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Why the Redefinition of the Word 'Woman' Matters Dec. 16, 2022
Samuel Johnson's "Dictionary of the English Language," first published in 1755, defines the word "wo... Read More
Some Words Are Older Than You'd Think Dec. 14, 2022
What's the lowdown on the commuter with the nifty T-shirt? You might peg that sentence as a slice of... Read More
Meaning of 'Moot' Is a Moot Question Jun. 16, 2021
It's 11:45 a.m. at the faculty lunch table. A heated argument breaks out when an art teacher asks: "... Read More
Oxen New Year Feb. 12, 2021
Legend has it that the ox, a faithful servant of the Jade Emperor, would have won the Emperor's grea... Read More
Wordcestery.com -- Which Words Share a Common Lineage? Jan. 13, 2021
Is "spray," meaning "an arrangement of flowers," related to "spray," meaning "particles of water"? B... Read More
Don't Waver in Heeding 'Wave/Waive' Distinction Dec. 09, 2020
"These guys never waiver in supporting me." When I read that sentence recently, I thought, "What a w... Read More
Do You Know the 'Bear' Facts of Usage? Nov. 18, 2020
Who said fairy tales were simple? See whether you can choose the correct words on this quiz about Go... Read More
This Quiz Might Require a P'h.'D. Nov. 04, 2020
It's "H" Hour! Can you choose the correct derivation for each word beginning with "h"? 1) Harbinger:... Read More
Getting the Better of Bete Noires Oct. 28, 2020
We all encounter recurring questions about grammar, usage, punctuation or spelling that bedevil us e... Read More
This Boss 'Strived' To Be a Regular Guy Oct. 21, 2020
Q. "My boss insisted on using the word 'strived' in a letter he wrote to an important client. I rese... Read More
A Canny Question Proves Uncanny Sep. 16, 2020
I had just been thinking about the odd words "canny" and "uncanny" when an email from a friend arriv... Read More
From Prison to Purge: The Linguistic Origins of 'Cancel Culture' Sep. 02, 2020
The term "cancel culture" has been batted around like a volleyball during the past few weeks. It ref... Read More
This Question Comes Up 'Biannually' Aug. 05, 2020
Q: I was taught that a biannual event occurred every other year. Now it seems "biannual" is being us... Read More
Do Brainstorms Cause Thunder and Enlightening? Jul. 29, 2020
We've all been there. You and your colleagues are brainstorming during a Zoom session, shouting out ... Read More
Heading for the 'High' Ground Jul. 15, 2020
Why do we say that people enjoying an opulent, elegant lifestyle are living "high on the hog"? The t... Read More
Latin Abbreviations: The Seven 'Hells' of Rome Jul. 08, 2020
Seven-up! Can you spot an error involving the use of the Latin abbreviations "e.g.," "etc.," "et al.... Read More
Will You 'Cotton' to These Word Origins? Jun. 24, 2020
"I don't cotton to that idea," a friend said the other day. The idea he wasn't "cottoning to" was my... Read More
'Gregarious' and 'Ruminate' Share Beastly Origins Jun. 10, 2020
Whenever a minister speaks of a congregation as a "flock" — the last time this happened, by th... Read More
Are You A-Where of These Regional Terms? May. 20, 2020
Despite the homogenization of American language during the past century, many delightful words uniqu... Read More
The Fake That Launched a Thousand Slips May. 13, 2020
When the origin of a word seems obvious, beware! Consider these tricksters: Launch: You might assume... Read More
