You’re in an arbitrary fight with your best friend over a misunderstanding, you got a flat tire on the way to work, and an important document you needed got lost in the mail, never arriving at its intended destination. You might chalk this series of unfortunate events up to luck (or rather, lack thereof), but some may take it a step further and blame it …
We use hello several times a day to greet people or attract attention. But as prevalent as the word is, it is relatively new. Where does hello come from? While use of the term hello dates back earlier, it isn’t recorded with this exact spelling until the 1800s. Hello is considered a variant on a number of other similar words—like hallo, holla, and hollo—that were used to hail and …
Does Godzilla wreak havoc or reek havoc? Reeking is a word that usually describes something with a bad smell. Wreaking refers to something that causes destruction or damage. So really, when it comes to Godzilla … it depends. Let’s examine the two homophones and learn why each refers to something different. What does reek mean? As a verb, reek means a few things. Most often, …
Chances are you’ve heard of the TV show The Big Bang Theory. Lots of people love this lighthearted sitcom for its quirky characters and their relationships, but others haven’t even given the series a chance for one reason: they don’t like science and assume the show is boring. However, it only takes a few seconds with Sheldon and Penny to disprove this assumption and realize …
It’s likely that you know someone who might be a shopaholic. Perhaps you think that she has a superhuman stamina for long lines, crowded malls, and late-night purchasing. Or perhaps you think he just doesn’t know when to quit, spending way past his budget. What is a shopaholic? Shopaholic is an informal term usually applied with humor. It dates back to the 1940s, when it emerged …
Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have put the words dissent and protest at the center of our vocabulary this year. Dictionary.com has seen a surge of interest in these words, which speak to their relevance to our current times. The death of George Floyd—a Black man who was killed after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes—has inspired worldwide protests that continue …
Thanks to clicks, likes, and verified blue checkmarks, a person’s reputation can extend far beyond those who know them personally. For example, it’s widely known that Chris Evans is a real-life Captain America who holds doors open for people, and we all acknowledge that Beyoncé is a goddess among us mere mortals. Speaking of superpowers, before she passed away on September 18, 2020, Supreme Court …
What a year 2020 has been—and it’s not even over yet! With any new global event, new words tend to pop up, for better or worse, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. We know many of the world’s greatest debates are held forth, of course, on Twitter. What color was that dress: blue or gold? (Definitely blue.) After watching Tiger King, did you realize …
