Wikimedia CommonsUntil a few decades ago, Ukraine was almost always referred to as the Ukraine. Then people started dropping the definite article, and now you almost never see it. What gives?The the has stirred up a lot of strong resentment in Ukraine. The feeling is that the definite article’s heavy use during the era of the Soviet Union by Russians and Westerners alike belittled, intentionally or not, Ukrainians, and demoted Ukraine from a country unto itself to a mere Soviet holding, a border... READ ON

In this three-minute video, Gina Gooke explains why the English word "doubt" has a silent "b" in it. The short answer is "because of Latin," but the longer answer is much more interesting, touching on the migration of words from Latin through French and into English -- and the surprising Old English word for doubt that we had before "doubt" made us think twice. This is worth a look for word nerds, students, and anyone who has wondered why "doubt" is spelled weirdly. This is one of TED Ed's new... READ ON

Whether you end a letter or e-mail with it—or you recognize it from the end of each Gossip Girl episode—“Xoxo” is commonly known to refer to the phrase “Kisses and hugs.” But how did these two inconspicuous letters come to represent that well-known... READ ON