WORDS

The Origins of the Phrase ‘Bee in Your Bonnet’

We’re all familiar with the feeling of having an idea or subject stuck in your head that makes it difficult to think about anything else. But why (and when) did we start comparing that experience to a bee buzzing around in your hat?

People who were up to no good should have been on the lookout for slops (police) who wanted to put them away for neves (seven years).

7 Fun and Fascinating Pieces of Back Slang

Back slang is kind of like a lexical puzzle that everyone from costermongers and criminals of the Victorian era to today’s Wordle fans can appreciate.

20 Weird Words for Bodily Ailments

Need a better word to describe what ails you? Look no further than this list of old, unusual ways to describe your aches, pains, and whatever else is happening in your body.

Why Is TV Called the ‘Boob Tube’?

When TVs became popular in the 20th century, some people started calling it ‘the tube.’ That nickname soon spawned an even catchier one: ‘the boob tube.’

Here's how to figure it out once and for all.

A Simple Trick for Remembering When To Use ‘Who’ vs. ‘Whom’

All you need for this easy grammar check is a couple of pronouns you already know how to use correctly.

Here’s how to nail the pluralization of your name—even if there’s a possessive involved.

To Apostrophe or Not to Apostrophe: How to Pluralize Your Last Name

Pluralizing a last name can seem confusing—and it gets even more confusing when you want to make a name both plural and possessive. Here’s how to correctly do both.

11 Successful (and Silly) Euphemisms for the F-Word

The f-word is often thought of as the most useful and flexible word in English. Whether that’s true or not, the term is so successful that it’s spawned dozens of euphemisms. Here are a few of them.

Bats are homographs, homophones, and homonyms.

Homonym vs. Homophone vs. Homograph: What’s the Difference?

Here’s why some homophone examples also work as homograph and homonym examples.

‘Estás como una cabra’ means “you are like a goat.”

20 Spanish Idioms You’ll Love

If you want to take your Spanish to the next level (or el siguiente nivel), why not brush up on these idioms?

15 Commonly Misheard Phrases That Actually Make Sense

Is it coleslaw or cold slaw? Deep-seated or deep-seeded? There are right answers, but the wrong ones seem kind of right, too.

This kitten is experiencing awe in the traditional sense of the word.

19 Words That Used to Mean Something Negative

Sometimes words move up in the world. Their meanings change with time, becoming more positive—a process linguists call amelioration.

She's happy because she finally understands that she's lying down—not laying down.

Lay vs. Lie: When to Use Each

The ‘laying vs. lying’ situation is tricky—but direct objects can help.

Don't call this "barbecuing" in front of a pitmaster.

Barbecuing vs. Grilling: What’s the Difference?

Though they’re sometimes used interchangeably, grilling and barbecuing describe distinct methods of outdoor cooking.

New York Yankee Domingo Germán pitching a perfect game against the Oakland A's on June 28, 2023.

Perfect Game vs. No-Hitter vs. Shutout: What’s the Difference?

The perfect game is to a baseball pitcher what Moby-Dick was to Captain Ahab.

16 Old-Timey Insults For Modern Conversations

In this episode of The List Show, episode, we're breaking out some favorite old-timey insults that people should definitely start using again.

You probably shouldn’t do it—unless there really is a fire.

Is It Illegal to Falsely Shout 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater?

Back in 1919, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. sort of made it seem like it was against the law to yell “fire“ while in a crowded theater, so we understand if you’re confused.

People really, really hate the word 'moist'—and researchers may have figured out why.

The Science Behind Why People Hate the Word ‘Moist’

You may think you detest the word ‘moist’ because of the way it sounds, but research indicates that that’s not the full story.

Fear vs. Phobia: What’s the Difference?

The definition of ‘phobia’ is similar to that of ‘fear’—but there’s a big difference in the threat level.

20 Atlanta Slang Terms You Should Know

Atlanta’s culture doesn’t just resonate to the suburbs—it hits every corner of the country. But there’s always a chance you could get caught off guard while visiting, so here’s a handy sampler of terms to know if you decide to hold it down in A-Town.

Submarine vs. Submersible: What’s the Difference?

There’s a reason nobody’s referring to the missing ‘Titanic’ submersible as a submarine.

Use these handy tips to get pronouns right.

Why It Can be Hard to Get Pronouns Right, According to Linguistics

A pronoun slip can be embarrassing, especially if you pride yourself on being generally good at using the language people have asked you to use. Why do pronoun slips happen, and why do we seem to mess up pronouns more than names or other gendered words?

A hat being thrown after Mark Stone of the Las Vegas Golden Knights scored a hat trick in game five of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final.

Where Does the Phrase ‘Hat Trick’ Come From?

The term 'hat trick' is most associated with hockey, but that's not the sport that started it all.

50 Collective Nouns for Groups of Animals

What's the right way to describe a group of worms? A "bunch" may sound like a lazy descriptor, but it's correct.

Ducks would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.

Your Ducking iPhone Will Soon Stop Autocorrecting the F-Word to ‘Duck’

A new iPhone update will spell the end for everyone’s least favorite autocorrect fail.

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