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9 Sweet Old Words for Bitter Tastes and Taunts

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.

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

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

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The Funniest Word in the English Language? 'Booty,' According to New Survey

Other highly-ranked words included "tit," “booby,” “hooter,” “nitwit,” and "twit."

Slip a few of these phrases into conversation.

10 Long-Forgotten Expressions to Drop Into Conversation

English allows you to drop what are (at face value at least) some pretty peculiar idioms and expressions into your everyday conversation.

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A Chinese Museum Is Offering Cash to Whoever Can Decipher These 3000-Year-Old Inscriptions

The National Museum of Chinese Writing will pay about $15,000 for each unknown character translated, and $7500 for a disputed character’s definitive meaning.

Salmonella species growing on agar.

6 Eponyms Named After the Wrong Person

Having something named after you is the ultimate kudos—but the credit doesn't always go to the right person.

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23 Slang Terms You Only Understand if You Work in Antarctica

Antarctica has developed a lingo all its own.

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

Happy Bastille Day!

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A Chicago Library Needs Help Transcribing 17th-Century Spellbooks

They include tips for dealing with nosebleeds and contacting the dead.

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6 Times Judges Consulted Urban Dictionary

Since 1999, Urban Dictionary has been the online source for anyone trying to understand the latest slang terms—and that includes judges.

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The Grammar Rules of 3 Commonly Disparaged Dialects

Every dialect has a grammar.

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How Ancient Rome’s Scariest Ghosts Gave Their Name to Madagascar’s Lemurs

Though lemurs hail from Madagascar, they have a ghostly connection to Ancient Roman folklore.

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Eliminate ‘Um’ from Your Speech with a New App

Or don't. We're not judging.

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Canadian MP Gives Speech in Mohawk in Parliament for the First Time

Marc Miller of Montreal spoke in Mohawk to honor the beginning of Aboriginal History Month

Name the Body Part That's Part of the Saying

Take the quiz!

Why call him a drunkard when you could call him a borachio?

30 Excellent Terms From a 17th Century Slang Dictionary

If you’ve ever wanted to talk like a 17th century swindler, these terms from 'A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew' give you your chance.

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How Color Vocabularies Evolved Around the World

The order in which color words emerge in different languages follows a pattern.

WaitChatter

Learn a Language While You Wait for People to Respond to Your Gchats

An MIT project is trying to help people learn during brief moments of online waiting.

11 Strange Shakespeare Adaptations

Happy Talk Like Shakespeare Day!

The Multi-Faceted Origins of 12 Birthstone Names

Their etymologies, unearthed.

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The Most Common Second Languages Spoken Around the World

English is extremely popular as a second language, but some of the other commonly spoken second languages might surprise you.

English Doesn’t Have a Word for This Color, but Japanese Does

While we might call it "light blue" or "sky blue," in Japan, "mizu" is considered a totally unique color.

Printer's Error, Harper Collins // Type: Ross MacDonald // Photo by Rebecca Romney

10 Everyday Phrases That Come from Printing

Stereotype, cliche, ditto, and more.

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The 19th Century Aristocrat Who Literally Painted The Town Red

What does painting—and, for that matter, painting things red—have to do with what Merriam-Webster defines as “to go out drinking, dancing, etc.”?