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10 Words That Mean the Opposite of What They Used to Mean
Awful Current meaning: Very unpleasant Original meaning: Inspiring wonder, as in “full of awe.” Here are 15 more words that have completely changed meaning over time. The post 10 Words That Mean the...
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15 Words That Have Just Been Added to the Scrabble Dictionary
Qapik “Qapik” is a variant of “gopik.” That’s just a type of Azerbaijan money. No need to remember that, but you should memorize “qapik” to help your Scrabble game. If you draw the “Q” tile, you don’t...
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10 Commonly Misused Words You Need to Stop Getting Wrong
You think it means Clearly true or real; clearly stated Incorrect use: My boss gave a definitive no to my idea for a start-up centered around the Sprocket—a Spring Roll/Hot Pocket hybrid. The post 10...
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10 Amazing Words We No Longer Use (But Should!)
Brabble Whether you’re discussing politics or wrangling small children, the word “brabble” could still find plenty of use in today’s society. Meaning “to argue stubbornly about trifles” or, in noun...
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The Real Reason Some English Words Have Silent Letters
The rogue knight doubted that the asthmatic knave in knickers could climb the castle columns, but when their wrangle wrought chaos on the couple, the knight resigned with the knowledge that their...
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The One Word You Need Permission to Use in the United Kingdom
As any Anglophile knows, while the British royal family enjoys worldwide stardom and some seriously awesome perks, they don’t actually have much in the way of governing power. Yet it’s thanks to them...
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Weird Facts About 7 Punctuation Marks You See Everywhere
# has a name you’d never guess Depending on when you were born, you probably know the # symbol as either a pound sign, number sign, or for the Twitter junkies among us, a hashtag. Turns out, none of...
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Here Is the Hardest Word to Guess in Hangman, According to Science
It’s a rainy day in the 1500s, and the King’s Justice slides a noose around your neck. He tightens it, steps around the wobbly stool beneath your feet and looks you square in the eye. “I’m thinking of...
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10 Fancy Words That Make You Sound Smarter
Toss: Rant or argument Try: Diatribe, meaning a nasty (and usually lengthy) tirade, whether spoken or written. Are you prone to diatribes when you’re upset? Because they are the perfect excuse to use...
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Can You Tell If These Funny Words Are Real or Made Up?
Tupacase Is this a real word? The post Can You Tell If These Funny Words Are Real or Made Up? appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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14 of the Toughest Tongue Twisters in the English Language
Pulled cod “Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.” A team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that this is the most difficult tongue twister in the world. Can you say it ten times...
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Dictionary Editors Say This Is the Most Misused Word in the English Language
A traffic jam when you’re already late. A free ride when you’ve already paid. The fact that the King James Bible is the most shoplifted book in the United States. One of these three things is an...
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10 Funny Vintage Slang Words People Should Start Using Again
Mutton Shunter Definition: Policeman Usage: “Is the President in town or something? There’s mutton shunters on every blasted corner!” If you like vintage words, you’ll also enjoy the origins of popular...
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12 Quirky Words That Don’t Have An English Translation — but Totally Should
Tingo To borrow objects one by one from a neighbor’s house until there is nothing left. (Pascuense language of Easter Island) We can predict where you grew up based on how you say these 9 words. The...
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We Now Know What SOS Really Stands For
“Save Our Ship!” “Save Our Souls!” “Save On Socks (at Sal’s Irregular Sock Emporium)!” These are all things that “SOS,” the international abbreviation for distress, does not stand for. Best known for...
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13 Hilarious Examples of How Not to Use a Thesaurus
Do you reach for your thesaurus as a surefire way to sound smarter (or irrefragably phrenic?) Watch out. Misuses of words (and other malaprops) can make you sound like you’re trying too hard and...
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10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart
Freck Definition: Verb—”To move swiftly or nimbly” Usage: The only way to survive the streets of New York City is to freck through the crowds, especially the slow movers, and never turn around. The...
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Here’s Where Your Favorite Slang Words Actually Came From
Legit Most people may think this word originated with MC Hammer after he released his 1991 hit, “2 Legit 2 Quit,” but it actually showed up during the later half of the 19th century in theater groups....
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The Surprising Meaning Behind These 8 Really Weird Words
Yes… Even prairie dogs do it. The post The Surprising Meaning Behind These 8 Really Weird Words appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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9 Everyday Idioms You’re Getting Wrong
What is an idiom? If you’re going to live in the United States or converse with English speakers, you’ll need to master our most commonly used idioms. What’s an idiom, you ask? Google.com’s handy...
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11 Funny Animal Names That Don’t Sound Real (But Are)
Zebroid Well, you can’t beat these funny animal names. You know how a zebra has stripes? Just imagine those black and white streaks across half the body of a regular equine creature. That’s what can...
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18 Words for Things You Never Knew Had a Name
Aglet The plastic covering on the end of a shoelace is an aglet. They make it easy for laces to wave through your shoes without unraveling. In ancient Rome, wealthy people made their aglets out of...
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10 Irritating Phrases You Should Stop Writing in Emails
“We need to …” Translation: XYZ needs to be done, but … I’m not actually going to come out and directly tell any of you to do it. The post 10 Irritating Phrases You Should Stop Writing in Emails...
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13 Funniest Words Added to the Dictionary in the Last Decade
How did these words make it into the dictionary? Language is used to decipher the world in which we live, and that world is ever-changing. So are the words we use to describe it. Dictionaries keep...
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Only English Majors Will Know These 26 Words from the Thesaurus
Spruce up your vocabulary The English language can be a beast. On top of its own linguistic foundation, it includes hundreds of borrowed words, from wanderlust (German) to ballet (French). Mix in...
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What If the Person Who Named Walkie Talkies Named Everything?
Let’s name things like the Walkie Talkie A few years back, Reddit user dirtknapp asked the Internet: “What would the person who named Walkie Talkies have named other things?” The answers went on for a...
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75 Funny Words You’ve Never Heard Before
Friendlily No, it’s not misspelled. It sounds wrong, but—trust us—it’s right! Many weird words seem fake at first. Do you know what this one means? The definition: To do something in a friendly way....
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6 Romantic Words with No English Equivalent
Saudade Pronunciation: saw•’dah•djee Origin: Portugese Definition: n., a strong feeling of missing someone you love. This may be one of the most romantic words ever spoken. Try to add this word into...
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40 Funny Sayings That Are Definitely Worth Memorizing
When someone presents a very questionable viewpoint I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong. If you love funny sayings like these, read these clever, funny comebacks you’ll wish you knew...
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What Is the Longest Word in English? Hint: It’s 189,819 Letters Long
“I know the longest word in the whole English language,” Jimmy tells Jenny by the playground swings. “It’s antidisestablishmentarianism.” Jenny slurps up the last of her juice box, unimpressed. “Is...
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