Genius: What If the Person Who Named Walkie Talkies Named Everything?
Reddit user dirtknapp asked the Internet: “What would the person who named Walkie Talkies have named other things?” The answers went on for a smiley whiley—and here are our very favorites.
View Article31 Common Acronyms You’d Never Figure Out
These terms had us scratching our heads when we tried to guess what they stood for. How many do you know?
View Article17 Common Food Names You Probably Pronounce Wrong
Fact: 100 percent of people pronounce "sriracha" wrong.
View Article15 Redundant Words That Make You Sound Ignorant
'New Scientist' writer Stanley Newman coined the term “RAS syndrome” in 2001 as a diagnosis for anyone who adds an extra word to the end of common acronyms like “ATM machine” (Automatic Teller Machine...
View Article12 Irregular Plural Words You Won’t Believe Are Grammatically Correct
The plural of "beef" is way funnier than you thought.
View Article10 Amazing Words We No Longer Use (But Should!)
Zounds! These obsolete yet colorful words have fallen out of use, but you’ll sound super smart mixing them into your next cocktail conversation.
View ArticleThese 10 Words Don’t Mean Anything Close to What They Look Like
Think twice before you use words like “lackaday” or “nonplussed”—they may mean something quite different than what you’d assume.
View Article34 Funny Town Names You Won’t Believe Are Real
From Boring to Slaughterville, read up on America's most unusual city names and their origins.
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24 Things You’ve Been Saying Wrong This Whole Time
Could care less What you actually mean: Couldn’t care less You want to say you care so little already that you couldn’t possibly care any less. When the Boston Celtics’ Ray Allen said, “God could care...
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11 Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do
The truth about fireflies Starting with the insects: Fireflies are not flies but flying beetles with luminous tails, and glow-worms are closely related to them, being the larvae of four different kinds...
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What the Heck Does GEICO Stand For? We Finally Have the Answer
When you think of GEICO, the first thing that comes to mind is probably its lovable lizard mascot. But the insurance company didn’t just pick its name because it rhymed with “gecko.” Way before GEICO’s...
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10 Place Names You’ve Been Pronouncing All Wrong
Boise, Idaho There’s no surer way to mark yourself as an outsider in potato country than by pronouncing it BOY-zee. The locals say BOY-see, thanks very much! They may still let you buy some of their...
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A Student Just Debunked the Most Famous Grammar Rule of All Time
It’s a Tuesday in the mid-1800s, and a British linguist bursts into his colleague’s office. “I’ve got it, Bertrand!” he exclaims. “The perfect spelling mnemonic!” The linguist skips up to his...
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9 Funny Words to Improve Your Vocabulary
Twitter-Light Noun: twilight. Last popular in the 17th century. Say these 9 words and we’ll tell you where you grew up. Quagswag Verb: the act of shaking to and fro. An old British word. Also add these...
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This Is the World’s Most Universal Word—It’s Not “Hi”
If you visit a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you can bet on some awkward conversations (although there is a way to learn a language without thinking about it). But don’t worry—if...
View Article7 Simple Sentences That Drive English Speakers Crazy
Think you have a good grasp of English? Good. Let’s play a little game, then. Below are seven short sentences. Each one of them is grammatically correct. Can you figure out why, and what they’re trying...
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You’re Probably Pronouncing “The” Wrong at Least 50 Percent of the Time
“The.” It’s the single most common word in the English language, according to Oxford Dictionaries, and one of just 50 words Dr. Seuss included in his early-reading classic, Green Eggs and Ham. It’s a...
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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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9 Funny Words to Improve Your Vocabulary
Twitter-Light Noun: twilight. Last popular in the 17th century. Say these 9 words and we’ll tell you where you grew up. Quagswag Verb: the act of shaking to and fro. An old British word. Also add these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Is the World’s Most Universal Word—It’s Not “Hi”
If you visit a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you can bet on some awkward conversations (although there is a way to learn a language without thinking about it). But don’t worry—if...
View Article