Both English and German are Germanic languages. Maybe that explains why we find the German language to be so wunderbar! English has borrowed quite a few words from the choice land of Deutschland, and there is a good reason for it. In German, a speaker can put two unrelated words next to each other and create a novel compound word, so you don’t have to …
It’s easy to tell when winter is coming in the parts of the world that feel the full force of the four seasons. The leaves have all come and gone from the trees, the air regularly has a distinct bite to it, and people don’t leave the house without their winter caps (and the mountains put on their winter snow caps, too). In the Northern …
Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this feature highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about electric air taxis, a daring rescue, and a surprising comeback in tween fashion all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news. aviation noun: the design, production, maintenance, and use of aircraft From the headlines: A …
Perhaps you’ve scrolled through social media and seen someone comment: Classic self-own. Greatest self-own of the year so far. Olympics-level self-own. Hall-of-fame self-own. This is both a self-own and a universal truth https://t.co/xbHhqovnnL — John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) January 30, 2020 What are these self-owns, and why are they epic? To understand what self-own really means, we must first know the meaning of the slang term …
Prince Harry’s highly anticipated memoir provides intimate details about his very public and often contentious life as part of—and apart from—the British royal family. But what is the significance of his choice of the book’s one-word title, Spare? The answer to that question lies in the phrase the heir and the spare. Top Cover Image Credit: Random House Group What does the heir and the …
Let’s be honest: It’s practically impossible to be a “good” speller in English. The way words are spelled in English just don’t match how they are pronounced. Why, English language, why? Well, we can start by blaming William Caxton and the printing press. Diving into the historical context Let’s begin at the beginning, though: England, 1476. Norman French presence was in decline as the Bubonic Plague …
If you have a loan, especially a student loan or a mortgage, there may come a time when you aren’t able to keep up with your payments. But there are options when it comes to repayment relief, including one called a forbearance and one called a deferment. Both can involve temporarily postponing or pausing (or temporarily lowering) loan payments. But there can be a crucial …
Nobody wants to come down with a case of the Mondays. But the second day of the week—and the first day of the traditional work week—doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Monday isn’t named after an ancient, one-handed Norse god like Tuesday is, and it doesn’t take its name from a powerful god who fashioned the human race like Wednesday does. Monday does, however, reference …
Scrabble is a game that tests both your word knowledge and your relationship with the letter J. A rousing game of Scrabble often requires you to dig deep into your bag of tricks (or a thesaurus) to come up with rare and unusual words to maximize that triple word bonus. But sometimes you need just a little bit more help. What if you have a …
The Summer Olympic Games are always evolving, and the introduction of new sports brings fresh excitement. These additions reflect changing global interests and showcase the diversity of athletic talent worldwide. In this article, we’ll explore five of the newest sports that you’ll see while you’re watching the Olympics. Get ready to learn about these exciting competitions, their origins, and vocabulary related to the sports! …
