WORDS

Screaming out "gimme!" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Why Do Quarterbacks Say 'Hut'?

American football is home to a lot of nonsensical terminology, but 'hut' has a fairly clear origin.

"Would you be so kind as to pencil me in for a polka?"

My Dance Card Is Full: The “I Would If I Could” of Victorian Ball Etiquette

The Victorian era gave rise to puffy gowns, dance cards, and a fun new phrase for getting out of a date.

This man does not appear to be occupying a wagon.

Where Did the Phrase 'Fall Off the Wagon' Originate?

'Fall off the wagon,' which is typically used to describe someone who has begun drinking alcohol after a period of abstinence, does not actually involve anyone tumbling off a horse-drawn carriage.

Your new mantra could come from any corner of the world.

Interactive World Wisdom Map Teaches You Life Lessons From Around the World

Some of the best quotes about life come from regular people—this interactive map connects you with them.

What's the Difference Between Buzzards and Vultures?

If you call a buzzard a vulture in the UK, be prepared to get some strange looks. There is a difference between the two birds of prey.

Miranda is an important character in Shakespeare's The Tempest, but she's not the titular role.

Titular vs. Eponymous: What’s the Difference?

The definition of ‘eponymous’ has changed over time, and ‘titular’ has more than one. Here’s how to use each word correctly.

22 Polar Exploration Terms You Should Know

While listening to Mental Floss's new podcast, 'The Quest for the North Pole,' learn the definitions for these common polar terms.

Why are Marines known as jarheads? The answer may have something to do with mules.

Why Are Marines Called 'Jarheads'?

The slang term has been around for decades, but its origins might have less to do with appearance and more to do with mules.

Açaí berries are delicious. They're also hard to pronounce.

The Right Way to Pronounce Açaí

Açaí, a popular superfood, can be easy for people to mispronounce. Here's a hint: It's definitely not "ack."

What’s the Difference Between a Fact and a Factoid?

A factoid isn’t just a fun fact—at least, it wasn’t when Norman Mailer allegedly coined the term in 1973.

The Unappetizing Origins of 'The Proof Is in the Pudding'

It started centuries ago, when puddings contained spices, cereal, and potentially putrid minced meat.

They're debating whether it should be "the 'rona" or "Zoom."

The American Dialect Society Needs Your Help Choosing 2020’s Word of the Year

It doesn’t have to be in the dictionary—in fact, it doesn’t even have to be a word. Phrases, slang, and even hashtags are all fair game.

What Is a Scuttlebutt, and Why Do We Like to Hear It?

When you ask someone for the scuttlebutt, you're using a very old nautical term to solicit potentially specious gossip.

The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda) by Luis Meléndez, circa 1772

11 Wonderful Old Words for Lunch

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were as many words for lunch as there were varieties of it. Below is a lexicon of some of these splendid words.

Where Did the Term Lame Duck Originate?

Lame duck presidents date back to the beginning of U.S. history, but we didn’t start calling them that until the 20th century.

She wrote "sneak peak" instead of "sneak peek."

12 Notable English Language Mistakes

‘Irregardless’ is technically a word, and ‘dord’ technically isn’t (though it has shown up in a few old dictionaries).

Use these words for feelings you can't express in your own language.

10 Untranslatable Words That Perfectly Describe How You're Feeling in 2020

The intense emotions we’re all experiencing right now can often feel inexpressible, beyond words. But words in another language than your own just might be the key to giving voice to those emotions.

What do meat, dog beds, and underwear all have in common? Kirkland Signature.

How Costco's 'Kirkland Signature' Got Its Name

Unlike other stores, Costco only has one private label—but 'Kirkland Signature' wasn’t the founder's first choice.

How Lolita Author Vladimir Nabokov Helped Ruth Bader Ginsburg Find Her Voice

Before Vladimir Nabokov gained fame for ‘Lolita,’ he helped hone the writing skills of a future Supreme Court icon.

Wa wa wee wa! Sacha Baron Cohen is back in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020).

Wa Wa Wee Wa: The Origin of Borat's Favorite Catchphrase

The pervasive slang term was everywhere following the 2006 release of 'Borat.' But it isn't made up.

Filtration Software Censored the Word Bone at a Paleontology Conference

'Bone,' 'crack,' and 'pubis' were on the list of words censored by the chat software at this year's virtual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference.

Wildfires have reached historic proportions this year.

What Exactly Is a Gigafire?

The August Complex fire ravaging California is being called a "gigafire," and it's every bit as imposing and destructive as the name implies.

We have a difficult time catching our own typing mistakes.

The Reason It's So Hard to Spot Your Own Typos

Errors in writing aren't easy to detect when you're proofreading your own work. The problem is your brain.

Online dictionaries can add words a little more quickly than their printed counterparts.

More Than 650 New Words Have Been Added to Dictionary.com—Here Are 50 of Them

With a total of about 15,000 new words, definitions, and other revisions, it’s Dictionary.com’s biggest update of all time.

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