If you aren’t immersed in politics on the daily, through social media, the news, or just casual conversation, you might not be aware that the phrase wag the dog has become pretty poignant political jargon. But, how did it end up in the political lexicon and where did this seemingly innocent-sounding idiom come from? Below is our rendition of the brief history of the word trends …
In a world that knows too many details about unimportant matters, one would think that our collective expertise could be certain about something as essential as the days of the week. There is, however, a scholarly (and let’s face it, Marvel fan) debate regarding which goddess of love in Norse mythology is the namesake of “Friday.” Who is Friday named for? It is said that …
When you’re born, the first words you speak are so often mommy or daddy. (In some garbled, gurgled form or another—translation is often required.) So, let’s explore this commonality that connects us all and learn the different words people have come up with to describe their moms, dads, and grandparents. We might just toss in the random uncle, aunt, and cousin, too. Most of these …
Code-switching means “the modifying of one’s speech, behavior, appearance, etc. to adapt to different sociocultural norms.” So why do we do it? Why do we code-switch? There are many reasons why we code-switch. The main reason, however, is actually quite simple: acceptance in varying social situations. It’s no secret that we instinctively fear being perceived as “the other,” or as different, or as an outsider. That’s a lonely …
Presidential word mangling When it comes to Twitter accounts, there are few that are as closely watched around the world as that of President Donald Trump. With the advent of Twitter, and in particular our current president’s voracious appetite for sharing his every thought, there has come an ability for the world to evaluate something rarely put on display by politicians: their spelling. Trump’s grammar gaffes …
What is net neutrality? You may have heard the term net neutrality in the news. Net neutrality is the idea that the relationship between you and content on the internet shouldn’t be altered by internet service providers—that ISPs should provide nondiscriminatory access to internet content, without manipulating the transfer of data, and treat all web traffic equally. The government has protected this idea until recently, when the FCC …
Many idioms—expressions that are not taken literally—are so old and so familiar that we don’t think twice about using them. We say, for example, “it’s raining cats and dogs” to indicate that it’s pouring outside, and “comfortable as an old shoe” to explain an easy and familiar relationship. We can trace the etymology of some idioms to books and sayings that were first used hundreds …
With the recent #MeToo and Times Up movements, equality and the empowerment of women have become household conversations around the world. Everyone from your next-door neighbor to your favorite high-school teacher has likely joined the discussion, using a brand-new set of vocabulary including the words misogyny and sexism. While these two terms may seem similar, there are actually several differences that make them stand on …
Sentient. We define this word as “having the power of perception by the senses; conscious.” Fans of the Terminator movie series will know this word and its implications (Skynet, cough cough). And, we can’t forget the Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Which desktop AI system is better at understanding language? But, in this article, we’re focusing on the sentient Google Home and Assistant and how …
Don’t mortify yourself by saying “fo’ shizzle” to someone from Chicago or by expecting Hi-Tek slang to be recognized outside of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. (No offense, Nati residents.) Rap slang can be as hyper-regional as sports alliances. With the help of M.I.M.’s lyrical breakdown about how each part of the US raps, we created an atlas of five notable words from each region. East …
How do I love thee? Let me count the schwas.Not exactly what Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote in Sonnet 43, but we like it all the same. Why? Because it finally pays tribute to the most frequent vowel sound in English: the schwa. What is the schwa and how does it sound? Simply put, the schwa is a reduced, neutral vowel sound written as an upside-down …
Turpitude, venality, and demagogue When former CIA Director John Brennan weighed in on the firing of former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe, he likely expected to make waves. But did he know he’d send searches for his word choices skyrocketing on Dictionary.com? The director’s tweet, issued in response to President Donald Trump, represents the biggest spike in searches on Dictionary.com March 16–23, 2018! …
