In the United States, the words Democrat and Republican are used to refer to members of the two major American political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The general, lowercase senses of the English words democratic and republican actually have long, complex histories that go far beyond red and blue states or donkeys and elephants. Let’s take a closer look at where these …
Whether you call it a buck, a single, a one, or a bill, the linen and cotton-blend currency resting in your wallet at this very moment contains a smorgasbord of images, symbols and Latin phrases—some hidden in plain sight. What do they mean and, once deciphered, can they unlock a series of veiled messages from our forefathers? Where does the word dollar come from? The …
Black Lives Matter is a powerful political and social movement aiming to ensure basic human rights for Black people. Many people are familiar with the name of the movement as it is used amid protests against violence inflicted on Black people involving police officers, including the death of George Floyd in 2020. As the movement has expanded all around the world, many may not know …
Dictionary.com’s United States of Diversity series by Taneesh Khera In 2019, the United Nations is raising awareness about the alarming loss of many of the world’s languages through its International Year of Indigenous Languages. In honor of that initiative, we are shining the spotlight on the languages of the Sioux, and the growing movement to preserve and reinvigorate these rich but endangered tongues. Where did …
What Makes A Policy Program Name Stick? by John M. Cunningham In the 1910s there was Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom. The 1960s brought us Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. And now, with the help of Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Green New Deal has become the talk of the Beltway. Since the early 20th century, presidents and other politicians in the United …
Gotham, the Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps: New York City is virtually an emblem of America. But, how did it get its name, and where is “Old” York? What was the original name for New York? Before New York was New York, it was a small island inhabited by a tribe of the Lenape peoples. One early English rendering of the native placename …