As with many slang and idiomatic phrases, the origin of cut the mustard isn’t so … clear-cut. But, let’s see if we can’t crack this etymological jar open just a bit. What does “cut the mustard” mean? To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé …
It didn’t take very long for the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye to sneak into America’s chests and start tugging those heartstrings. Now, with Season 4 out on July 19, 2019, we wanted to shine the spotlight on some of the lexical magic of the Fab Five.Spoiler alert … some Queer Eye plot points may be revealed. Grab your tissues and prepare for the ride.For …
by Ashley Austrew Swearwords, these days, aren’t just more common than ever. They are also more colorful. A quick warning: there will be a lot of strong language ahead.Douchnozzle, shitgibbon, cockwaffle—these unique swears are created by taking a common profanity and pairing it with an unlikely noun. And, they’re becoming so popular that The New York Times Magazine has dubbed the people who coin these …
Compliment and complement are commonly confused terms because they’re pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings. But over time, they’ve become separate words with entirely different definitions. What does complement mean? Complement with an E is the older of the two terms. Its noun sense has been around in English since the 1300s. The term derives from the Latin complēmentum, meaning “something that completes.” So, that means if …
What is socialism? Socialism has three main meanings: 1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. 2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory. 3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to …
At the beginning of Daylight-Saving Time, we all spring our clocks forward one hour … and gripe about losing an hour of sleep. Then, we all turn around a few months later, fall back, and thank our lucky stars that we get some extra shuteye. The official term for it is daylight-saving time or daylight-savings time (because we all ended up saying this version more … …
English is a more varied (and delicious) melting pot than you think … English is one of the most incredible, flavorfully complex melting pots of linguistic ingredients from other countries that’s been left to simmer for (in some cases) centuries. These linguistic ingredients are called loanwords that have been borrowed and incorporated into English. The loanwords are oftentimes so common now, the foreign flavor has …
If you fancy yourself a modern-day Florence Nightingale, or if you just really like to look up your symptoms late at night online, these 10 weird medical terms need to be added to your vernacular faster than you can say "diagnosis."
The suburbs have a language just as colorful and vibrant as the cities. In deference to our fair suburbs, we decided to even up the playing field a bit. Here's our suburban dictionary.
