When addressing strangers, authority figures, and in formal situations, it is considered polite to use an honorific, or title, to address them. The most frequently used honorifics are gendered male or female, which may not always be appropriate. In this article, we are going to review the most common honorifics, the alternative Mx., and how and when to use these titles. The most commonly used …
Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the United States, after English. With so many Spanish-speakers, it is no surprise that there is a lot of crossover between the two. There are Spanish words adopted into English and English words that have been adapted into Spanish, and often people will use these two languages in combination or interchangeably (sometimes this is known as Spanglish). Let’s …
Mr. and Mrs.: What do they stand for? The contractions Mr. and Mrs. are short for Mister and Missus/Missis. These contractions, like their longer forms, are used in etiquette to show respect to men and women. Mr. and Mrs. are pronounced the same as their longer forms: Mr. is pronounced as [ mis-ter ] and Mrs. is pronounced as [ mis-iz ] or [ miz-iz …
It’s always fun to learn new things and learning a cool new word can scratch that itch of curiosity you might have. Speaking of itch, you may be wondering what medical term is used to refer to itchiness or really itchy skin. Itching to solve this mystery? We have just the educational aloe vera you are looking for—and you’ll learn a few more dermatological terms …
Antiwork, bachelorx party, 45, Ohtani rule, pawternity leave, Zelenskyy. As ever, there is great variety in the new terms and meanings just added to Dictionary.com. by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor, and Heather Bonikowski, Lexicographer Let’s set things straight: a word doesn’t become a “real word” when we add it to the dictionary. It’s actually the other way around: we add a word to the dictionary …
The pumpkin spice flavor used in coffee drinks and so many other foods popular in fall is typically a mixture of spices (or flavorings) including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. Does pumpkin spice contain pumpkin? It’s called pumpkin spice not because it has pumpkin in it but because it’s the spice mixture traditionally used to flavor pumpkin pie and other pumpkin-based baked goods …
It’s a commonly misused phrase, and it’s also commonly misspelled. Is it per se or per say? The confusion might be due to the phrase’s Latin origin, which is a big hint as to which spelling is the right one. In this article, we’ll reveal the correct spelling of the term, define it, explain its Latin origin and meaning, and provide examples of how it …
We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not! This nursery rhyme demonstrates some of the different ways that weather and whether can be used. But what do these words really mean? In this article, we’ll define the difference between weather and whether and provide tips to help you always remember which one is which. Weather and whether are homophones—their pronunciation …
Let’s get real. Life is tough, and tough times call for tough words. But sometimes even the toughest of times call for … gentler words. Imagine: you’ve stubbed your toe and dropped your coffee too, and while you might want to let out a string of expletives (*&$@#*!!!), you’re painfully aware you can’t. Maybe the “little pitchers” have big ears. Or Great Aunt Edna is …
The verbs attain and obtain are very similar. Sometimes their meanings overlap, but they can also be used in distinct ways. In this article, we’ll define attain and obtain, explain the different ways they’re used and when their meanings overlap, and provide examples of how they’re typically used in sentences. The verbs attain and obtain have distinct meanings, but there are certain situations in which …
Do you speak emoji? If you’re a millennial, you might think you do, since you came of age during the dawn of emojis. What might surprise you is finding out that the meanings of many of even the most popular emojis have completely changed. Gen Z came along and used their creativity and unique sense of style to reshape the way people use and understand …
The terms we use to refer to other people—and ourselves—can communicate a lot about identity, and sometimes even a single letter can make a big difference. Perhaps you know the words Latino and Latina. But have you encountered Latinx or Latine? Even if you have, you might still be confused about why they’re used and whether there’s a difference. In this article, we’ll explain the …
