Since its introduction in the early 20th century, the film industry’s contributions to the English language have been manifold. Some terms, along with the concepts they described, were fleeting. Take Smell-O-Vision, the movie-going experience in which plot-related scents were pumped into the theater during screenings; it made its first and last appearance in the same 1960s film, Scent of Mystery. (That’s probably a good thing.) With …
There comes a time in every parent’s life when the Harry Potter books and movies take over your household! Whether you’re a reading family or a movie-watching family or maybe doing a bit of both, here’s a twist on our Disney Movie Word Challenge to engage your children and boost their vocabulary at the same time! Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore would definitely approve. First, …
Let’s face it: There’s never a bad time to educate your kids on some of the classic movies from “the good old days.” Yes, we are talking about ’80s movies, films made back when everything was gnarly, and you steered clear of anything that seemed bogus. Want to add an extra dash of education into the mix? We’ve got you! Introducing part two of the Dictionary.com …
There are dozens of spells that are used by the characters in Harry Potter’s fictional world of wizardry. But are any of them real words? What language are the spells in Harry Potter? The names of many of the spells are indeed derived from other languages, especially Latin. However, for the most part, they aren’t proper words. Author J.K. Rowling created words that resemble other …
Movies are remembered for their soundtracks, cinematography, costume design, and special effects. But most of all, it’s the dialogue that people love (and love to quote). Sometimes, even one- or two-word quotes become emblematic of the whole movie—plus they’re, like, the easiest to remember. Or, are they? Read these iconic words, then see if you can correctly pick the flick that they come from! If …
When a TV character says something so wildly outlandish that you’re hustling for your Dictionary.com app to see if that’s really a word, let’s just say we’re solid fans of the act. It turns out we’re not exactly alone. Some of television’s most lovable characters (and a few unlovable ones too) are known to trip over their tongues. Sometimes, it’s an accident. Other times, well, …
The continued box office success of the Fast and the Furious franchise gives moviegoers and word-lovers something to cheer about. Beyond the stunning action sequences, though, audiences, including us, actually really enjoy the title itself. That probably has something to do with its alliteration, “a figure of speech in which a consonant sound at the beginning of a word is repeated” (in this case the sound of the letter …
