As the nation’s highest court, the US Supreme Court takes on some of the most complex—and often the most controversial—cases. Often adding to the complexity and confusion around the cases and rulings themselves are the formal legal terms used in the justices’ written decisions—and in the analysis of them. writ of certiorari A writ of certiorari, often shortened to just certiorari, is a demand from …
We know all too well that the internet isn’t all fun memes and hamster videos. The darker side of online life is home to trolls, spammers, and many varieties of toxic behavior, spanning from tactics intended to harass one person to nefarious attempts to spread harmful disinformation as widely as possible. For many of the practices that play out exclusively online, specialized terms have emerged, …
By Laura Vismara The words trauma and traumatized have been consistently in the spotlight for the last two decades, rapidly surging to become commonplace and reaching new peaks of popularity in recent years, according to internet search trends. Propelled by major world events that rightfully fall under the label of traumatic—pandemics, wars, and episodes of violence to name a few—trauma has become epidemic. As we …
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 …
As the lyrics to the beloved Christmas carol “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” go: “He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice / Santa Claus is coming to town.” Well, if you thought Santa Claus was keeping tabs on who was good or bad, wait until you meet Krampus. Who is Krampus? In Austria, Hungary, and many other parts of Central Europe like Croatia …
Just about every elementary schooler learns the months of the year with an easy rhyme: “Thirty days has [or hath] September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, except February …” How exactly does it end? That depends on how you learned the poem, but one common version goes: “All the rest have 31 / But February’s 28 / The leap year, which comes once …
If video conferencing and Zoom happy hours are our new reality, then backgrounds and filters are our new currency. Zoom backgrounds help you hide the dirty laundry you forgot was piled up behind you, and they give you a pass on having to share the details of your living space with your boss, your teacher, or 35 nosy coworkers. We’ve all seen coworkers rocking backgrounds …
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com The situation of the coronavirus outbreak is changing fast. And news and information about the disease can be overwhelming, not least of which are the many new, confusing, and technical terms being used about the outbreak. Understanding these terms is essential to helping people stay informed and safe—and we take seriously our role in defining and explaining …
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com Most of us have never lived through a pandemic like the coronavirus before, but we have heard or learned about them, from the Spanish flu to, more notoriously, the plague, like the Black Death. And perhaps, as you’ve followed the news or talked to people about COVID-19, you have even heard the coronavirus called a “plague.” No, …
In any election, there’s a ton of information to get a handle on. When can you vote? Can you vote early? Where can you vote? And oh yeah, who and what are you voting for? On top of all that, the electoral process in the US can be just plain confusing—no matter how much attention you, ahem, paid in American Government class. There’s the general …
