Summer is here, which means Cancer season is upon us. We’re talking about people born between June 21–July 22, meaning they are born under the Cancer sign of the zodiac. Cancer is the fourth sign (after Gemini and before Leo) in the zodiac calendar. Cancer (the word is Latin for “crab”) is also one of the four cardinal signs—specifically, it is the cardinal water sign. …
Evoke and invoke are both fairly formal words that look and sound a lot alike—and, for what it’s worth, you can summon a spirit with either one (we’ll get to that, don’t worry). But the contexts in which they’re used are often quite different. Evoke is typically used when talking about how something produces or draws out feelings, memories, or reactions. Invoke is often used …
Summer is the season for basking in the warm sun and rejoicing in the freedom of vacation. Summer officially starts in late June — but try telling that to the students who’ve been enjoying their school break for weeks by that point! So let’s take a look at the name summer and what it actually means, while answering that age-old question: when exactly does summer …
Every year on June 14 in the United States, a holiday comes and goes (perhaps without you even noticing): Flag Day. The gist of the holiday is right there in the name. It’s a commemoration of the adoption of Betsy Ross’s American flag in 1777. It’s also a chance to flex your vexillology trivia facts and knowledge about US history. The first official Flag Day …
Most of us landlubbers live out our dry lives on solid ground, so it can be easy to forget that Earth is primarily an ocean planet that’s 71% covered in water—most of which connects in a giant blue mass around our little green islands. Ocean, sea, it’s all the same salt water, right? Yes and no. In general use, it’s extremely common for the two …
Many people around the world agree that doughnuts—those small sweetened or unsweetened pieces of dough fried in deep fat—are delicious. What is less agreed on (at least in the United States) is the spelling: is it doughnut or donut? Technically, it can be both. Dictionaries and popular style guides like the AP Stylebook list doughnut as the preferred spelling. However, donut is a common variation …
There has been a lot of buzz around cicadas recently—you’ve probably heard about Brood X by now (if not, read on). But do you know what a cicada actually is? Are they the same as locusts? Are they all just a kind of grasshopper? Telling cicadas and locusts apart can be a bit complicated, especially since the words are sometimes used interchangeably and the particularly …
June is a great month. School’s out. The days are long. The weather’s warm. Perhaps the Anglo-Saxons — who spoke that linguistic ancestor of English known as Old English — were onto something when they collectively called June and July Liða. That’s pronounced like [ lee–thuh ], with the character ð having the voiced th-, like this. Liða itself may mean “calm” or “mild.” On its own, June was sometimes also referred to …
You’re trying as hard as you can. Are you doing your utmost or your upmost? Confusion between these two words probably comes from people hearing utmost (which is the correct choice in this case, btw) as upmost (which is otherwise a pretty uncommon word). This may be because up seems like it should fit situations involving the highest effort. And, in fact, there are some …
by Laura Vismara Content warning: This article deals with the sensitive topic of suicide. If you (or someone you know) need support, call the toll-free, 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text HOME to 741741 for free, which offers 24/7 support from the Crisis Text Line. This article also covers a range of difficult topics on mental health, including eating disorders …
People born May 21–June 20 can call themselves Geminis. It’s the sign after Taurus and before Cancer in the zodiac calendar. An air sign ruled by Mercury, Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac. Represented by twins, Geminis tend to have a dual nature. They can be unpredictable, and their personalities are fluid. Still, people born under this sign usually have a lot in …
Cite, site, and sight are classic homophones: they sound the same, but differ in meaning (and spelling). Cite is most commonly used as a verb in the context of facts, sources, and academic papers. Site is most commonly used as a noun in the context of locations and places. And sight is used in the context of seeing and things that are seen. Sounds straightforward, …
