WORDS

There's a Two-Letter Word You Should Never Use in Professional Correspondence—and Nope, It's Not No

The next time you feel tempted to write "OK" in a professional email, you may want to stop and rethink your phrasing. Here's why.

Why Are the Academy Awards Statuettes Called 'Oscars'?

In 2013, the Academy Awards were officially rebranded as simply The Oscars, after the famed statuette that winners receive.

11 Dothraki Words and Phrases Every Game of Thrones Fan Should Know

If you're a 'Game of Thrones' fan who wants to know how to ask "Where are my dragons?" or say "Happy birthday!" in Dothraki, this is the list for you.

100 Words Turning 100 This Year

Join editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy as she journeys into the past to dig up a whopping 100 words that are turning 100 this year in our all-new Mental Floss List Show.

What's the Difference Between Tequila and Mezcal?

Tequila is always mezcal, but mezcal isn't always tequila. (And only one of them can come with worms, although it isn't exactly encouraged.)

15 Animal Names That Can Be Used As Verbs

From turtles to tigers, you can drop any one of these 15 creatures into your everyday conversation.

Harry Potter Scrabble Accepts Wizarding Words Like Hogwarts and Dobby

The words used in the Harry Potter books and movies are playable in a new version of Scrabble—and they can even earn you bonus points.

11 Lesser-Known Animal Phobias

He’s dealt with elaborate booby traps, KGB agents, and a face-melting artifact, but to Indiana Jones, nothing’s more unsettling than snakes. Lots of people can relate.

7 Words That Came About From People Getting Them Wrong

Whether it's pea, newt, or nickname, these words started out as other words entirely. Can you guess their original versions?

15 Obscure Words Every Pet Owner Needs in Their Vocabulary

If you’re a dog or cat owner, these words are worthy of a place in your vocabulary.

The Oxford English Dictionary Wants You to Share Your Profession's Slang Terms

Whether you 'banana' or 'sweat the pipes' at your job, the OED wants to know about it.

11 Totally Redundant Place Names

Pendle Hill is really Hill Hill Hill. Here are 11 others like that.

"Neither Snow Nor Rain ..." Is Not the United States Postal Service's Motto (or Policy)

It was actually written about another set of postal workers from 500 BCE.

Women at Australia's Flemington Racecourse—which gives us the phrase "Flemington Confetti"

12 Old-Timey Ways of Saying “Nonsense”

Gammon and spinach!

When 'Courage' Caused Controversy for Dan Rather

In 1986, the famed news anchor spent a week defending the puzzling new way he ended his broadcasts.

The Cupertino Effect: 11 Spell Check Errors That Made It to Press

Typos and other errors have always managed to find their way into print, even in the most august of publications.

Can You Tell an Author’s Identity By Looking at Punctuation Alone? A Study Just Found Out.

For decades, linguists have been able to use the quirks of written texts to pinpoint the author. The process, called stylometric analysis or stylometry, has dozens of legal and academic applications.

A bobolink, said to have been named for the call it makes

32 Animals Named After the Noises They Make

Onomatopoeia is responsible for a lot more words than you might think. Laugh might have been invented to sound like, well, a laugh. Owl, crow, and raven are all descended from Old English words (ule, crawe, hræfn) that were meant to imitate the owl’s hoot

10 Fascinating Facts About the Thesaurus for National Thesaurus Day

Writers often turn to a thesaurus to diversify their vocabulary and add nuance to their prose. But looking up synonyms and antonyms in a thesaurus can help anyone—writer or not—find the most vivid, incisive words to communicate thoughts and ideas.