the Before Times
Before Times is an informal term used to refer to the world as it was prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s usually used with the, as in the Before Times. Before Times…
Archives
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Supine vs. Prone: We Lay Out The Difference
Prone and supine are both used in medical and anatomical contexts to describe a position in which a person is lying down, but they refer to different ways of facing—either face up or face down. In this article, we’ll break down the difference and provide clear explanations of other medical positions. In medical and anatomical contexts, supine position is the body position in which a …
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“Fair” vs. “Fare”: What’s The Difference?
Fare and fair are pronounced exactly the same and have many different meanings spanning different parts of speech, including nouns, adjectives, and verbs. This can make things very confusing. Is it fare well or farewell? And when you ask someone how things turned out, should you say How did you fare? or How did you fair? In this article, we’ll break down the differences, provide …
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What Are The Days Of The Week In French And Other Romance Languages?
For many English-speaking folks, the odds of encountering the French names for the days of the week are pretty low. Sure, you might encounter the French Mardi (Tuesday) every year during Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday” in English), but other examples are few and far between. So, if you feel like your vocabulary is missing that certain je ne sais quoi, then maybe a tiny little …
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“Conscious” vs. “Conscience”: How To Be Aware Of Their Differences
Conscience vs. conscious is a classic question of vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. If you’re anything like us, you have to think very hard each time you spell or say each word—and double check if you’re using the right one. Luckily, we can provide some tricks and examples that will not only help you remember how to say and spell each word, but also help you …
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⛎ Ophiuchus Emoji
The Ophiuchus emoji ⛎ depicts the sign of Ophiuchus, a constellation and what some consider to be the 13th zodiac sign in astrology. Unlike the other zodiac signs, Ophiuchus is much more obscure. For this… -
Black Futures Month
Black Futures Month is a monthlong observance devoted to celebrating, envisioning, and working toward positive futures for Black people. Most of those who observe Black Futures Month treat it as a forward-looking complement to Black… -
Is It Spelled “Gases” Or “Gasses”?
The short answer: both gases and gasses are acceptable plural forms of gas. However, gases is much more commonly used and is often considered the standard form. The explanation: in many cases in English spelling, final consonants like the s in gas are often doubled when an ending such as -es, -ed, or -ing is added to the end of the word. For example, the …
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Do You Spell It “Buses” Or “Busses”?
The short answer: both buses and busses are acceptable plural forms of bus. However, buses is much more commonly used—almost exclusively—and is often considered the standard form. The explanation: in many cases in English spelling, final consonants like the s in bus are often doubled when an ending such as -es, -ed, or -ing is added to the end of the word. For example, the …
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Fruit vs. Vegetable: What’s The Difference?
Trying to classify what’s a fruit and what’s a vegetable isn’t always cut and dry. In fact, the debate about it can get pretty juicy—seedy, even. This all stems from the fact that some things we eat are technically fruits but are almost always called vegetables (and treated like vegetables, too). Some people make a distinction based on the level of sweetness, but the difference—from …
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🐟 Fish emoji
The Fish emoji 🐟 depicts a blue fish. It is commonly used to represent all varieties of fish, both literally and figuratively. The Fish emoji 🐟 is commonly used when discussing fish as food, pets, or… -
Maafa
Maafa, the Swahili word for “great disaster” or “great tragedy,” is a term used to refer to the centuries-long enslavement and murder of millions of Africans by white Europeans, North Americans, and others—and the lasting…
