LANGUAGE
11 Versions of “Average Joe” From Other Countries
Whether it's Joe Schmo, Fred Nurk, or Vasya Pupkin, every country needs a way to talk about just “some guy.”
15 of History’s Greatest Puns
While puns may make you groan and have even been called the “lowest and most groveling form of wit,” a good one is a thing of beauty that’s worth celebrating.
15 Tricky Words and How to Pronounce Them Hilariously Wrong
The Sign Language Interpreter for De Blasio’s Press Conference Was Deaf. How Does That Work?
How Well Does Mark Zuckerberg Speak Chinese?
Feast Your Eyes on This Beautiful Linguistic Family Tree
Take a look at how different languages are connected to one another with this wonderful illustration by Minna Sundberg.
16 Words Derived From Animals
From bears and storks to singing wolves and castrated sheep, all 16 of the words listed here have surprising zoological origins.
12 British Legal Terms Explained
Although English courtroom dramas keep American fans riveted, some legal terms can be a bit of a muddle, leaving statesiders confused.
11 Facts Yü Should Know About the Umlaut
1. The word “umlaut” comes from one of the Brothers Grimm.
10 Foreign Words We Need in English—Illustrated!
Sometimes you just don't have the word you need to describe a feeling or an event.
30 Discoveries About Family History in Spanish Surnames
Some occupational surnames are transparent. Here are a few that are a bit less obvious.
Can "Y'all" Be Used to Refer to a Single Person?
For over a century, a controversy has been brewing over what might be called the Loch Ness Monster of dialect study: the elusive singular “y’all.” There are a few who claim to have seen it in the wild, and many who denounce such claims as nonsense. Does i
19 Everyday Expressions That Came from Aesop
Here are a handful of Aesop’s most popular contributions which we still use today, along with a taste of the stories that spawned them.
Why is “Pound” Abbreviated as “lb”?
Most of our abbreviations for units of measurements are pretty straightforward. They are made up of of letters from the words they stand for. So how do we get lb for “pound” and oz for “ounce”?
8 Grand Yet Forgotten Profane Expressions
11 Doppelganger Words: The Resemblance is Eerie
The Nautical Roots of 11 Common Phrases
Even if you're a landlubber who has never set foot on a paddleboat, you most likely sprinkle your everyday conversation with nautical-inspired phrases. Here are some terms you can thank a sailor for.
New Twitter Study Discovers “Global Superdialects”
Researchers found something unexpected when they combined the data on all the words together.
35 Kinds of Hot, Sexy Homophone Action
The world of homophones is not as innocent as it may seem.
The Magical Origins of Harry Potter Words
Whether you're a wizard, squib, or just plain muggle, you're probably celebrating the Chosen One's birthday today. And what better way to do it than by examining the origins of some of the wonderful words J.K. Rowling used to create the world of the Boy W
11 Movie Titles That Became Part of the Lexicon
A number of film titles have become part of the vocabulary even among people who haven't seen the movies in question. Some of these terms didn't exist until the movies created them; others were already in the language but were popularized or got new defin
What’s the Difference Between In- and Un-?
The two prefixes are not equivalent.
25 Place Names and the USDA Rules for Their Use on Food Labels
The government guidelines for place names on product labels can be quite complex.