We love words. We especially love strange words. Fortunately, the English language has a limitless supply of them to tantalize even the most discriminating lexophile.
How Many of These Crazy English Words Do You Know?
Words That Seem Like They Should Rhyme But Don’t
Unquestionably, the English language is insane. It is so insane that there is even a poem dedicated to its insanity. We have devoted numerous articles on this site to English and its […]
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 […]
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, […]
Writers of Law Sentence You to Read Sentences
Lawyers are expected to use long, complicated sentences. Many attorneys pride themselves on their ability to use unnecessarily-complicated words and phrases. Sometimes, however, even those within the profession will cry foul at […]
The Latest Gossip About What to Call Someone Who Gossips
We all know that person who just has to have the latest news — good or bad — about everyone. You might think of that person as a busybody or a gossip. […]
When Churchill Got His Foot Caught on a Dangling Preposition
Few people have ever commanded such a mastery of the English language as Winston Churchill. He labored over his speeches and writing, carefully selecting just the right words in just the right […]
How Do Dogs Bark in Other Languages?
Who knew that animals are like people in having to learn other languages to be understood in different cultures? It may seem that the basic sound made by dogs, “woof,” would be […]
Take a Leap into Kangaroo Words
Have you ever heard of a “kangaroo word”? You may not recognize the term, but you use kangaroo words all the time. Just as an adult kangaroo carries a joey around in […]
You Might LOL About the PM Who Received the First OMG
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) lived long before the smartphone but was a pioneer in the use of mobile communications lingo. More than a century ago, he was the recipient of the first recorded […]
Peruse Perplexing Pangrams Perfectly Penned to Please
Anyone who has taken a class on typing (or keyboarding, as it is now known), has encountered the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” In typing that word, […]
A Little Latin Could Get Your Neck Out of a Noose
Originally posted on English-Language Thoughts:
I had the increasingly rare pleasure of learning a new expression today: neck-verse. I was reading the prologue of the book 1599: A Year in the Life…
What a Difference a Capital Letter Makes
There is one word in the English language that changes its meaning and pronounciation, depending on whether it is capitalized: polish. Uncapitalized, polish refers to a substance used to give something a smooth and […]
That’s Easy for You to Say! What Are the Hardest Words to Pronounce in English?
All of us have encountered words that give us fits, no matter the level of English proficiency. You could be William Shakespeare himself and still trip up over a relatively-simple word. For […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 