Yearly Archives: 2019

  1. Getty

    Where Does The Phrase “Cut The Mustard” Come From?

    As with many slang and idiomatic phrases, the origin of cut the mustard isn’t so … clear-cut. But, let’s see if we can’t crack this etymological jar open just a bit. What does “cut the mustard” mean? To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé …

  2. Why Is “Bisexual” Such A Charged Word?

    by Rory Gory Bisexual people make up 52 percent of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community, but in recent years, the words to describe the identity of someone who is attracted to more than one gender have become increasingly complex. As the conversation around gender identity has expanded, so, too, has the language to describe both gender and sexuality as well as the complex …

  3. Can You Answer These Quiz Questions Seriatim?

    Expend some of your scaturient energy on this week’s Word of the Day Quiz. | May 20 – May 26, 2019 If the quiz doesn’t display, please try opening in the Chrome browser. Tell us your favorite word from this week below (and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter)!

  4. Savor The JOMO With This Word of The Day Quiz

    Please consent to expanding your vocabulary before proceeding with this week’s Word of the Day Quiz. | May 13 – May 19, 2019 If the quiz doesn’t display, please try opening in the Chrome browser. Tell us your favorite word from this week below (and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter)!

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    The Important Rise Of “#DemThrones”

    by Kimberly C. Ellis, PhD I remember that Sunday so clearly. I saw something called “#RedWedding” trending on Twitter and when I clicked on the hashtag, I discovered it was related to the hit television show Game of Thrones already into its third season. I decided that night I would find out about the show, watch it for the first time, and learn about this Red …

  6. The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The Day

    We’re back celebrating our Word of the Day! Because there’s plenty left to reminisce about from the last 10 years. In Part II of our lexical stroll down memory lane (see Part I, 1999–2008, here), we will be examining word selections from 2009–2018, unearthing  serendipitous synchronicities and offering perspicacious perspectives into notable events and trends of the last decade. Oops, just kidding, because our first …

  7. polar bear on melting ice, blue filter.

    The Changing Language Of Climate Change

    The language surrounding climate change is changing right alongside the climate itself. But, it all began with global warming … Climate change was first known to many of us as global warming, a phrase dating to the 1950s that indicates “a longterm rise in Earth’s average atmospheric temperature.” The idea that global warming exists and could be attributed to human behavior, however, was first put forward in 1896 …

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    Should We Use Emoji In Work Emails?

    A few decades ago, if you told someone that people would soon be sending one another electronic messages full of cartoon smiley faces, they would have looked at you like, well, 🙃. But, the future is now, and we do indeed send each other emails, texts, and tweets all day long that contain hearts and sparkles, crying faces and laughing faces, and all sorts of creatures, …

  9. Sharpen Your Perspicacity With This Quiz

    Shoo away that popinjay, and cozy up to this Word of the Day Quiz. | May 6– May 12, 2019 If the quiz doesn’t display, please try opening in the Chrome browser. Tell us your favorite word from this week below (and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter)!

  10. Getty

    Scrabble Rules Some Experts Don’t Even Know

    What does it take to win a game of Scrabble? Intelligence, mastery of the English language, and a little luck certainly can’t hurt. There are, however, some little-known rules of the game that might give you an even stronger leg up when it comes to laying down those tiles and laying out all your opponents. Here are eight Scrabble rules most people don’t know that …

  11. What Word Is Your State Looking Up On Mother’s Day?

    By now, we trust you’re not looking up when Mother’s Day is. Surely you’re just consulting the dictionary for the perfect words to grace your mother’s card, right? Well, the numbers don’t lie—and especially not to mothers. Our Data Scientists analyzed what users looked up on Dictionary.com on Mother’s Day in 2018 and found these as the top trends by state. They give and they …

  12. What Does “Camp” Mean In Fashion?

    A who’s who in fashion, art, and culture held each year at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the Met Gala is a black-tie fundraiser that kicks off the institute’s spring exhibition. The 2019 theme for the event and exhibition was “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” As the Met explains, the exhibit examines “camp’s exuberant aesthetic” and “how the elements of irony, humor, parody, …