WORDS

This small pup is looking festively foolish.

21 Words for 'Fool' And Their Oafish Origins

Show your friends you’re no oaf this April 1 with these 21 foolishly fun synonyms.

11 Boozy Word Origins

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

The Most Overused Business Jargon in Each State

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

12 Regional Idioms for ‘Highway Median Strip’

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.

23 Slang Terms You Only Understand if You Work in Antarctica

Antarctica has developed a lingo all its own.

10 Pieces of Lying Lingo from Across the United States

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

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

Happy Bastille Day!

How Do You Pronounce 'LaCroix'?

Impress your friends by asking for this sparkling water the right way.

10 Things From Around the World With the Names of U.S. States

From an Argentine pizza chain named after Kentucky to a Bulgarian quiz show called 'Nevada,' the names of American states have popped up in strange places around the world.

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.

The Grammar Rules of 3 Commonly Disparaged Dialects

Every dialect has a grammar.

Pick the Name That Best Fits the Given Words

Take the quiz!

The One Case Where Comic Sans Is Actually Useful

The oft-derided font is valued in the dyslexic community.

20 Winning Words From Past National Spelling Bees

The only word that matters to the spellers in the 90th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee is: champion.

16 Marvelous Old Words for Munching We Need to Bring Back

Whether you’re enjoying a movie or eating your feelings, it’s hard to resist a good munch—or as the kids say these days, a nom nom nom. So why not learn about some old words for munching while polishing off those potato chips?

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10 Everyday Words Star Wars Gave Us

Forty years of Star Wars has given our language some useful everyday words.

11 Clandestine Words from the Lexicon of Spying

Here’s a look at some words you should be prepared to disavow completely if questioned.

Figure Out the Words that Start With 'S' and End With 'O'

Can you figure out the one-word answers that start with 'S' and end in 'O' by their description?

11 English Words That Make More Sense When You Know Their Arabic Roots

What kind of mating is a checkmate? What kind of hair is mohair? What does a fanfare have to do with fans? It all makes sense when you go back to the Arabic roots of these words.

10 Old-Timey Exclamations From Across the U.S.

There’s something to be said for old-fashioned exclamations—the more colorful the better.

Computer Scientists Are Using Reddit to Teach Machines Sarcasm

A new dataset makes use of the fact that on Reddit, users tag their own comments as sarcastic.

Artist: Lucien Davis // Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

14 Wonderful Old Words for Walking We Should Bring Back

Now that spring is here, no matter how committed you are to cars, it’s hard to resist an occasional mosey or stroll.

The Multi-Faceted Origins of 12 Birthstone Names

Their etymologies, unearthed.

22 Two-Letter Words to Boost Your Scrabble Score

Among competitive 'Scrabble' players, two-letter words can be a crafty means of boosting your score.

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