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Mental Floss

Language - Page 62 of 87

Two small but significant differences set your vegetable beef stew apart from your mom’s vegetable beef soup.
Ellen Gutoskey|
After embracing the coziness of hygge this winter, try uitwaaien—the Dutch practice of doing physical activity in cold, windy weather.
Michele Debczak|
What better way to celebrate the upcoming release of ‘Frozen 2’ than with an epic Star Trek/Disney crossover?
Ellen Gutoskey|
The benefits of a cutting remark can go beyond getting some laughs. Properly deployed, sarcasm can have real social rewards.
Jake Rossen|
Noiseless, trigger-less jazz hands are the British Sign Language’s official expression for applause.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Standing tall in the Scandinavian countryside, Viking runestones bear messages from 1000 years ago in an alphabet called the Futhark. Read on for more little-known lore.
Erika Harlitz-Kern|
Why call someone an idiot when you can say they're as stupid as a suitcase without a handle? Here's a round-up of French insults you should know.
Davy Diamant|
In February 1919, just a few months after World War 1 ended, a story appeared in the UK's Manchester Guardian called “World War No. 2.”
Meredith Danko|
The terms 'concrete' and 'cement' are often used interchangeably to describe hard, gray building material, but there is a difference.
Michele Debczak|
Over the years, quite a few non-native speakers have learned English thanks to watching 'Friends' episodes over and over.
Garin Pirnia|
A degree in lexicography can actually hurt your chances of getting the job. Here are some more secrets from the people behind the dictionary.
Michele Debczak|
From ‘poltroon’ to ‘slugabed’ and beyond, this list will surely add some color to your future squabbles.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Four hundred years ago, if you were a seafaring thief, the label that you received said a great deal—mainly about whoever it was doing the labeling.
Mark Mancini|
Two and a half years after the Associated Press OK’d the gender-fluid pronoun, Merriam-Webster follows suit.
Ellen Gutoskey|
'Further' and 'farther' are separated by one letter and they're often used interchangeably, but there's an easy way to tell the difference between them.
Michele Debczak|
Because ‘happy’ doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to describe the particular euphoria of canceling social plans.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Planning a trip to Scotland? Have a swatch below and you'll have a much better chance of understanding the Scots language—or at least its naughtier side. Yaldi!
Robbie Copeland|
The new learning app matches a word with four pictures that demonstrate its meaning in different ways.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Joe Gillard, creator of History Hustle, has assembled some of history’s best bon mots in 'The Little Book of Lost Words: Collywobbles, Snollygosters, and 86 Other Surprisingly Useful Terms Worth Resurrecting.'
Erin McCarthy|
Here’s the adjective order rule behind why ‘silver whittling knife’ sounds better than ‘whittling silver knife.’
Ellen Gutoskey|
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