Legendary figures and the words that define them
Celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words
We're gonna stop you right there
What about Day Tomorrow?
And how did it get that name?
Word Icons
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The best way to find information in the dictionary
37,432 views
And is one more correct than the others?
203,437 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
453,630 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
103,568 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
264,642 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,216 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
53,563 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
361,746 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
289,534 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
264,047 views
Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.
547,108 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
156,643 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
40,896 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,243 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,026 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,327 views
792,616 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
451,909 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,185 views
And who put it there, anyway?
320,380 views
We're intent on clearing it up
314,685 views
Face Your Fears
You know what it looks like… but what is it called?
Pick the best words!