Words

In Japanese, ‘ringo’ means both “apple” and “apples.”

Across the world’s languages, nouns are surprisingly chameleonic creatures, shape-shifting and category-hopping in ways that can make your head spin.

Here are a few words for ignorant people you might want to add to your lexicon, from ‘wantwit’ to ‘dorkmunder’ to ‘ninnyhammer.’

Making a beeline for the buffet table? You’re buying into some bee stereotypes.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

No wild geese were harmed in the making of this idiom.

The meaning behind the money.

There's a fancy term for forgetting a word—'lethologica.'

Olympic sports like volleyball have their own delicious slang.

Here are 20 fun bits of Olympics slang, from diving’s ‘bingo’ to gymnastics’ ‘twisties.’

In Korean, ‘chikin’ means something pretty specific—and it’s not exactly what you think.

Korean is full of pseudo-anglicisms, colloquially called “Konglish.” Can you guess what the words that sound like ‘meeting’ or ‘skin’ refer to?

These languages have disappeared—but some of them are making a comeback.

Not all languages stick around forever. Some of these 11 tongues are extinct, some are dead or dormant, and some are finding new life.

'Stump Speaking' by George Caleb Bingham, 1853.

Some stumps were involved in the making of the stump speech.

The song may not actually have much to do with a weasel at all.

You may think you know the words to “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” The tune is everywhere from jack-in-the-box toys to Data and Riker’s first encounter in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. But it may not even be about a weasel at all.

The expression—which can be used for all things adorable—dates back to the early 20th century.

The words ‘galaxy’ and ‘lactose’ have a surprising connection.

The connections between words aren’t always as straightforward as the link between ‘run’ and ‘runner’; often, figuring them out requires the subtle unraveling of linguistic evolution, the kind of detective work that makes etymology so fascinating.

A few yards of clear air means the difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud.

People often confuse funnel clouds with tornadoes, but they're not the same. Learn how to tell the two apart.

Italian is the language of love—and delightfully creative insults.

Ian McKellen as Gandalf with Elijah Wood as Frodo in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.’

Sure, ‘Frodo’ isn’t a type of coffee table—or is it?

The idiom for demanding payment doesn’t quite have the equine origins one would think.

Everyone here is someone's late someone.

There’s a historical reason, but there may be a social one as well.

You won’t bee-lieve how honeybees give directions.

Not everyone gives directions the way you do—in fact, the way people tell others how to get where they want to go can vary by city, town, and culture. Some of these directional systems might just change how you navigate the world.

You ‘aught’ to know the answer of this question.

Suggestions for what to call the period of time from 2000–2009 ranged from ‘the nillies’ and ‘the oh-ohs’ to ‘the double zeroes’ and ‘the noughties.’ So how’d we land on ‘the aughts’?