LANGUAGE

"Kurtus Cobaenus" performing in Belgium in 1991.

Watch and Listen to Nirvana’s 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Performed in Classical Latin

Calling all Latin teachers and classics scholars: this is the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” cover of your dreams.

She's ready to captivate her classmates with a rousing debate on each vs. every.

Each vs. Every: What’s the Difference?

There’s a reason why “Every of my feet” sounds so wrong, and why “Almost each foot” is equally weird.

"May I please use can when asking permission to do something?"

Can vs. May: When to Use Each Term

Many a teacher has reinforced the grammar rule that ‘may’ is for asking permission—not ‘can.’ But there’s a little more to it than that.

Peter Carruthers/iStock via Getty Images

Cookie vs. Biscuit: What's the Difference?

The UK has biscuits and the U.S. has cookies, but the difference between the two baked goods comes down to more than language.

The Most Distinctive Business Jargon Used in Each State

From ‘make hay’ to ‘peel the onion,’ here are the phrases each state’s corporate community just can’t quit.

What’s the Scratch in Made From Scratch?

Whoever started 'from scratch’ didn’t actually do it in the kitchen—and ‘scratch’ has nothing to do with clawing ingredients together with your bare hands.

Evan Peters and Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown (2021).

Hot Wooder: The Philadelphia Accent Is In Danger of Disappearing Because of Millennials

Kate Winslet's Philadelphia accent in 'Mare of Easttown' could be a linguistic time capsule in a couple of decades.

MaryValery // iStock via Getty Images Plus

56 Delightfully Unusual Words for Everyday Things

From 'asportation' to 'nicknackatory' to 'yex,' these old, delightfully unusual words are ones you'll want to use regularly.

It would be hard to fit the world's longest place name onto this small sign.

The 10 Longest Place Names in the World

At 85 letters, New Zealand's Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatah is the world's longest place name.

Why Do We Say Something Is Brand-New or Brand-Spanking New?

What does branding or spanking have to do with whether something is factory-new or not? We investigate.

Kindergarten survived some early controversy to become part of the American education system.

Why Do We Call Kindergarten Kindergarten?

This very German word became embedded in the American vernacular—but not before German politicians tried to ban kindergarten entirely.

A 19th-century illustration of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Or are they emigrants?

Immigrate vs. Emigrate: What’s the Difference?

Understanding the difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate’ requires a fun little dive into the world of Latin prefixes.

A cartoon depicting Irish rent boycotts from December 1880.

The Word Boycott Comes From a British Land Agent Shunned by His Town

When Charles Boycott tried to evict struggling Irish farmers during a famine, they ran him right out of Ireland.

Poop, Boob, and Other Terms Apple Won’t Engrave on Your New AirTags

Apple AirTags will help you keep track of your stuff, but they won’t help you convey how funny you find the word ‘boob.’

Notable southpaw Tommy John pitching for the New York Yankees in the 1980s.

Why Are Left-Handed People Called Southpaws?

Southpaws are most often talked about in baseball and boxing. But which sport (if either) coined the term?

Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?

The origins of phrases aren’t always very clear, but this one is—and it all started with carnival barkers.

Being called a 'guest' of a retail business is not really grammatically correct.

The Reason Some Businesses Refer to Customers as Guests

Step into a Target or Walgreens and you might be labeled a 'guest.' The practice probably started for a very Goofy reason.

Are you from the Land of Queen Henrietta Maria or mountainous Montana?

This Map Shows the Meanings of Place Names in the U.S. and Canada

‘Idaho’ is often said to mean "gem of the mountains," but the guy who suggested it might’ve just made it up.

A promising young restaurateur, ready to be called a restauranteur for the rest of her career.

Why Is There No N in Restaurateur?

If you’ve been spelling ‘restaurateur’ with an ‘n’ for your entire life, don't feel bad. But here’s why you’re wrong.

7 German Words That Perfectly Describe Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

From 'nose sweater' to 'face condom,' here are some of the colorful terms Germans are coining to talk about life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noob is just one slang term that broke out in the 1990s.

25 Excellent 1990s Slang Terms

The '90s were da bomb—a decade of great music, spectacular TV, and artful language use. Just look at the following 25 bits of slang popular in the '90s that were all that (and a bag of chips).

Why Do We Say 'Cut to the Chase'?

“Cut to the chase” is a slightly friendlier way of telling someone to get to the point, but old Hollywood filmmakers meant it literally.

Sympathy vs. Empathy: What’s the Difference?

Empathy’s definition originally described the relationship between humans and objects. Now, it’s much less straightforward.

20 Latin Words for Not-So-Lovely Things

Sometimes the dreadful things we must suffer can seem a little less grim when they have the sweet ring, nay—the dulcet tones of euphonious polysyllabic Latin appellations.

PREV NEXT