Tag: Language
11 words you probably didn’t know were acronyms
We use acronyms all the time, and in some cases, we don't even realize we're using them. You may not know, for example, that Taser stands for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle." Other examples include "radar" and "snafu."
14 words and phrases you’ll only hear in the Northeast
Do you call it a water fountain or a bubbler? A milkshake or a frappe? Every US region seems to have its own special words and phrases, and the Northeast is no different. Check out this list of 14 things you probably won't hear people say anywhere else.
23 words and phrases you’ll only hear in the South
The South is a special place with its own quirks and traditions, but it's especially well-known for having a way with words. Take a look at some of these classic Southern words and phrases you probably won't hear anywhere else.
20 words you won’t believe were actually added to the dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words on a regular basis to reflect new cultural phenomena. Some of these words may have seemed silly at first but slowly worked their way into everyday conversation. Some of them, however, are just silly, period. See the worst offenders.
Every word of the year since 1990 — and the unique story behind why they were chosen
From "fake news" to "hashtag" to "metrosexual," the American Dialect Society has named a "word of the year" since 1990. Chosen by a group of linguists and professors from around the country, each word encapsulates how Americans have been speaking for the past 12 months.
These are the 10 most confusing words in the English language
The most-looked up words in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary give us a peek into the most confusing words in the English language.
‘Soda,’ ‘pop,’ or ‘coke’: More than 400,000 Americans weighed in, and a map of their answers is exactly what you&#...
Americans have different words for soft drink depending on which region of the United States they're from. The three most popular terms are soda, pop, and coke, according to data collected by the site Pop Vs. Soda.
Some of the most valuable words in Scrabble use a Q without a U, and there are many more than your English teacher led you to believe
The letter Q is almost always followed by a U in English, but that isn't always the case. In fact, one of the exceptions is a word you see on your computer keyboard every day — and it's a great one to remember for Scrabble.
The surprising effect 9/11 had on the English language
The phrase "9/11" caught the attention of linguists and changed the way we talk about terrorist attacks. Linguists have noted how the name people assigned to the attacks, "9/11," is now a blueprint for naming other terrorist incidents around the world.
The same words that make a job irresistible in one city can scare away applicants in others
Candidates flock to a company hiring through a job listing with the word "synergy" in Phoenix and Salt Lake City, but steer clear of gigs using that word in Miami and Philadelphia, text-analysis startup Textio found.