Glass half full, or glass half empty? Looking on the bright side, or expecting the worst? Rose-colored glasses, or Murphy’s law? The words optimistic and pessimistic are opposites used in the context of people’s general outlooks or their sense of whether a situation will turn out positively or negatively. In this article, we’ll define both words—as well as the related nouns optimism, optimist, pessimism, and …
What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah, usually commemorated in September, marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. At sunset, families and friends gather to pray and then eat the traditional honey and apples, which symbolize the hope for a sweet new year. Rosh Hashanah, also spelled Hashana or Ha-shanah, comes from Hebrew and, most simply put, means “beginning of the year.” Rosh Hashanah not only marks the …
by Rory Gory | updated by John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com There are many stigmas and misconceptions surrounding mental illness, but it’s quite common to experience it. Nearly one in five US adults live with a mental illness, translating to about 46.6 million people as of 2017. Whether or not you live with a mental illness, mental health is something that all of …
Welcome to the Trebuchet and Catapult Helpline. If a large projectile is currently hurtling toward you, move out of the way before reading any further. For all other inquiries, we’re glad to help. So, a large boulder has just been hurled at you with a medieval-looking contraption and, understandably, you want to know what it is. Or perhaps you find yourself desiring to fling an …
For many, the month of September signals the end of summer, the beginning of autumn, and the start of a new school year. With respect to the calendar, September marks the beginning of the series of months named after their numerical position in the year. But the numbers and months don’t add up anymore. See, September, based on the Latin septem- meaning “seven,” is the ninth …
Lately, it seems everyone has been talking about the Delta variant of COVID-19. And just as we were getting used to this new term, a Lambda variant appeared in the news. Delta? Lambda? Do these words mean anything? Why are we using them to refer to COVID-19? Delta and lambda are actually letters of the Greek alphabet, and there is a good reason that we …
If you have a loan, especially a student loan or a mortgage, there may come a time when you aren’t able to keep up with your payments. But there are options when it comes to repayment relief, including one called a forbearance and one called a deferment. Both can involve temporarily postponing or pausing (or temporarily lowering) loan payments. But there can be a crucial …
You may be confused about the difference between maybe and may be. Or maybe you’re not. Either way, one space can make the difference between a verb meaning “might be” and an adverb meaning “possibly” or “perhaps.” In this article, we’ll break down why that space matters so much, and we’ll give you some examples to show exactly what the difference is, as well as …
If you found yourself flowing with creativity during Leo season, it’s time to put your inventive plans to action during Virgo season. No matter your zodiac sign, August 23–September 22 is a good time to harness the energy of a Virgo and approach new projects with zeal! If you follow astrology and read horoscopes, you know a person born between August 23 and September 22 is a Virgo. …
By Ashley Austrew Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or a high school student yourself, you’re probably aware that having a strong vocabulary is important for reading, writing, and speaking. In ninth through twelfth grades, students are not only tackling high-level coursework, but also preparing for their adult lives beyond school. The words they learn now will carry through into their later educational and career …
We hear the words hallucination and delusion mentioned in discussions about mental health, lists of medication side effects, and in general conversation—sometimes interchangeably. In all three contexts, they involve perceiving things not based in reality. But is there a clinical difference in a medical context? Their meanings and differences are important, because hallucinations and delusions, like many other aspects of mental conditions, can carry strong …
By Ashley Austrew Literacy is a different ball game for middle school students than it is for kids in elementary school. While sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are still learning new words, working on spelling, and improving their reading skills, they’re also starting to engage with words in new ways. Middle schoolers are reading more complex books, exploring new educational materials, and starting to dive …