Words

There’s a minute, and then there’s a “hot minute.”

And we're powerless to stop it.

TMZ rejoices.

Celebrate National Doughnut Day with this regional slang for the tasty treat, brought to you by the Dictionary of Regional American English (DARE).

You may know how to spell “victory,” but here are 25 things you might not know about the country’s best-known gathering of logophiles.

Should've seen it coming.

Oops.

Eleven babies were named after Cersei of <em>Game of Thrones</em>.

Literary translation is no small feat.

The name may seem like a perfect fit for the eye-catching accessory, but it used to describe a much different type of headgear.

Just because you're putting off work doesn't mean you can't be productive.

After three years at the top, Noah came in second.

Add some new ammunition to your Scrabble arsenal.

These everyday words look and sound perfectly innocent, but they actually have questionable origins.

One missing letter led to the Ministry of Defence accidentally hiring a seaweed expert instead of a codebreaker. Turns out that's just what they needed.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Images: iStock.

Better not call anyone a "stoolpigeon."

Welcome to the United States of Amerigo!

The elusive art of poetry isn’t so hard to master if you know how to set the stage.

Celebrate today's International Day of Happiness with these old-school words and phrases.

An incredible number of lines from William Shakespeare's plays have become so ingrained in modern vernacular that we no longer recognize them as lines from plays at all.

"It's a perfectly cromulent word."

If you were never quite sure how to pronounce the name of beloved French kitchenware brand Le Creuset, don't fret: For the longest time, southern chef, author, and PBS personality Vivian Howard wasn't sure either.

George Bernard Shaw, a member of the Simplified Spelling Soesiety

These British reformers wanted to ditch "i before e" for something a little simpler. Who could blame them?

The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary defined 414,825 words. The problem? They forgot one.

From Snoopy to Shark Bait: The Top Slang Word in Each State

'Binge-watch' and More New Words Now Officially Recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary

Have You Heard? Trading Gossip Can Be Good for You

12 Different Ways to Say 'Doughnut' Across the U.S.

25 Facts About the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Beyond Boaty McBoatface: 9 Public Naming Contests That Ended Badly

Google Translate Error Accidentally Insults Flat-Earthers

From Camreigh to Kayzleigh: Parents Invented More Than 1000 New Baby Names Last Year

8 Professional Translators Choose Their Favorite 'Untranslatable' Words

Why Are Small, Fancy Hats Called Fascinators?

Do You 'Procrastibake'? You're Not Alone

These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2017

'Puggle,' 'Emoji,' and 298 Other New Words Added to Scrabble Dictionary

9 Innocent-Sounding Words with Surprisingly Naughty Origins

The Typo That Helped End World War II

11 Things That Are Forbidden in British Parliament

The Literal Translation of Every Country's Name In One World Map

16 Tips From Famous Authors for Writing Better Poetry

15 Antiquated Words for 'Happy' We Should Bring Back

21 Phrases You Use Without Realizing You're Quoting William Shakespeare

'Embiggen,' a Made-Up Word from The Simpsons, Has Officially Landed in the Dictionary

Here's the Right Way to Pronounce Kitchenware Brand Le Creuset

The Early 20th Century Society That Tried to Make English Spelling More Intuitive

The Time the Oxford English Dictionary Forgot a Word