Words

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

Contrary to his well-known slogan “speak softly and carry a big stick,” Theodore Roosevelt was hardly one to speak softly.

How to not sabotage your own apology.

Sun hats, floppy hats, baseball caps, bucket hats: It’s easy to guess where the names of these hats come from. But what about fedoras, trilbies, and other headwear we’re donning this days?

There are six words written on a board. Can you guess the correct one based on these clues?

Both crime and amphibians may play a role.

You know how sometimes when you're talking, your mouth is moving faster than your brain and you inevitably transpose the beginning parts of a couple of words? That's called a Spoonerism.

The names for many of the dozens of particles that make up the universe—as well as a few that are still purely theoretical—come from ancient Greek.

Ajwad Creative (Speech Bubble), Overearth (book) // iStock via Getty Images Plus

There are countless words lying ignored in the murkier corners of the dictionary. Here's how to use them.

The term outlasted the technology.

English spelling is bizarre.

Zuki (speech bubble), pleshko74 (buffalo)/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Repetitive or so-called antanaclastic sentences and tongue twisters like these are by no means unique to English—here are a few in other languages that you might want to try.

The new batch of official entries includes more than 250 terms and phrases.

Your listeners will thank you.

In the vocabulary of English, quis, quid, and ubi—meaning who, what, and where in Latin—are everywhere.

These words will make you sound smart as you catch or dodge the bouquet.

Whether you’re enjoying the sharp taste of an IPA or disliking some nasty words from a colleague, it’s hard not to talk about bitterness. But we could all use a few new—or old—terms for this all-too-common concept.

The new release of old field recordings from the Dictionary of American Regional English showcase many weird and wonderful words.

Let’s reach into the etymological cooler and crack open the origins of some everyday booze names.

Please, don't ever use the phrase "revolutioneering."

From neutral ground to dividance to berm, on the roads of the U.S. there are more names for the median than you might think.

Antarctica has developed a lingo all its own.

Maligner. Fabricator. Fibber. Con artist. There are all sorts of ways you can say "liar," but in case you're running out, we’ve worked with the editors at the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) to come up with 10 more pieces of lying lingo to

Happy Bastille Day!

The Time the Oxford English Dictionary Forgot a Word

11 Words and Phrases Popularized by Teddy Roosevelt

The One Word You Should Never Use When Apologizing

12 Hats And How They Got Their Names

Can You Guess the Secret Word in This Brain Teaser?

How 8 Twin Cities Neighborhoods Got Their Names

9 Spoonerisms (and Other Twists of the Tongue)

15 Subatomic Word Origins

25 Smart Words You Should Be Using But Aren’t

Why Are So Many Blackboards Green?

Why Is 'Colonel' Spelled That Way?

Beyond “Buffalo Buffalo”: 9 Other Repetitive Sentences From Around The World

'Froyo,' 'Troll,' and 'Sriracha' Added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Why You Should Drop 'Kind of' and 'Sort of' From Your Vocabulary

16 Latin Question Words Hiding in the English Language

9 Sweet Old Words for Bitter Tastes and Taunts

Hear the Interviews that Helped Build the Dictionary of American Regional English

11 Boozy Word Origins

The Most Overused Business Jargon in Each State

12 Regional Idioms for ‘Highway Median Strip’

23 Slang Terms You Only Understand if You Work in Antarctica

10 Pieces of Lying Lingo from Across the United States

12 Things Called ‘French’ In English and Whether They're Actually French