WORDS

You might be familiar with a few of these.

From Y’all To Youse: 8 English Ways to Make ‘You’ Plural

Lots of languages have distinct plural forms for ‘you.’ Wouldn’t it be useful if English had one too? Spoiler alert: It does. Several, in fact.

St. Patty’s Day vs. St. Paddy’s Day: Which Is Correct?

You can always avoid the issue by spelling out “St. Patrick’s Day,” but here’s how to properly abbreviate it.

6 Common Words You Might Not Know Are Irish

There is a whole slew of everyday words in English that have origins in Irish and Gaelic.

Everybody gets to be Irish after they smooch this stone.

Where Does the Phrase ‘Gift of Gab’ Come From?

This St. Patrick’s Day, discover the origins of this old Irish idiom and how it all ties back to the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

It’s not just women who will find these terms useful.

24 Words From Laádan, a Language Invented to Express a Woman’s Point of View

‘Radíidin’ means “a time allegedly a holiday but actually so much a burden because of work and preparations that it is a dreaded occasion.” ‘Thehena’ is a word for “Joy despite negative circumstances.”

Why Female Dogs Are Called “B*tches”—And How the Word Became an Insult to Women

How did the word for a female dog become a derogatory word for women? We explain.

Definition Detective Quiz #29

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Why Does ‘Boilerplate’ Mean “Standard”?

Here's a crash course on the meaning and origins of boilerplate content.

Alexander the Great (left) with his tutor, Aristotle.

5 Common Terms That Double as Logical Fallacies

The names of logical fallacies often double as common expressions—but they don't always mean the same thing.

Let's put the kibosh on pronouncing 'kibosh' incorrectly.

Can You Correctly Pronounce These Tricky Words?

Test your pronunciation of toughies like 'victuals' and 'skein.'

Definition Detective Quiz #28

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Where Did the Expression ‘Gung Ho’ Come From?

We get this byword for enthusiasm from an officer in the Marines named Evans Fordyce Carlson.

Why Is Coffee Called a “Cup of Joe”?

There are many slang terms for coffee, but where does a “cup of joe“ come from? There are a few theories.

Why Do We Call Someone a “One-Trick Pony”?

Maligning ponies has become a go-to way to dismiss someone. How did that happen?

Definition Detective Quiz #27

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

How Did Latin America Get Its Name?

Latin isn’t widely spoken in Latin America, so why is it called that?

Road signs shout less than they used to.

Why Many Road Signs Are No Longer Written in All Caps

Road signs have changed case in the last 15 years or so—here's why.

Can You Figure Out When the Word First Appeared in Print?

Some words have been around longer than you think.

Why Are Potatoes Called “Spuds”?

We dig down to the root of the issue.

This stickler doesn’t like how people are using the word ‘phenomenal.’

9 Linguistic ‘Ignorantisms’ Even Sticklers Got Used To

Not even the strictest sticklers seem to care about how we use words like ‘abhorrent’ and ‘sodden’ anymore.

Don't exact or extract revenge if you get all these wrong.

Can You Finish the Commonly Misheard Phrase?

Time to find out how well you know your correct expressions from your eggcorns.

Why Did ‘The Ukraine’ Become Just ‘Ukraine’?

Until a few decades ago, Ukraine was almost always referred to as 'the Ukraine'. Then people started dropping the definite article, and now you almost never see it. Here's why.

Besides Connections, The New York Times has The Crossword and The Mini Crossword.

The 10 Hardest Connections Puzzles of 2024

Learn which Connections puzzles had players searching for hints most often in 2024.

10 Language Mistakes Kids Make That Are Actually Pretty Smart

These mistakes show that little kids know a lot more about the rules than we think.

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