WORDS

Stop the presses—there is a rhyme for orange, and for purple. You just have to get creative (and maybe a little scientific).

From allerednic to yob, these ananyms and semi-ananyms have backed their way into the dictionary.

Sometimes there are words that you've seen, read, and maybe even used in conversation whose meaning you can never keep straight.

From Austen to Dickens and beyond, famous authors have had no problem with using the word 'literally' in a figurative sense.

Perfectly innocent Latin or Greekisms that just happen to sound like something else.

Silent letters are the scourge of spellers and a stumbling block when learning how to write in English—but they're often hidden remnants of how the words passed through different languages on their way to English.

The Irish language is full of evocative names for aspects of the natural environment, and wildlife is no exception.

Wordiest, not weirdest. But probably that, too.

If you know the meaning of ‘consort,’ you can probably guess what a queen consort is.

English might be Scotland’s official language, but the country also has distinct dialects and regional nuances. And understanding Scottish slang? That’s a whole other ballgame.

Next time you need to win an argument, try dropping one of these old-fashioned English insults.

The story behind which orange came first involves Arab trade routes and a bunch of old phrases that mean 'orange apple.'