We often attribute emotions and other human characteristics to animals. This is called anthropomorphism. Similarly, we also describe people using animal characteristics. You might, for example, say my teenage son “eats like a horse,” meaning he’s a growing boy and consumes a lot of food. This is called zoomorphism. Zoomorphism also includes assigning animal-like qualities to gods and inanimate objects. The term comes from the Greek …
1. Vertigo was up in searches the week of March 1–7, 2018 by 339%. Here are a couple reasons why: Reader’s Digest did an expose on vertigo in general. Here’s what you need to know, according to them: “What Causes Vertigo? 15 Things Neurologists Wish You Knew”. Digital Trends wrote about some biofeedback headphones that can help people out who have vertigo. So, we have the explanation and the cure …
Sometimes a dictionary is too heavy to carry around for some light reading and too daunting to listen to as an audiobook. For all your language needs from etymology to grammar to more creative ways to curse, check out our recommendations below for the best language podcasts. And, because this is an article about language podcasts, we can’t help but mention our newly-launched Dictionary.com Word …
Buzzwords and catchphrases often surface in our culture. Many come from landmark news events, and, before you know it, that term is everywhere and firmly embedded in our collective conscience. Why do they strike such a chord? If there was a secret sauce to creating one of these memorable expressions, we’d all be copywriters. Let’s look at some from the world of news (and we’ll …
1. Posthumously trended this week (increasing in searches by 102%) as the country still isn’t over the Parkland, Florida school shooting and neither are we. As Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students went back to school this week, the country (for the most part) applauded the heroism and activism that they’ve displayed. And, they’ve inspired action in all of us too—Dick’s Sporting Goods for the …
The word meme, coined in 1976 by the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, goes way beyond social-media pixels. Meme captures the concept of “cultural transmission” of ideas in general, where customs and ideas spread from brain to brain. Which means memes have been around longer than Success Kid or Kermit sipping tea. Wildfire ideas have been around as long as humans have—in fact, discovering fire is …
Inept was up 186% in searches this week . . . and this time it’s about somebody else’s dysfunctional government and leadership team. The Times helped us explain this one: “Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, and his deputy, Barnaby Joyce, traded extraordinary public barbs yesterday over an adulterous affair that has gripped the nation and fractured the government. Mr Turnbull said his deputy had ‘appalled everyone’ …
Mendacity Mendacity was our top trending word the week of Feb. 9–13, 2018, peaking at an 845% increase in searches. So, what’s mendacity? Lying, untruthfulness, falsehoods—all mendacity. Here’s why it’s newsworthy this week: Trump has some mendacity, for sure. Even his lawyers know it, which is why they are advising him not to meet with Mueller re: the Russia investigation, because lying to the FBI, even if …
Before he was Snoop Dogg, the West Coast rap icon went by his given name: Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He was named after his stepfather. His stage name was inspired by Snoopy though, a childhood nickname. His parents gave him the pet name because of the way he looked. She might be known as Iggy Azalea on stage, but this Australian-born rapper’s official name is Amethyst Amelia …
1. hologram Searches for this futuristic term jumped 65% this week as news circulated that Justin Timberlake would be performing with a hologram of Prince during the Super Bowl halftime show. Before game-day, it came out that Prince was not a fan of the technology, saying in 1998, “that whole virtual reality thing… it really is demonic. And I am not a demon.” Ultimately, Timberlake …
During the week of January 18–24, 2018, our word with the biggest search increase was handsome. Up 1069%, handsome had some recent newsworthy recognition. Here are a few of the stories: It’s been 10 years since Heath Ledger’s death January 22, 2008, and he’s been remembered this week for his handsome looks on top of his immense talent. In Japan, women are now paying to cry with a handsome …
The language of parenting is constantly evolving, and these changes often occur in tandem with new parenting movements and styles. The early 20th-century authoritarian style of parenting gave way to a more permissive parent in the ’60s and ’70s. The ’80s and ’90s parent became more intricately involved and focused on building their children’s self-esteem. Trophies for everyone! Now, in the early 21st century, the …
