There’s nothing we like better than to be able to write about a totally non-controversial subject. It is difficult to express our joy when the matter is so clear and accepted that […]
How Do You Pronounce GIF?
Andrew Carnegie and Theodore Roosevelt’s Doomed Effort to Simplify Spelling
Wy duz English hav such weerd spelling? Sum words uze silent letters. Others use dubel letters inconsistently for ekwal sounds, such as “blizzard” and “lizard.” Wat if we cud mak it eezy? […]
What Does an Ancient Pickle Recipe Teach Us About Baptism?
Baptism is a sacrament of the Christian faith that is associated with the public declaration that an individual has renounced his or her old ways and has entered into a new life […]
Ithkuil: the Most Complicated Language in the World
Frequent readers of Commonplace Fun Facts know that we like languages. They also know that we probably need to spend more time learning the nuances of English before we delve into others. […]
The Chaos — The Aptly-Named Poem About the Insanity of the English Language
Those of us who love the English language have to admit to a bit of schizophrenia about the love affair. On the one hand, English is an utterly-flexible and ever-changing language, allowing […]
Word of the Day Challenge: Crepuscular
Crepuscular. The word fairly trips off the tongue, making even the most uneducated person sound sophisticated — assuming it is used correctly, that is.
What Does Lorem Ipsum Mean and Why Does it Show Up Everywhere?
“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua….” No, this isn’t the beginning of some weird, cultish chant. The Lorem ipsum […]
How General Patton’s Latrine Became a National Hero
Many monuments have been inspired by the horrors of war. None is more significant than the graves of soldiers who were killed in combat. Battlefield burial sites stand as sober reminders of […]
Why Grammar Nerds Get Sick to Their Stomachs When You Say You Are Nauseous
Have you ever used the excuse of staying home, saying, “I feel nauseous”? You probably meant that you weren’t feeling well, and that is the way most people interpreted your words. It’s […]
The Accidental Ascendency of @
Some call it “at.” Others know it as “each.” The Italians refer to it as a “snail.” To the Dutch, it is the “monkey tail.” This curious symbol, known by so many […]
Prisencolinensinainciusol — The Nonsensical Hit Song that Sounds Like English to Non-English Speakers
Italian pop star Adriano Celentano wrote a song that rose to hit No. 1 on Italy’s music charts but wasn’t in Italian. It was inspired by English, but its words weren’t from […]
The High-Flying Conspiracy Theories of Denver International Airport
Frequent travels will tell you that it doesn’t matter whether you are going to Heaven or Hell, you have to go through Atlanta to get there. If, however, your destination is the […]
Your New Word for the Day: Catchfart
If you are in need of a proven conversation starter, try to use the word catchfart at your next social gathering.
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The English language is amazing. It is also weird. Whether you grew up with English as your first language or you are picking it up later in life, you will never exhaust […]
Words That No Longer Mean What They Used To
Everyone reading this is a girl. You lived much of your life in the Matrix. You’re really not all that fantastic; in fact, you’re really quite awful. Even before you were born, […]
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