "Site" vs. "Sight": How To Spot The Difference

You cite facts or sources, especially in an academic paper. A site is a place or a location. Sight is the sense of vision, but it can also refer to something you see.

Foreign Words That We Use Daily

You frequently use loan words, foreign words adopted into another language without translation. Here are some examples to prove it.

The Mandela Effect, Streisand Effect, And Other "Effects" That Explain Our Strange Minds

You know that thing that happens when you first learn about something and then you start seeing it everywhere? Or when participants in a medical trial start to feel better even though they've been taking the pill with nothing in it? Helpfully, there are names for these things. In the context of psychology, these "things that happen"—these phenomena—are often referred to as effects, especially in the specific names that have been given to them by the researchers who observe and study them. Here are several examples of "effects"—some already well-known and some increasingly part of the cultural dialogue—that may help to explain (and to easily refer to) various strange workings of human minds and behavior.

Receive

You know the old grammar rhyme: "i before e except after c." Well, "receive" follows that supposed rule, but still trips up many writers — who accidentally swap that "i" and "e" without a care.

Herb (erb vs. her-b)

You know those plants you grow in your windowsill and add to your salads and breads? Americans ignore that first "h," making the word sound like "erb," while Brits most assuredly say "herb" with that "h" sound. The pronunciation affects spelling, as well. Americans might say they want to grow "an" herb garden, but the Brits enjoy "a" herb garden.

Pandiculation

You may not use this word every day, but you probably perform the action daily. "Pandiculation" is the real name for yawning and stretching when you're tired or have just woken up.

Fair Dinkum

You may use this strange little expression in the same way you'd have an exchange of "Really?" — "Honestly!" As in, "Fair dinkum?" "Fair dinkum!"

Dimples of Venus

You might know them as "back dimples," or even "butt dimples." The "dimples of Venus" refer to where the sacroiliac joints lie in the tailbone area, connecting your sacrum to your ilium in your pelvis. Confused by those terms, too? The dimples of Venus are the little divots on your lower back, right above your buttocks. They're named after Venus — Roman goddess of beauty, known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology — as they're believed to be a mark of beauty.

Buoy (boo-ee vs. boy)

You might not care about the correct pronunciation if you ever find yourself lost at sea, but nonetheless there is a discrepancy over that floating marker in the water. Americans elongate the word with two syllables (boo-ee), while the British pronunciation is the short and sweet "boy."

CARE Packages

You might send these types of parcels because you care, but that's not what they're named for. "CARE" stands for "Cooperative for American Remittances," an organization that helped send packages from Americans to their friends and family in Europe after World War II. The original CARE packages contained macaroni, cornmeal, Carnation chocolate drink mix, and dried milk.

Examples Of Every Letter Being Silent, With The Exception Of...

You probably already know that English features many, many words with silent letters—letters that appear in the word but aren't pronounced and often make us wonder what they are even doing there. For example, the letter B in the words debt and thumb. Or whatever the heck is going on in the words colonel, queue, and bourgeoisie. Even though you're probably already familiar with silent letters, you might not realize just how many words in English actually use them. To demonstrate just how common these silent letters actually are, we quietly gathered up a list of as many examples of silent letters as we could find. It should be noted that silent letters often depend on pronunciation and regional accents, which we have noted at points in our list.

Mary Ann Evans

You probably know Mary Ann Evans better by her pen name, George Eliot. She had less to do with creating new words and more of a reputation for creating a new usage of the term. For example, "flop" was already in use when she coined the usage "floppy." "Luncheon" was already a midday meal when she began to use the more specific "lunch-time." She commonly expanded the definition of words, such as when she used the word "Siberia" as a metaphor for a remote, undesirable locale and not the specific geographical location.

Capitalize the first word in every sentence

You should always capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, no matter what the word is. Take, for example, the following sentences: The weather was beautiful. It was sunny all day. Even though the and it aren't proper nouns, they're capitalized here because they're the first words in their sentences. There is one rare possible exception to this rule: a brand name that begins with a lowercase letter like eBay or iPad. Even these normally lowercase words are usually capitalized at the start of sentences, but a style guide may make an exception for them.

bon voyage

You'll cheer this as your cruise ship departs, because it literally means "nice trip."

quid pro quo

You're not asking for a favor when you propose a quid pro quo deal. Instead you're expecting an equal exchange — you give something in return for the same back.

CAPTCHA

You're not imagining it. It sounds exactly like what it was created to do — capture. The "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" was always intended to be an acronym, and it's a lot less work than saying the whole thing

Cottagecore, Dreamcore, Normcore: How Many -Core Words Do You Know?

You've probably seen the hashtags on TikTok: cottagecore, royalcore, normcore. It's clear they're associated with a specific aesthetic and that people are major fans, but what's the deal with every social trend suddenly getting its own unique -core name? Fandoms naming themselves isn't a new thing—just ask Taylor Swift's Swifties or Beyonce's Beyhive. But the -core trend takes the idea of fandom and applies it to aesthetics, fashion, home decor, accessories, and even styles of art and photography. People have always given special names to things they love and been outspoken about their fandoms, but social media has taken the trend to new heights. Now, it's easier than ever for people to find others who share their interests and even to curate entire social media feeds promoting a certain kind of style or hobby. Here, we're breaking down where the -core in your favorite aesthetic comes from and then looking at 14 popular -core movements and aesthetics that should be on your radar.

Exception 3: "Me" vs. "I"

Your elementary school teacher probably taught you this rule. When you said, "Me and Joey are gonna play on the swings," they may have countered, "It's Joey and I." It might have stuck in your head that the rule was: "So-and-So and I." Since you're no grammar slouch, you went around saying, "Dad is taking Mindy and I to the store," or "He picked Marcus and I for the team!" But in the last two examples, you should use "me" instead of "I." "Me" is an object pronoun, while "I" is a subject pronoun. Since "me" is being acted upon in those sentences, that's the correct pronoun. A simpler way to remember all that? Remove your friend from the sentence. You would say, "I'm going to play on the swings," but not, "Dad is taking I to the store," or "He picked I for the team!" This is maybe not a strict exception to the rule, but more of a misinterpretation. It's an example of "hypercorrection" — when people misuse a grammar rule because they think it's a more educated or sophisticated usage.

Scumble (SKUM-bəl - verb)

[With object] ​​modify (a painting or color) by applying a very thin coat of opaque paint to give a softer or duller effect. Origin: Unknown location, late 17th century