Tag: Language
Your English teacher was wrong – there are tons of words that have a Q but no U
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.
8 common words you probably didn’t know came from TV shows
Words like spam, regifting, and cowabunga all can trace their origins to popular TV shows like "Friends," "Saturday Night Live," "The Simpsons," and "Seinfeld."
We can thank FDR for the word ‘iffy’ and Trump for ‘fake news’ — here are 11 words US presidents brought into everyday E...
Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Donald Trump have popularized common English words we use every day. Some of the words presidents helped popularize include "mulligan," "sugarcoat," and even "OK."
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."
9 words and phrases people think are wrong, but are actually correct
When it comes to language, much of what we learn in school is at odds with how language actually works. Take the word "literally," for example.
The most annoying things about the English language, from people who are learning it
English is the most studied language in the world, but just because it's popular doesn't make it easy. All over the internet, English learners have shared what they consider the most annoying aspects of the English language.
9 common words you probably didn’t know came from movies
Movies like "Star Wars," "Ghostbusters," and "Clueless" are celebrated as classics. They also have made some lasting contributions to our vocabularies — sometimes in ways we don't even realize.
9 common words and phrases you could be using wrong without realizing it
Words are often misused in the daily flow of conversation. "Eggcorns" are words or phrases that are incorrectly used in place of others that sound similar. Recognizing eggcorns is key to proper grammar. Here are nine commonly misused words and phrases that you may not have known were incorrect.