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. […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
Do You Have a Fear of Dinner Conversation?
Do you cringe at the prospect of having to endure one more social gathering? Do you find yourself tongue-tied at the seemingly-impossible task of engaging in small talk over dinner? Would you […]
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, […]
Congress Got Rid of Lunatics But Kept All the Idiots
If you ever decide you’d like to learn all of the laws of the United States, you will need to grab a copy of the United States Code (or you can read […]
You Will Be Surprised At the Words Invented By Presidents
In a slight departure from normalcy, the premise of this article may sound a little iffy, but we certainly don’t want to encourage a bunch of muckrakers or squatters by sugarcoating or […]
Ye Olde Way of Speaking Old English Wasn’t That Way
Nothing speaks to authentic medieval culture than the words “ye olde.” If you see those words as part of the name of an establishment, you know it is a place steeped in […]
Do You Have a Case of Mulligrubs?
Do you know someone who has a case of mulligrubs? No, it’s not a bushel of strange worms. It isn’t a gross rash resulting from poor hygiene, either.
The Glass is Not Half Full if You Have Cenosillicaphobia
Are you a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” type of person? If you suffer from cenosillicaphobia, you will be satisfied with either of those scenarios. Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of […]
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