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If you’ve been too embarrassed to ask the Gen Alpha kids in your life, here’s a rundown of what “skibidi” means and where it came from.

You’re far from the only one who does it, so why do we resort to weather when making small talk?
Paul Anthony Jones|
What is "fomo", and why do we all feel it? Dive into the term’s origins and the psychology behind the fear of missing out.
Nitya Rao|
Everything you need to know about the Gen Z buzzword, including its origins and when to use it.
Logan DeLoye|

Words

You might be surprised to learn that many words have origins from ancient Greek and Roman mythological creatures. Here are 12 examples.
Paul Anthony Jones|
Before we used the internet, these words meant something else entirely. Read on to learn the original meaning of 10 everyday internet terms.
Paul Anthony Jones|
What you call a carbonated beverage might say more about your zip code than your taste buds.
Logan DeLoye|
Where the word “woke” came from and how it’s used today.
Sam Hindman|
Winter is here—and if the bad weather catches up with you, you might find these words indispensable.
Paul Anthony Jones|
We’re giving you permission to disobey your stodgy old high school English teacher.
Ellen Gutoskey|
New data shows the most difficult Wordle games to figure out this year.
Paul Anthony Jones|
If you work in a corporate setting, it’s likely you’ve heard these terms tossed around this year.
Paul Anthony Jones|

Grammar

Is it bald faced lie, or bold faced lie? Coming down the pike? Or pipe? Coleslaw, or cold slaw?
Ellen Gutoskey|
You know this rule, even if you don’t know you know it.
Michele Debczak|
Lots of languages have distinct plural forms for ‘you.’ Wouldn’t it be useful if English had one too? Spoiler alert: It does. Several, in fact.
Arika Okrent|

Slang

Chances are you’ve heard some of these terms over the past year—whether you understood what they meant or not.

Names

You’ll need to look back to Ancient Roman history to learn how the modern-day months got their names—and what they were called before.
Eric Vanderwall|
Holly and Noelle are just two of the most popular holiday-inspired baby names, but what about the others that most people wouldn’t think of? Here are 20 sweet holiday-inspired names to start your list.
Alexandria Ingham|
Is your new pet’s name on this list?
CaLea Johnson|
If you’re looking for baby name inspiration, these titles have a strong sense of place.
CaLea Johnson|

Best of Language

It can be shocking to realize that we are able to follow rules that no one ever taught us explicitly.
Arika Okrent|
English, the language of Shakespeare and the internet, is often touted for its flexibility and adaptability. But with great flexibility comes great inconsistenc
Brett Reynolds|
You're going to be astonished how many of these you hopefully already know, but I'm sharing them because many millions of people don't. It's not Aw-ree, for instance, it's ah-wry (awry)
Alvin Ward|
We’re taking Strunk and White and grammarians everywhere to task in the latest episode of The List Show.
mentalfloss .com|

Spelling

From the Vatican’s “Lesus” medal to Beanie Babies to the Civil War coins that declare “shoot him on the spoot.”
Arika Okrent|
English spelling can be frustrating and confusing, but there are things you can do to help make the task of getting it right more manageable.
Editorial Staff|
Would you recoil in terror if spell-check ever stopped working? Fear not: You're in good company.
Mark Mancini|

Pronunciation

Americans have a tough time figuring out how to correctly pronounce these words, from ‘açai’ to ‘tzatziki’ and beyond.
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