Search Results for: 'tis the season

1. 

   Systematic vs. Systemic: There’s A System To The Difference

   The George Floyd protests brought attention to the word systemic—among many other powerful words that speak to this historic time—like never before. Many activists and public officials are calling to dismantle the systemic racism in policing and other social institutions that are disproportionately killing and oppressing Black people. These calls, and our broader cultural conversation around them, have stoked significant interest in—and considerable confusion around—the …

2. 

   Why “Misinformation” Was Dictionary.com’s 2018 Word Of The Year

   Our 2018 Word of the Year Is … Misinformation The rampant spread of misinformation poses new challenges for navigating life in 2018. As a dictionary, we believe understanding the concept is vital to identifying misinformation in the wild, and ultimately curbing its impact. But what does misinformation mean? Dictionary.com defines it as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.” The …

3. 

   Blaze Through This List Of Famous Dragon Names

   People around the world have been fascinated by dragons for millennia. From the snake-like dragons of the East to the dinosaur-like dragons of the West, we just can’t get enough of these gargantuan reptiles! They feature prominently in myths and legends (like St. George slaying a fearsome dragon or the Norse hero Sigurd battling the terrifying dragon Fafnir), and even after all of these years, dragons …

4. 

   What Makes Accents Appealing?

   What makes certain accents sound sexy and others harsh? “The RINE in SPINE fawls MINELY on tha PLINE!” In the song “The Rain in Spain” from the musical My Fair Lady, phonetics professor Henry Higgins (“’enry ’iggins”) pleads with Eliza Doolittle to say “Ay not I, O not Ow.” By the end of the song, Eliza’s “AY-ing” and “O-ing” and pronouncing all her H’s. The …

5. 

   The Meaning Of Kwanzaa And Its Celebrations

   The holiday season is a time to give thanks, connect with loved ones, and think ahead to the future. For those who celebrate Kwanzaa, this festive season ends and the new year begins with a celebration of pan-African culture and history. Observers light candles, commemorate key principles and ideals, and spend time with friends and family from December 26 until January 1. Look no further …

6. 

   The Most Commonly Misspelled Words—With Spelling Tips For Each One

   The English language is famously full of confusing and often contradictory spelling conventions. You know it’s bad when misspell itself is one of the most common misspellings!  To identify the words that consistently give people trouble, we analyzed Dictionary.com search data to compile this list of the most commonly misspelled words. For each word, we prepared tips to help you remember how to spell it …

7. 

   Foxy, Catty, Fishy: Traits For Animals Or Humans?

   Catty It seems horribly unfair to adorable cats that catty is a human descriptor meaning “devious or spiteful” (and usually in reference to female behavior). What gives? The word cat has been around since the year 700. But then, in the Middle Ages, cat became one of the many offensive terms against women and was slang for “prostitute.” The association might have been made because …

8. 

   18 Words That Get To The Heart Of Today’s Work Culture

   Beginning in early 2021 and continuing through 2023, there has been a massive upheaval in the labor market. Hundreds of thousands of workers have voluntarily left workplaces they feel are unsafe, do not pay well enough, or to pursue careers more in line with their interests. This phenomenon was termed the Great Resignation by psychologist Anthony Klotz in 2021. Resignation in this context means to …

9. 

   “Barbecuing,” “Grilling,” And “Smoking”: What’s The Difference?

   Every year as the weather heats up, grills are dusted off and meats and vegetables are thrown on the fire. To those in the West and many northern cities, this is barbecuing. Just don’t call it that in the South or parts of the Midwest like Kansas City, Mo., because in certain regions, not everything cooked on a grill is called barbecue. The word barbecue means different …

10. 

    “Inflation” vs. “Deflation”: Understanding The Effect Of Their Differences

    You’ve probably noticed a lot of talk about inflation in the news. But what exactly is inflation, and why is it bad? And what about deflation? Inflation and deflation sound like opposites, so why do they both have negative connotations? Both terms have to do with spending power—how far your money goes. And both are considered indicators of the direction that an economy is going. …

11. 

    From Reel To Real: These 13 Film-Coined Words Influenced Our Everyday Language

    The world of movies delivers a lot of memorable words in the form of classic quotes and witty one-liners. Sometimes, though, the big screen also debuts entirely new words or casts an existing word in an entirely new role. Some words, of course, were created with certain movies in mind. For this article, we put out a casting call for words that got their big …

12. 

    “Bidet” vs. “Toilet”: Time To Flush Out The Differences

    Take a minute to think back to the beginning of the pandemic. Do you remember the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 that signaled the end of the Before Times? It has been one heck of a long year and a lot has changed since then, including our bathrooms. Fearing the unthinkable, a number of people installed bidets in their bathrooms to avoid a disaster. …