Some of the words are cutesy (kerfuffle, jubilee). Others are onomatopoeic, with a similar sound to the idea they’re describing (meow, clink, squeak). Some are bizarre sounding (for example, syzygy: ...

We sprinkle these expressions into everyday conversation like linguistic confetti: catchy little turns of phrase that make our language colorful and familiar. We “bite the bullet” when the moment ...

We all have words and phrases that get under our skin. For me, I can’t stand the word ‘fluids.’ It paints a picture that I would rather not see. We often hear how the word ‘moist’ makes people feel ...

Language preserves history in every word. Many expressions we use today have roots stretching back centuries, surviving through everyday speech and evolving in meaning. These old English phrases ...