This July 4th weekend, how about taking some time to consider the names of those items you are about to eat? Brace yourself for the short and disputed history of that American grilling favorite: the hot dog. Why do we call hot dogs, well, hot dogs? There are a few schools of thought on the origin of this favorite food. Some think that people commonly …
If you hang out around surfers long enough, chances are you’ll overhear them talking about a gnarly wave or a sick run. But what if they’re chatting about their housekeeping woes, and a gnarly living room or nasty kitchen? (Not cool, dude!) Does that make the words gnarly, sick, and nasty synonyms? This gets tricky because in addition to having various definitions, each word can be used …
Most people know the word bear as a fuzzy noun: a massive mammal that makes for a beloved and cuddly toy. But what about the pain that some people know (all too well) when bearing down if they have a hemorrhoid? Or is it baring down that causes the unbearable burning? What if I take my shoes off when I enter someone’s home—am I walking …
Many stories have one thing in common: a brave main character who ends up saving the day. But does slaying the dragon or defusing the bomb make this person a hero or a protagonist? And can the two words be used interchangeably? The correct answer to both is yes, with the caveat that the words are not always synonymous. Both nouns have multiple definitions and …
You probably don’t need any data to know that 2020 has been like no other year in recent history—and it’s only half over. But, for those of us fortunate enough to have the opportunity to reflect, some data can help us take stock at this midyear mark on just how transformative 2020 has been. All around the world, COVID-19 has changed our health, jobs, relationships, …
Some people find it easy to tell if someone is from New York or New Jersey the moment they meet them—all they have to do is start chatting! And if the New Yorker’s accent isn’t an immediate giveaway, the phrase on line usually is. In many states across the country, it’s all the same: people stand in line at the grocery store, wait in line …
Ludicrous means something is silly enough to cause amusement. Ridiculous means it’s absurd enough to invite mockery or derision. Ludicrous has a more playful and amusing sense than ridiculous. You probably already knew these two words can be used to describe something that’s nonsensical or silly. But does that mean these two words are synonyms? What does ridiculous mean? We use ridiculous when something is …
The 23rd letter of the English alphabet is a bit of a wonder. The humble W is the only letter of the alphabet with a three-syllable name. It is also one of three letters (H, W, and Y) with a name that does not indicate its phonetic use. The complications of W are twofold because of its name, double-u, and its shape, double V. What sound …
As the George Floyd protests have grown and spread, many activists have been calling to defund the police. Whether chanted in demonstrations or posted as hashtags on social media, the phrase defund the police has proven to be a forceful rallying cry. People are listening. But, people are also asking questions. What does it mean, exactly, to defund the police? Indeed, it seems many people …
The protests against racism and police brutality, spurred by George Floyd—a Black man who was killed after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes—have expanded in size and scope across the entire world. The protests have, in turn, spurred the beginnings of everything from deep, uncomfortable reflections to institutional change and reform. And Dictionary.com has seen significant search …
The busiest time of year for the US Postal Service coincides with the December holiday season, when we’re all busy mailing greetings and gifts alike. But USPS workers are busy year-round: postal employees process a whopping 181.9 million of pieces of first-class mail per day! The 470,000 employees who work for the USPS (including the 7,000 on the Fleet of Feet delivering mail on foot) rely …
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com From March Madness and SXSW to birthday parties and spring break vacations, many gatherings, big and small, have been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak around the world. … or is it cancelled? Now, spelling may seem like the least of our worries during these trying and unusual times, but many people are curious and still want …
