Arts & Entertainment
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Playful Words That Jane Austen Popularized
In her novels, Jane Austen (1775–1817) scrutinized the ways that social codes and class place constraints on individuals and relationships. Her own use of language, however, was anything but constrained. It was so playful and inventive—like tittupy, or “bouncing all around,” which a character uses to describe a rickety carriage in Northanger Abbey. While she may not have exactly coined words like tittupy, Austen’s books …
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8 Music Festival Names That Rock
Like their spiritual forerunner Woodstock, these multi-day blowouts are known for three things: loud music, scant clothing, and names as catchy as a classic rock hook. Here are eight of the biggest festivals and a bit of history behind their lyrical appellations.
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The Meanings Behind “Harry Potter” Spells
How did J.K. Rowling come up with the names of all of those magical wizarding spells?
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We Can Thank Alexander Hamilton For Giving Us These Words
He may have been 🎶dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor🎶 … but by now we all know Alexander Hamilton grew up to be a hero and a scholar. However, did you know the first secretary of the treasury was also quite the linguist? Since Lin-Manuel Miranda turned Hamilton from a mysterious face on our $10 bill …
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Why Are Singing Groups Called “Glee Clubs”?
These infamously chipper singing groups are called glee because the melding of voices makes everyone happy, right? Actually, joy has little to do with it. Why are they really called glee clubs? Yes, one definition of glee is “open delight or pleasure,” e.g., The students ran out of the building on the last day of school with glee. Glee derives from the Old English glēo, meaning “mirth, …
