Linguistics

This information might not jibe with what you’ve heard before.

Scientists found a key trait that makes words sound profane in multiple languages.

Any debate about how to pronounce ‘pecan’ could easily turn into a discussion about dialect—but that’s not just another word for ‘accent.’

Wordle solutions aren’t all created equal—and if PARER was your streak-ending downfall, you’re in good company.

Having egg on your face used to have a literal meaning. Here’s how it became an idiom.

‘Chicken’ is such a common synonym for ‘coward’ that it probably doesn’t even seem weird. But it is.

Whether you say 'car-mel' or 'car-a-mel', your pronunciation of 'caramel' is technically correct.

Linguists and lexicographers have truly gone the whole nine yards to uncover the origin of ‘the whole nine yards.’

What's the 'worse' or 'worst' that could happen if you use the wrong form of this commonly used word? Here's what to know.

Zoomers have revolutionized the slang game on- and offline with colorful terms like ‘stan’ and ‘She ate.’ But some are older than you think.

You’re not really wishing someone a good ‘bye.’ ‘Bye’ is just an abbreviation—and ‘good’ is sort of a mistake.

From poisoning to warfare, these are the dark origin stories behind eight common phrases and idioms.

Maybe you know ‘GOAT,’ ‘FOMO,’ and ‘stan.’ But thanks in part to TikTok, slang is a little more complex than that these days.

Luck is a big element of Wordle, but there are skills and strategies you can use to win the new word game sweeping the internet.

It's been a rough year for buzz words: Nothing is more cheugy than not being able to properly pronounce 'cheugy.'

One historical definition of ‘whereas’ is ‘preamble.’ But that’s probably not the one you’re looking for.

‘More than’ or ‘more then’ isn’t a matter of opinion. But there was a time when they were interchangeable.

Should you use ‘disinterested’ or ‘uninterested’? It depends on the context, the era, and how much you care about the grammar sticklers in your life.

The figurative meaning of ‘spitting image’ couldn’t be clearer. The literal meaning depends on which linguist you ask.

Affect or effect? These examples—and a grammar hack from TikTok—will help you remember the difference.

Insure and ensure started out as alternate spellings of the same word, but today they have slightly different definitions.

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

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

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.