How Thomas Jefferson inspired the 19th-century’s most popular slang phrase
"A popularity which no other slang phrase has ever attained," a newspaper wrote in 1840.
1 day ago
Language
How late in life can you start learning a language and still become fluent?
The results of a recent study are encouraging.
6 days ago
The specific ways aging affects language
Changes perceived as negative might have an upside.
May 20, 2020
The most complex word in the English is only three letters long
Three letters. Over 600 meanings.
May 5, 2020
What it really means when you can’t remember a word
A failure to remember a word need not be seen as a general memory problem.
February 9, 2020
13 grammar rules that changed since you were in school
If you were educated in the 1950s, '60s or '70s, here are some usages that you may be surprised are fully acceptable today.
February 3, 2020
The most complex word in the English language only has three letters
Three letters. Over 600 meanings.
December 19, 2019
The most important linguistic trends of the 2010s
These trends will help define the decade we're about to leave behind.
December 18, 2019
Words that survived by getting fossilized in Christmas tradition
These words might be obsolete by now if they hadn’t been included in Christmas songs and celebrations.
December 11, 2019
To gift or not to gift. Is ‘gift’ really a verb now?
'Gift' as a verb is following the same path blazed by the word 'donate,' which at one point drove people nuts.
December 10, 2019