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Where the word “woke” came from and how it’s used today.

If you work in a corporate setting, it’s likely you’ve heard these terms tossed around this year.
Paul Anthony Jones|
Chances are you’ve heard some of these terms over the past year—whether you understood what they meant or not.
Paul Anthony Jones|
Is it bald faced lie, or bold faced lie? Coming down the pike? Or pipe? Coleslaw, or cold slaw?
Ellen Gutoskey|

Words

What you call a carbonated beverage might say more about your zip code than your taste buds.
Logan DeLoye|
These familiar words and sayings, such as ableism, couch potato, and more, aren’t as old as you might think.
Paul Anthony Jones|
When winter bears down, it can be hard to think of anything outside of how much you hate (or love!) the snow and ice. Here are a few of the words and phenomena that could define this season.
Arallyn Primm|
You might be surprised to learn that German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany—it’s actually named after the guy who developed the specific chocolate.
Ellen Gutoskey|
These words don’t mean what they once did centuries ago.
Sam Hindman|
No word on how Santa feels about the Jolly Green Giant’s appropriation of his trademark phrase.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Take a moment to enjoy the advent of the colder months by curling up with these 14 words for winter from around the world.
Keith Johnston|
Looking back at where the word “Christmas” came from and how it became popularized.
Paul Anthony Jones|

Grammar

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|
From the NASA mistake that made an interplanetary rocket explode to the bible with a very naughty misprint, these typos are an ode to proofreaders.
Jennifer M Wood|

Slang

Ever wonder where slang terms like snafu, valley girl, and dumpster fire came from?

Names

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|
If you need name inspiration for your own pup, take a cue from pet owners across the country.
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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