What is ASL or American Sign Language? American Sign Language, or ASL, is the visual signing language used by the Deaf community in the United States. English speakers in Canada and in a handful of other counties use ASL, too. Interestingly, those countries include the Philippines, Singapore, Jamaica, China, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia, and Bolivia—a varied group. There are other sign languages …
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said, “Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify, because the players are always changing; the team could move to another city. You’re actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it.” Still, we persist in pouring our heart and soul into following our teams. So, in all this devotion, have you ever wondered where …
LOLcats. Good Guy Greg. Forever Alone Rage Face. Scumbag Steve. If you recognize that these are internet memes, you’re not oblivious to the raging cultural phenomenon that has swept internet screens in the last several years. So, what does meme mean? For the uninitiated, an internet meme is any concept expressed through digital media that goes viral—a photo, video, GIF, song, doodle, fictional character, symbol. The …
What are mnemonics? Whether or not you loved school, there are several fictitious figures you should thank for your education. Your Dear Aunt Sally, for example, as well as your Very Educated (or Excited, Eccentric, Elephantine) Mother, and Roy G. Biv. Also, be grateful that All Cows Eat Grass; those cows saved your ‘rhymes-with-grass’ in music class. Has this collection of relatives and cows sent you …
At Dictionary.com we’re pretty skilled with words and letters, but we wanted to get in touch with our artistic side. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but let’s put the Google bots to the test with these challenging situations.
This is not a Sisyphean quiz . . . your vocabulary will improve with another Word of the Day Quiz.
Why does France hate English loanwords? France has a très rich literary and linguistic culture. So, it’s not surprising that their government takes a dim view to any intrusions made to it by, er, outside influences. As an article in The Guardian notes, “France’s identity has long been bound up with its language, more so possibly than anywhere else.” They also add that “France is …
During the week of January 18–24, 2018, our word with the biggest search increase was handsome. Up 1069%, handsome had some recent newsworthy recognition. Here are a few of the stories: It’s been 10 years since Heath Ledger’s death January 22, 2008, and he’s been remembered this week for his handsome looks on top of his immense talent. In Japan, women are now paying to cry with a handsome …
