Often an idiom—an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its parts—can seem like something from Alice in Wonderland. Pardon my French is one of the most colorful idioms that combines the profane with a language associated with love. Where does pardon my French come from? Pardon my French, or excuse my French, is an apology for the use of profanity; the expression dates …
A mysterious New York Times op-ed writer. A beloved TV-show star. A struggle to log into email. What do they all have in common? Spots on the Dictionary.com Trending Words of the Week for August 31–September 7, 2018! Lodestar, amorality, and deep state The identity of a mysterious New York Times op-ed writer has yet to be revealed, but it isn’t for lack of examining …
Is coleslaw a salad? What’s another way to say wedding? Both questions answered and more in the August 24–31, 2018 edition of trending words on Dictionary.com! Coleslaw Debates over just how certain foods should be categorized are legendary. Is the hot dog really a sandwich? (Yes). Is white chocolate really chocolate? (No). Podcaster Jon Lovett joined the fray with a tweet this week pondering how to …
From Kpop idols to California weed growers, here are the news stories that had you asking, “Hey, what does that word mean?” during the week of August 17–24, 2018. Idol South Korean Kpop group BTS is known for its mix of English and Korean in its songs, spurring curiosity from fans on either side of the language divide. The band’s latest music video, IDOL, is …
From the diamond to the big screen to the Beltway, here’s a look at what sent folks scurrying to Dictionary.com the week of August 10–17, 2018! Dinger The Little League World Series is back, and all eyes have been on Alfred Delia—known back in his New Jersey hometown as “Big Al.” The youngster scored a viral video with his on camera introduction, in which he announced …
From Beyonce to Britain, here’s why you were searching for meaning on Dictionary.com the week of August 3–8, 2018. FUPA Vogue got the Beyonce treatment this week, and so did the Dictionary.com trending words list. The singer got frank about the changes her body has undergone as she’s aged and carried babies, even praising her own FUPA. If you’re not familiar with the acronym, you’re …
by Molly Rosen Marriner It’s another installment of Last Month in Pop Language, a column where the most popular (statistically) song, book, and film of the month will have their words analyzed in hopes of drawing a conclusion about language’s current usage—and future. At the end of each monthly column, we’ll draw a conclusion: Was last month’s pop language masterly, malevolent, or merely meh? Film: Ant-Man and the Wasp …
LeBron James was as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve and so were football fans. So, what effect did that have on the Dictionary.com trending words of July 27th–August 3rd, 2018? Let’s take a look! Inviolability An announcement by Pope Francis sent one word soaring 441% this week: inviolability. The pontiff issued a statement condemning the use of the death penalty, “because it is …
From Fortnite to Tyler, the Creator, there were plenty of reasons to learn new words this week, July 13–20, 2018. So let’s dive in, shall we? The Circle Game It’s a game teenagers play every day, but searches for the circle game rose 1,094% for a decidedly more troubling reason this week. Four officers in the Jasper (Alabama) Police Department were suspended for making hand …
While some people might view emoji as silly little characters, that’s not how we see it. There’s a sophisticated linguistic system in the way people use emoji, and that’s something we take very seriously at Dictionary.com. Emoji are a very real way people are communicating, and who better to think deeply about emoji than a reference source that investigates meaning? In this piece, we’ll take …
Kylie Jenner. The Bachelorette. Wiz Khalifa. The July 6–13, 2018 edition of trending words is absolutely star-studded. So let’s dive in! Self-made Is Kylie Jenner a self-made billionaire? That’s how Forbes labelled her this week, and it left plenty of folks curious about just what it means to be self-made. How curious? Searches rose 864,100% on Wednesday! The answer to the query, of course, is …
by Molly Rosen MarrinerThis is our fourth installment of Last Month in Pop Language, a column where the most popular (statistically) song, book, and film of the month will have their words analyzed in hopes of drawing a conclusion about language’s current usage—and future. At the end of each monthly column, we’ll draw a conclusion: Was last month’s pop language masterly, malevolent, or merely meh?————- Movie: The Incredibles 2 …
