Words

Should you use ‘disinterested’ or ‘uninterested’? It depends on the context, the era, and how much you care about the grammar sticklers in your life.

It is possible to Google search a phrase, song lyric, or movie title if you don't remember an important keyword.

Getting a traffic ticket can be an expensive mistake. But is there a difference between a ticket and a citation? And what about a warning?

Paleographers know exactly why your dog might get weirdly excited if you whip out a medieval manuscript.

The figurative meaning of ‘spitting image’ couldn’t be clearer. The literal meaning depends on which linguist you ask.

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Understanding how and why these terms referring to rich cultural and geographical identities are used—and why they're not—is important.

Hopefully this article will have a positive effect on your grammar skills.

Affect or effect? These examples—and a grammar hack from TikTok—will help you remember the difference.

Corn teen, corn teen, corn teen, corn teeeeeeen.

You’ve heard of ‘bone apple tea,’ ‘die of beaties,’ and ‘Feyonce.’ Now, get ready for … ‘corn teen.’

Chow mein and lo mein are made from the same ingredients, but there is a difference between the two Chinese noodle dishes.

She's ready to captivate her classmates with a rousing debate on each vs. every.

There’s a reason why “Every of my feet” sounds so wrong, and why “Almost each foot” is equally weird.

"May I please use can when asking permission to do something?"

Many a teacher has reinforced the grammar rule that ‘may’ is for asking permission—not ‘can.’ But there’s a little more to it than that.

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From black-dog to wiffle-woffles, here are some words and phrases that have been used to describe depression over the ages.

From ‘make hay’ to ‘peel the onion,’ here are the phrases each state’s corporate community just can’t quit.

Whoever started 'from scratch’ didn’t actually do it in the kitchen—and ‘scratch’ has nothing to do with clawing ingredients together with your bare hands.

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From 'asportation' to 'nicknackatory' to 'yex,' these old, delightfully unusual words are ones you'll want to use regularly.

Bureaucratic red tape is a tale as old as time. Or, to be a little more precise, roughly 400 years old.

It would be hard to fit the world's longest place name onto this small sign.

At 85 letters, New Zealand's Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatah is the world's longest place name.

What does branding or spanking have to do with whether something is factory-new or not? We investigate.

Kindergarten survived some early controversy to become part of the American education system.

This very German word became embedded in the American vernacular—but not before German politicians tried to ban kindergarten entirely.

A 19th-century illustration of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Or are they emigrants?

Understanding the difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate’ requires a fun little dive into the world of Latin prefixes.

A cartoon depicting Irish rent boycotts from December 1880.

When Charles Boycott tried to evict struggling Irish farmers during a famine, they ran him right out of Ireland.

Apple AirTags will help you keep track of your stuff, but they won’t help you convey how funny you find the word ‘boob.’

Notable southpaw Tommy John pitching for the New York Yankees in the 1980s.

Southpaws are most often talked about in baseball and boxing. But which sport (if either) coined the term?

The origins of phrases aren’t always very clear, but this one is—and it all started with carnival barkers.

Disinterested vs. Uninterested: What’s the Difference?

Trying to Google a Word You Can't Remember? There's a Trick for That

Traffic Citation vs. Ticket: What's the Difference?

11 Illuminating Secrets of Paleographers

Where Do We Get the Term Spitting Image?

The Differences Between the Terms Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx, Explained

Affect vs. Effect: How to Use Each Word Correctly

Quarantine or Corn Teen? The Most Misspelled Word in Each State

Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein: What’s the Difference?

Each vs. Every: What’s the Difference?

Can vs. May: When to Use Each Term

11 Old Words and Phrases for Depression

The Most Distinctive Business Jargon Used in Each State

What’s the Scratch in Made From Scratch?

56 Delightfully Unusual Words for Everyday Things

Why Are Lengthy Bureaucratic Processes Known As Red Tape?

The 10 Longest Place Names in the World

Why Do We Say Something Is Brand-New or Brand-Spanking New?

Why Do We Call Kindergarten Kindergarten?

Immigrate vs. Emigrate: What’s the Difference?

The Word Boycott Comes From a British Land Agent Shunned by His Town

Poop, Boob, and Other Terms Apple Won’t Engrave on Your New AirTags

Why Are Left-Handed People Called Southpaws?

Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?