Words

You might want to keep some of these slang terms for kids in your back pocket.

Looking for new ways to describe the children in your life? From ankle-biters and saucepan lids to breadsnatchers and drape apes, these are funny slang terms for kids you’ll definitely want to use.

Larry David has been using your favorite ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ catchphrase since long before ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ first aired.

Decades after the footprints that popped up in northern California, they were alleged to be a hoax.

When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.

The origins of Taco Tuesday are surprisingly complicated.

The phrase “Taco Tuesday” has finally entered the public domain (unless you’re in New Jersey).

‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire’ by Russell Patterson.

From ‘alarm clock’ to ‘zozzled,’ these delightful 1920s terms will transport you back in time.

This person is literally feeling their oats—but is that where the phrase came from?

The idiom has little to do with playing with our food and more to do with equine diets.

Australian English is more than just an accent. From ‘arvo’ to ‘yakka,’ learn fun and fascinating Australian slang terms to help you speak like a true Aussie.

Why in tarnation do we think Yosemite Sam always said "tarnation"?

The origins and meaning of 'tarnation' are simple; its 'Looney Tunes' legacy is anything but.

In the United States, the most common pronunciation is “FEB-yoo-air-ee.” Both Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries consider the common pronunciation correct, along with the less common, more traditional standard “FEB-roo-air-ee.”

The long-snouted fellow in the center is a very slithy tove.

Nonce words are only meant to serve one particular purpose—here are some of the best examples.

Why is February spelled the way it is? Delve into the linguistic evolution of the month’s name and its journey from Latin to modern English.

In Gen X parlance, this dude totally rocks.

From yuppie to headbanger, we have Generation X to thank for these terms that became popular in the 1980s and ’90s.

Don’t call a gig at McDonald’s a “McJob.”

The fast food behemoth took issue with how The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defined 'McJob.' It was not a flattering description.

Why go by the jellyfish’s English name when you could go with its more delightful French moniker instead?

En français, the name for ‘jellyfish’ comes from a famous figure in Greek mythology—can you guess which one?

Why are we still employing a kiss-off that references a near-obsolete form of transportation?

Residents of London’s East End, circa 1900.

Grab your best china plate (a.k.a. mate) and feast your mince pies (otherwise known as your eyes) on these fascinating and delightful terms in this guide to Cockney rhyming slang.

Née’s meaning is technically “born,” and we borrowed it from the same place we got the terms ‘déjà vu’ and ‘cul-de-sac.’

Emojis transcend language in a way that 'lmao' can't.

Maybe you already know the meaning of 'jajaja.' But what about all these other expressions of online laughter?

(Left to right) Angela Merkel, Marlene Dietrich, and Beethoven.

From ‘Angela’ to ‘Wolfgang,’ these German names are commonly mispronounced by English speakers.

First MUZZY Commercial - Je Suis La Jeune Fille!

If you watched television in the 1990s, you probably saw an ad for a green blob that could teach you French.

Ladies riding in a car—or, if you’re using slang from the 1900s, an ‘automobubble’—circa 1901.

Wastoid, wedgie, and dumpster fire, oh my! In the latest episode of The List Show, you can learn about the fun origins of some pretty wacky and absolutely real slang terms from the last hundred years.