It’s Thanksgiving time, and while some folks will be piling their plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, we can’t pass on the opportunity to consider a dish named with one of the greatest portmanteaus of all time: the turducken. Let’s talk turducken A portmanteau is a blended word that’s made by putting together parts of other words—like motel, made from motor and hotel, or brunch, …
The midterm elections weren’t just sending folks to the polls. Plenty of you landed on Dictionary.com the week of November 2–9, 2018 looking for answers. So what did we learn? Let’s review this week in words! Incumbent, House of Representatives, and gubernatorial The midterm elections dominated headlines this week, so it’s no surprise that more than a few election-related words showed up in our trending …
When a TV character says something so wildly outlandish that you’re hustling for your Dictionary.com app to see if that’s really a word, let’s just say we’re solid fans of the act. It turns out we’re not exactly alone. Some of television’s most lovable characters (and a few unlovable ones too) are known to trip over their tongues. Sometimes, it’s an accident. Other times, well, …
Where did the name Wednesday come from? Surprise, surprise … Wednesday Addams wasn’t the originator of the name. In fact, the name Wednesday actually derives from two mighty but distinct gods. The Old English word for Wednesday indicates that the day was named for the Germanic god Woden. In Romance languages, the name is derived from the Roman god Mercury. (For example, Wednesday is mercredi in French and miercuri …
What is socialism? Socialism has three main meanings: 1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. 2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory. 3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to …
At the beginning of Daylight-Saving Time, we all spring our clocks forward one hour … and gripe about losing an hour of sleep. Then, we all turn around a few months later, fall back, and thank our lucky stars that we get some extra shuteye. The official term for it is daylight-saving time or daylight-savings time (because we all ended up saying this version more … …
Halloween. Cardi B. And, of course, the goings on in Washington D.C. They all had an effect on Dictionary.com’s trending words list for October 26–November 2, 2018. But, how much and what words? Dig in, and find out! Footages Convinced Cardi B had made up the word footages in an Instagram video, thousands of fans rushed to Dictionary.com to find out whether the “I Like …
English is a major lingua franca, but that doesn’t mean native speakers of other languages around the world don’t put their own spin on English. Generally, if English has been introduced into a community (through colonization, missionary work, what have you), that community will find completely unique ways to use and reinterpret it, to make it “local.” India is a top contender for using English …
From NASCAR tracks to Washington, D.C., here are the words that were blowing up the Dictionary.com trending charts October 19–26, 2018. Funner Semi-retired NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropped the word funner on Twitter last weekend, drawing out the language snobs to correct him on his usage. There’s just one problem: Funner is, in fact, a word! Informal though it may be, the word that spiked …
How much do we love the New York Times crossword puzzle? Let us count the ways … never mind, we can’t count that high. We can, however, count on it to continually challenge us with its sagacious clues and delight us when we discover the astute answers that fit just right. While each puzzle offers something unique, with aha moments aplenty, some of their clues …
It’s many kids’ favorite part of Halloween. There’s no feeling quite like waiting for a stranger to open their door so you can scream the words “Trick or treat!” But, why do we say it? What does it actually mean? Where does the phrase trick-or-treat come from? While some identify precursors to trick-or-treating in ancient Celtic customs, modern trick-or-treating is thought to be a custom borrowed …
A babywearing dad. A former White House photographer. A long-running TV show. What do they all have in common? Spots on the Dictionary.com Trending Words of the Week list for October 12–19, 2018! Emasculate British TV presenter Piers Morgan took aim at actor Daniel Craig this week, poking fun at the James Bond star for babywearing his little girl. Morgan hashtagged the potshot #EmasculatedBond, sending …
