Archives
-
-
What Does “ZIP Code” Stand For?
The busiest time of year for the US Postal Service coincides with the December holiday season, when we’re all busy mailing greetings and gifts alike. But USPS workers are busy year-round: postal employees process a whopping 181.9 million of pieces of first-class mail per day! The 470,000 employees who work for the USPS (including the 7,000 on the Fleet of Feet delivering mail on foot) rely …
-
-
What Do These Common School Acronyms Mean?
Schools are ground zero for alphabet soup—educators seemingly love to name things using acronyms. STEM, GPA, KWL. While all of this jargon can seem kind of daunting, it’s not too bad once you learn the ropes. And we are here to help. So, get out your pencil and notebook, raise your hand for roll call, and prepare for School Acronyms 101. STEM You may think …
-
Canceled vs. Cancelled: Which Is Spelled Correctly?
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com From March Madness and SXSW to birthday parties and spring break vacations, many gatherings, big and small, have been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak around the world. … or is it cancelled? Now, spelling may seem like the least of our worries during these trying and unusual times, but many people are curious and still want …
-
Words That Totally Look Like English—But Aren’t
Since English is a major lingua franca, languages around the world import English loanwords. Sometimes other languages give completely new meanings to words that look like English yet they aren’t ever used by English-speakers.
-
Words We Know Because Of Star Trek
Star Trek is one of the most beloved science fiction television franchises to ever air. Debuting in 1966 with Star Trek: The Original Series, this long-running franchise is about the crew of a starship (spaceship), the USS Enterprise, as it explores the deepest depths of outer space. Along the way, the crew meet new life forms, get into all kinds of hijinks, and battle for …
-
Take An Outer Space Word Trip Right From Your House
It’s time for another virtual field trip! During the Covid-19 pandemic, educational spaces like museums, national parks, and NASA are opening their doors for virtual tours. We’ve already “visited” Georgia Aquarium to watch their aquatic animal webcams, and we’ve gotten to know the animals at the Houston Zoo in Texas. This time, we’re headed to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Langley Research Center …
-
Marshal vs. Martial: Do You Know The Difference?
It’s not enough that martial and marshal are pronounced the same, is it? No, the English language has to further complicate things, because while these homophones, martial and marshal, have different meanings, they both involve some overlapping concepts of law and war. And adding to the understandable confusion of these words is marshall, with two Ls. Let’s marshal, shall we say, the facts, and bring …
-
“Pragmatic” vs. “Dogmatic”: What Are The Differences?
Some people have the incredible ability to set their emotions aside and make clear, calm decisions in a crisis. Instead of getting caught up in big-picture ideals or feeling overwhelmed by the scale of a situation, they manage to face the problem head on and address it practically one step at a time. For those who don’t crumble under pressure, does this practical nature make …
-
Antifa
Antifa is a left-wing political movement, made up of various autonomous groups, that opposes fascism and other right-wing ideologies, often through militant protest tactics. Antifa 📈 on Dictionary.com in June 2020 due to allegations… -
Black Lives Matter And 9 Other Influential Calls To Action You Should Know
Black Lives Matter is a powerful political and social movement aiming to ensure basic human rights for Black people. Many people are familiar with the name of the movement as it is used amid protests against violence inflicted on Black people involving police officers, including the death of George Floyd in 2020. As the movement has expanded all around the world, many may not know …