LANGUAGE

Add "like an boar in a frank" to the list of Shakespearisms you should be using more.

10 Little-Used Shakespearisms

Not all of Shakespeare’s snappiest phrases and expressions caught on.

What would our thoughts be without language?

Is It Possible To Think Without Language?

Language is so deeply embedded in almost every aspect of the way we interact with the world. What would our thoughts be like without it?

'Psst. You hear about Ed in accounting?'

Why Do We Say We 'Heard It Through the Grapevine'?

No, it's not because of Marvin Gaye.

Behold: Denver Airport's 'Mustang' statue—or as Denverites call it, 'Blucifer.'

14 Denver Slang Terms You Should Know

There are some very specific terms surrounding cow smells, elevation, and a sculpture that killed its own artist.

‘Vur-Sah-Chay’: 20 of the Most Commonly Mispronounced Brand Names

Nutella isn’t ‘Nut-tella,’ and other lies you’ve been told.

Which Portland? This Interactive Map Shows All the Duplicate Place Names in the U.S.

Maryland and New Jersey each have an Ocean City. They’re not the only ones.

The phrase '86' may have originated in restaurants.

Where Did the Term '86' Come From?

There are a few schools of thought. Some have more legs than others—such as those of the restaurant industry—but to this day, there is still no official etymology. Here are a few possibilities.

Tiffany, Michael, Heather, Josh, and Jessica (or something like that).

The 100 Most Popular Baby Names from the ’80s

Are you a woman born in the 1980s? If so, there’s a pretty good chance your name is Jessica.

Orange you glad we're going to tell you what word rhymes with orange?

24 Notoriously Unrhymable Words (That Actually Have Rhymes)

Stop the presses—there is a rhyme for orange, and for purple. You just have to get creative (and maybe a little scientific).

(Left to right) Iwan Rheon, Morfydd Clark, and Rhys Ifans.

25 Welsh Names You’re Probably Mispronouncing

If you think the pronunciation of the Welsh name ‘Rhys’ matches that of the word ‘rise,’ this article is for you.

A word for sudden pain was made by reversing the word 'hooray.'

10 Backwards Words That Ended Up In The Dictionary

From allerednic to yob, these ananyms and semi-ananyms have backed their way into the dictionary.

Don't worry—you're not the only one who finds the definitions of these words hard to remember.

10 Words With Difficult-to-Remember Meanings

Sometimes there are words that you've seen, read, and maybe even used in conversation whose meaning you can never keep straight.

Work these greetings into conversations.

20 Terrific Alternatives to “Hello”

Why be boring when there are so many other ways to greet a person and forge a unique connection?

17 Terms That Just Got Added to the Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is here to help you learn the nuanced meaning of ‘deepfake.’

The 10 Hardest Words to Spell, According to Google

Googling how to spell ‘restaurant’ is nothing to be ashamed of.

'Equity' and 'equality' are not quite the same.

What’s the Difference Between Equity and Equality?

The dictionary definition of ‘equity’ seems similar to that of ‘equality,’ but there’s an important distinction between the two.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, James Joyce, and Charlotte Bronte all used 'literally' in a figurative sense.

The Long History of the Figurative 'Literally'—and 8 Great Writers Who Used It

From Austen to Dickens and beyond, famous authors have had no problem with using the word 'literally' in a figurative sense.

A sign in Irish on Achill Island in Ireland.

8 Fun Facts About the Irish Language

You may hear an "Erin go bragh" or two, but even on the most Irish of holidays, we don't hear much of the Irish language—which is a shame.

If someone were to mention the word 'Fartulum' to you, a snail probably wouldn't be the first thing that came to mind.

11 Naughty-Sounding Scientific Names (and What They Really Mean)

Perfectly innocent Latin or Greekisms that just happen to sound like something else.

Silent letters are a clue to how words entered English.

15 Words Plagued by Unusual Silent Letters

Silent letters are the scourge of spellers and a stumbling block when learning how to write in English—but they're often hidden remnants of how the words passed through different languages on their way to English.

This is counsel in multiple senses of the word.

Council vs. Counsel: What’s the Difference?

It’s the Council of Elrond, not the Counsel of Elrond (though counsel was definitely given during proceedings).

Identify whether you're feeling angst, ennui, or weltschmerz with this handy guide.

How to Tell Whether You've Got Angst, Ennui, or Weltschmerz

English never hesitates to borrow words that would lose certain subtleties in translation, and angst, ennui, and weltschmerz have made their way into English by offering a little something extra.

Curd Your Enthusiasm: Maine Bans Vegan’s “LUVTOFU” License Plate

Was he really just referencing bean curd? The proof is in the multiple tofu-centric bumper stickers on his car.

The Most Popular Gen Z Slang Term in Each State, Mapped

From boomer to basic, this map shows the most popular Gen Z slang terms by state.

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