LANGUAGE

Don't let these trip you up.

The term ’burned out’ dates back to the early 19th century—and people have had other names for it for much longer than that.

While it has always referred to nimble, fleet-footed dancing, the imagery associated with the phrase "tripping the light fantastic" is a matter of profound disagreement.

Our humble letter R has one of the lengthiest and most complicated histories of all the letters of the alphabet.

From ink to calm, you might be surprised to learn how many words come back to scorching temperatures.

It might be the rarest letter at our disposal, but listed under Q in the dictionary are a clutch of fantastically bizarre words.

Monica “Monty” Dickens was well-known in her lifetime and, like her great-grandfather, had a profound effect on the English language—if not quite in the way she intended.

If you’ve spent time in New York City, or plan to, you might want to brush up on some of the most common slang terms you’ll find in the Big Apple.

You've called it the John and the Crapper—now try out these more creative euphemisms the next time you head to the loo.

In 1992, the mainstream media was eager to learn about the lexicon of the surging grunge scene. So a New York Times reporter phoned up an insider—who proceeded to make up a bunch of words.

If you're pauciloquent, then this list is worth reading. If you have pinaciphobia? You may want to be careful.

Did you realize how many idioms commonly used today have their origins in Renaissance literature and culture of the 16th and 17th centuries? These trendy turns of phrase are the best things since sliced bread—and nearly half a millennium older.