LANGUAGE

Why in tarnation do we think Yosemite Sam always said "tarnation"?

What in Tarnation Is ‘Tarnation’?

The origins and meaning of 'tarnation' are simple; its 'Looney Tunes' legacy is anything but.

What’s the Correct Pronunciation of ‘February’?

In the United States, the most common pronunciation is “FEB-yoo-air-ee.” Both Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries consider the common pronunciation correct, along with the less common, more traditional standard “FEB-roo-air-ee.”

The long-snouted fellow in the center is a very slithy tove.

‘Wug,’ ‘Gostak,’ and 8 Other Weird Old Nonce Words

Nonce words are only meant to serve one particular purpose—here are some of the best examples.

Why Is ‘February’ Spelled So Strangely?

Why is February spelled the way it is? Delve into the linguistic evolution of the month’s name and its journey from Latin to modern English.

In Gen X parlance, this dude totally rocks.

11 Words Gen Xers Made Popular

From yuppie to headbanger, we have Generation X to thank for these terms that became popular in the 1980s and ’90s.

Don’t call a gig at McDonald’s a “McJob.”

When McDonald's Went to War With the Dictionary

The fast food behemoth took issue with how The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defined 'McJob.' It was not a flattering description.

Why go by the jellyfish’s English name when you could go with its more delightful French moniker instead?

15 Delightfully Descriptive French Animal Names

En français, the name for ‘jellyfish’ comes from a famous figure in Greek mythology—can you guess which one?

Where Does the Phrase ‘… And the Horse You Rode in On’ Come From?

Why are we still employing a kiss-off that references a near-obsolete form of transportation?

Residents of London’s East End, circa 1900.

13 Cockney Rhyming Slang Terms You Should Know

Grab your best china plate (a.k.a. mate) and feast your mince pies (otherwise known as your eyes) on these fascinating and delightful terms in this guide to Cockney rhyming slang.

Where Does the Word ‘Née’ Come From?

Née’s meaning is technically “born,” and we borrowed it from the same place we got the terms ‘déjà vu’ and ‘cul-de-sac.’

Emojis transcend language in a way that 'lmao' can't.

From ‘DWL’ to ‘MDR’: See How People Laugh Online in 46 Different Languages

Maybe you already know the meaning of 'jajaja.' But what about all these other expressions of online laughter?

12 Fascinating Facts about Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’

Nabokov’s controversial 1955 novel, which was rejected by multiple American publishers, features multiple allusions to Edgar Allan Poe and references a real-life kidnapping.

(Left to right) Angela Merkel, Marlene Dietrich, and Beethoven.

20 German Names You’re Probably Mispronouncing

From ‘Angela’ to ‘Wolfgang,’ these German names are commonly mispronounced by English speakers.

First MUZZY Commercial - Je Suis La Jeune Fille!

Remembering Muzzy, the Clock-Eating Alien Who Haunted ’90s Kids

If you watched television in the 1990s, you probably saw an ad for a green blob that could teach you French.

Ladies riding in a car—or, if you’re using slang from the 1900s, an ‘automobubble’—circa 1901.

38 Terrific Slang Terms From the Last Century

Wastoid, wedgie, and dumpster fire, oh my! In the latest episode of The List Show, you can learn about the fun origins of some pretty wacky and absolutely real slang terms from the last hundred years.

Why Do We Use the Word ‘Mug’ as a Synonym for ‘Face’?

How a love of drinking and Britain’s 18th-century Toby jugs might have inspired the slang word for ‘face.’

The oldest members of Generation Alpha are officially teens as of 2024.

Everything You Need to Know About Generation Alpha—The Children of Millennials

Generation Alpha—the children of Millennials and the kid siblings of Generation Z—was born the same year the iPad was released.

Koala bear, mantis shrimp, maned wolf, and king cobra are all misnomers.

15 Animals With Misleading Names

With dolphins masquerading as whales, lizards as toads, and marsupials as bears, it can be tough to keep track of which animals are which.

100 Things We Learned in 2023

From record-breaking plants and incredible animal news to space superlatives and the awesome power of Taylor Swift fans, here’s the long list of things we learned in 2023.

The dialects of the two countries have been diverging.

13 Words That Differ in the North and South Korean Dialects

The two dialects have transformed to the point that North Korean defectors often struggle with unfamiliar language when arriving in South Korea—so much that the South Korean government publishes a list of commonly confused words to aid new defectors.

Disc vs. Disk: What’s the Difference?

Deciding to write 'disc' or 'disk' depends on what kind of disc it is. Sometimes.

14 Austin Slang Terms You Should Know

You may know Austin, Texas, as the Live Musical Capital of the World that’s devoted to keepin’ itself weird—but you might not be familiar with the city’s many slang terms.

Rihanna, David Bowie, and Bjork have all had their names mispronounced—frequently.

14 Musician and Band Names You've Probably Been Mispronouncing All Along

From pronouncing the name of one of the Beastie Boys to how to say “Sade” correctly, here are a few tips for your tongue.

6 Strange “Alien” Languages Created by Linguists

Exolangs are constructed languages that imagine how the languages of extraterrestrial beings might look and sound—and linguists have come up with some pretty mind-bending options.

PREV NEXT