LANGUAGE

12 Head-Scratching Terms Heard on Film Sets

Want to be a Hollywood insider? Then you’d better know the industry jargon.

11 Paraprosdokians That Will Make You Think Twice

These linguistic brain scramblers will make you rethink the entire line you just heard.

The Parrot That Kept A Language Alive

In 1800, one explorer discovered a parrot who was speaking a dead language.

Both flour and flower come from the same root word

15 Pairs of Words That Surprisingly Come From the Same Source

Sometimes words we might not expect to have anything in common historically do go back to the same source. They’re called etymological doublets—here are 15 of them.

6 Responses to Sneezes From Around the World

Go beyond “Gesundheit!"

In A Language With Only 123 Words, Less Is More

15 Phat Pieces of Clueless Slang

In honor of Clueless' 20th birthday (we know—we're totally buggin'!), we're exploring the origins of the movie's most memorable phrases.

How Did the Grapefruit Get Its Name?

As it turns out, it’s a relatively new designation.

What Does ‘Understand’ Have to do With Standing Under?

What’s With The New Yawk Accent?

The story of how department stores taught us about language and prestige.

15 Wonderful Regional Expressions for Describing Warm Weather

With the summer in full swing, you might be running out of ways to describe the sweltering heat.

10 of Voltaire's Favorite Bon Mots for Bastille Day

Celebrate Bastille Day by sprinkling a few of Voltaire's choicest bon mots into your conversations.

3 (Scientifically Proven) Ways to Learn a New Language

In 2014, Penn State researchers found that adults who successfully tackled a new language strengthened their neural pathways, benefiting overall brain function and slowing deterioration. We scoured some recent research for tips for mastering a second tong

10 Vacation Destinations That Ended Up in the Dictionary

In a pinch, you can get some vacation vibes just by opening the dictionary, where a variety of beautiful locations have given us everyday words.

The Poet Who Traveled the U.S. Speaking Only Faroese

13 Words That Changed From Negative to Positive Meanings (or Vice Versa)

Here are 13 fine, upstanding words that long ago switched from negative to positive meanings (or vice versa).

15 Ways to Avoid Saying 'Death'

We'll say anything to avoid the d-word.

Why Do We Get Tip-of-the-Tongue Syndrome?

Did you know the phenomenon has a name?

The Grammar Battle That Followed the American Revolution

Massive Digital Map Tracks Metaphors in Four Million Pieces of Lexical Data

A digital map tracks metaphors from over 4 million pieces of lexical data.

11 Early 20th Century Insults We Should Bring Back

There’s nothing in the world quite like hurling a good insult, but let’s face it: Modern-day zingers are super boring. The good news is, we have years of linguistic history to draw from!

11 Old-Fashioned Words for Idiots

How often can you use the word "idiot" without falling into the idiocy of word repetition? Fortunately, there are many old, mostly forgotten terms ready for a revival.

How the Word ‘Father’ Unlocked the History of Language

It's no coincidence that the word used to describe dear old dad was so similar across distinct classical languages.

15 Surprising Words That Are Probably Onomatopoeic

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