WORDS

15 Regional Words for Vomiting

Use these the next time you need to pray to the porcelain god.

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.

14 Ways of Saying "Drunk" Across the United States

Three sheets to the wind, seeing double, and tanked are just the beginning of these tipsy terms from around the U.S.

24 New Entries to Dictionary of Canadianisms

Canadian English enthusiasts rejoice! For the first time since 1967, A Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles has gotten a major update.

Do Any Languages Besides English Have Homophones?

Sound-alike words are a worldwide source of confusion.

5 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of How the Dictionary is Made

'Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries' is a captivating inside look at the job of dictionary making from both a personal and historical angle.

The Breakfast Club may have given us the word wastoid.

8 Slang Terms from The Breakfast Club, Decoded

While it’s easy to understand how the characters in 'The Breakfast Club' felt, sometimes it wasn’t so easy to understand what they were saying.

Loreless—some lacking in lore—is a rare old word for ignorance.

9 Old Words for Ignorance

Next time you feel the urge to make your sparring partner aware of his lack of knowledge, soften the blow with one of these old-timey terms for ignorance.

Online Dictionary Uses Simple Analogies to Decode Tech Jargon

Learn why internet cookies are like a barista with a good memory.

10 Pointy Pieces of Slayer Slang from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

From sitch to five by five, here are just a few of our Buffy the Vampire Slayer slang terms in honor of the 20th anniversary of the show's debut.

11 Words Coined 100 Years Ago

"O.M.G." made its first documented appearance a century ago—in a letter to Winston Churchill.

'Fake' Etymology: The Story Behind One of the Dictionary’s Most Intriguing Words

The story behind one of today's big buzzwords goes all the way back to the secret slang of early 19th century criminals.

12 Words For The Insufferably Vain

Please use these words next time you have to describe a self-obsessed huff-snuff.

6 Idioms That Came From Film And Theater

Chances are, you’ve probably used an idiom from film or theater in an everyday context—maybe without even knowing it.

15 Words With Origins So Obvious You Never Noticed Them

The origins of these words are hiding right under your nose.

14 Terms of Affection from Across the U.S.

Looking for a way to spice up your love language? Snuggle up with these 14 idioms, slang terms, and sayings from the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) on how to get it on all over the United States.

Would You Have Passed This 1920s Pronunciation Test?

"Penelope Cholmondely raised her azure eyes from the crabbed scenario" is just the beginning.

30 of the New Words Added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

'Binge-watch,' 'humblebrag,' and 'Seussian' were all included in the more than 1000 new entries.

A Linguistics Museum Is Coming to Washington D.C.

Planet Word will be open to visitors of all ages and language backgrounds.

11 Idioms for Exhausted from Across the United States

Just because you’re tired doesn’t mean your language has to be.

Why Do People Say 'Bias' Instead of 'Biased'?

It’s an error you see a lot these days, and it happens for a variety of reasons.

Dumpster Fire and 4 Other Words of the Year Chosen by The American Dialect Society

These words capture the zeitgeist of 2016 in a variety of categories.

Where Does ‘Ditto’ Come From?

It predates Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore's on-screen exchange, and the copy machine.

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