17 Scary Sayings for 'Ghost' From Across the United States
Familiarize yourself with these spooky slang terms for the spectral from the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE).
2023-10-24 21:54
21 French Names You’re Probably Mispronouncing
The pronunciations of names like ‘Yves’ and ‘Geneviève’ aren’t hard once you’ve heard them a few times.
2023-10-24 00:24
Why Is It Called the “Placebo Effect”?
What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.
2023-10-23 23:49
Disinformation vs. Misinformation: What’s the Difference?
The difference between misinformation and disinformation boils down to the intent behind it (or lack thereof). Plus, a handy trick for knowing which term to use when the time comes.
2023-10-20 00:16
10 Common Words With Spooky Etymologies
Ghosts, ghouls, and monsters turn up everywhere at Halloween—including in our language, and sometimes where you least expect.
2023-10-19 21:51
13 Old and Obscure Terms for the Butt
When talking about the fundament, some terms have slipped through the crack of lexical history—so please enjoy these old and enjoyable terms for the hindquarters.
2023-10-18 20:17
Why Are Some Liquors Called “Spirits”?
One theory suggests that we call liquor 'spirits' because of alcohol’s association with one spirit in particular: the Holy Spirit. But there are other theories.
2023-10-17 00:22
13 Fascinating Facts About the Oxford English Dictionary
It took more than 70 years and tons of volunteer labor to create “the definitive record of the English language”—including an assist from a murderer. Get to know the Oxford English Dictionary better.
2023-10-16 23:21
The Surprisingly Long History of the Word ‘Yo’
The word ‘yo’ was around long before Rocky movies and rap songs.
2023-10-12 23:24
A Higgledy-Piggledy Look at 12 Rare Reduplicative Words
Though these words sound like fiddle-faddle, they have specific uses that go beyond yada yada and twittle-twattle.
2023-10-12 21:55
21 Old and Odd Directional Words
The rich history of the English language is full of similar directional words that are cool but uncommon, like ‘pancakewards,’ ‘couchward,’ and ‘pocketwards.’
2023-10-11 20:22
9 Fake Words That Ended Up in the Dictionary
Ghost words have nothing to do with otherworldly apparitions, but they’re enough to scare the headwords off lexicographers.
2023-10-06 23:52