WORDS

Tricks aren’t just for kids anymore—nor are trick words! Here are 11 old-timey words for pranks and capers, perfect for when you’re feeling curmudgeonly about Halloween revelers knocking on your door for treats.

Deciding when to use an em dash instead of some other punctuation mark is largely up to you—except in situations that call for an en dash or hyphen.

A list to please even the most vinerous among us.

What does ‘yeet’ mean, anyway? Merriam-Webster now has a formal answer.

'Noise' and 'sound' are often used interchangeably—even when they shouldn't be.

Some of these words may not be used until Tib's Eve, but that shouldn't stop you from trying, lest you look like a timdoodle.

The origin of the phrase ‘silver screen’ is less about movies and more about how people watched them in the good old days.

Like so many other phrases, the meaning of ‘pass with flying colors’ has nautical roots.

The term ’burned out’ dates back to the early 19th century—and people have had other names for it for much longer than that.

Our humble letter R has one of the lengthiest and most complicated histories of all the letters of the alphabet.

From hot chicken to honky-tonk and beyond, here are some terms that will give you a leg up when you visit Nashville.

A "retronym" is a term specifying the original meaning of word after a newer meaning has overtaken it.