LANGUAGE

Sploot 101: 13 Animal Slang Words Every Pet Parent Should Know

The internet has given us all kinds of delightful slang terms for what our cats and dogs do, from ‘blep’ and ‘bork’ to ‘smol’ and ‘sploot.’

What did Scrooge mean when he said “Bah! Humbug!” anyway?

What Does “Bah, Humbug!” Actually Mean?

The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

There was something for every type of reader on MentalFloss.com in 2023.

Our 25 Most Popular Stories of 2023

Once again, Mental Floss readers proved to be curious about all sorts of niche topics—and our editors and writers were happy to oblige their interests.

Whether it's tea or a great gift card, these gifts are in the bag.

10 of the Best Last-Minute Gifts That Will Make It in Time for Christmas

Discover 10 of the best last-minute gifts to give this holiday season, including MasterClass, Nuuly, Blue Apron, and more.

Where the ‘nog’ came from is a bit of a mystery.

How Did Eggnog Get Its Name?

The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.

10 Old-Timey Ways to Say You’re Hungover

Here are 10 colorful phrases of yore to use the day after you partied a tad too passionately.

Not the Same: How Creative Strife Led to the Creation of U2’s “One”

U2 was at a breaking point when “One,” which has been repeatedly named one of the greatest songs of all time, brought the band back together.

Even a pair of siblings might not really know the difference.

Eldest vs. Oldest: What’s the Difference?

We often use ‘eldest’ and ‘oldest’ interchangeably, but the words shouldn’t be swapped out so easily. Here's how to use each.

Confused as to why ‘will not’ gets shortened to ‘won’t’? Blame Old English.

Why Does ‘Will Not’ Become ‘Won’t’?

Most contractions in English are pretty straightforward. Put it together, and shorten it up. But that isn't the case for ‘will not.’

Officials emptying barrels of beer during Prohibition.

15 Words and Phrases Popularized During Prohibition

With Prohibition—which ran from January 17, 1920, to December 5, 1933—came language to describe everything from drinking establishments to the people who made booze to booze itself.

Oxford University Press Names 'Rizz' Word of the Year

Social media is changing language again.

10 Ways to Say “Merry Christmas” Around the World

’Tis the season to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in many languages.

Cold weather words were way more colorful in days gone by.

19 Old Cold Weather Words to Get You Through Winter

There are only so many ways to say “it’s cold outside,” which is why it’s time to supplement your vocabulary with these vintage words and phrases related to winter.

What ‘Sic’ Means—And How To Use It Correctly

The literal meaning of ‘sic’ is ‘so’ or ‘thus.’ But the way writers use it is a little more nuanced.

What constitutes ‘upstate’ is a little controversial.

15 Upstate New York Slang Terms You Should Know

You might know everything there is to know about New York City slang, but the moment you leave the city, fuhgeddaboudit. Upstate New York has its own set of regional colloquialisms, often depending on which area of the state you’re in.

Why Do We Only Say “Merry” for Christmas?

Americans favor 'Merry Christmas,' while Brits opt for 'Happy Christmas.' Here's how we got here.

How Do You Stress the Word: THANKSgiving or ThanksGIVing?

Here’s something else to stress about for Thanksgiving.

In German, the word for ‘gloves’ translates as “hand shoes.”

20 Super Literal German Compound Words

Germany is the land of Oktoberfest, Christmas markets, and super literal compound words like Glühbirne (“glow pear,” a.k.a. “lightbulb”) and Baumwolle (“tree wool,” otherwise known as cotton).

What Does the Phrase ‘Talk Turkey’ Mean—And Where Did it Come From?

Before you talk turkey this Thanksgiving, find out what we know about the phrase’s meaning and origins.

Anthony Burgess had difficulty creating his slang dictionary.

When ‘Clockwork Orange’ Author Anthony Burgess Wrote a Slang Dictionary

Penguin Books commissioned the work in 1965, but the "A Clockwork Orange" author only completed several hundred entries before discarding the project.

T-Glottalization: The Reason Some People Drop Their ‘T’s When Speaking

Dropping that ‘t’ sound is an example of what linguists call glottalization, or replacing a sound with a pause in the vocal cords.

25 of the Most Confusing Acronyms and Initialisms

You’re not the only person who has Googled “NPC meaning” of late.

‘Tableclothwise,’ ‘Parrotwise,’ and 10 Other ‘-Wise’ Words That Never Caught On

You think you’ve seen every category of words … then you find this batch, including such oddities as tableclothwise and rabbitwise.

Here’s How Super-Long German Words Are Made

German is known for its extremely long compound words—Mark Twain once complained that some were “so long they have a perspective.” This quick video demonstrates how those words are constructed.

PREV NEXT