by Kimberly Murphy When you were in school, you were likely taught that synonyms are words with the same meaning. That definition, though, isn’t entirely accurate. Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings, but there are important, nuanced differences in how they are used. Educators refer to these differences as shades of meaning. Let’s break down this concept some more—with some printable, hands-on …
When the force of a swearword is too extreme (but some form of cuss must be used) symbolic stand-ins have long been used for lewdness. Suffice it to say, any emotional keyboard-striker can blurt out something that people perceive as a sub for swears. Whether it’s to diminish the force of swear, to get around censorship rules, or maybe just because symbols are @#$%ing cool to look at, …
Gendered language isn’t anything new. The English language has repeatedly identified people as male or female through titles and other descriptive words. Think waiter/waitress, policeman/policewoman, and so on. Fortunately, many of these words have been replaced by gender-neutral terms (server and police officer), but at the same time, some of the latest neologisms assign gender to terms that were previously neutral . We’re talking about terms …
It’s finally time to settle one of the most annoying mixed-up meanings in modern times … at least for goths (and the emo crowd). You’ve almost certainly heard of both goth and emo, but do you know that each of these are actually rather distinct terms, especially for fans of either music genre and lifestyle? Below, we’ll break down the meaning and differences of both …
Who’s ready for a virtual field trip? During the Covid-19 pandemic, educational spaces like museums, national parks, and even NASA are opening their doors for virtual tours. We’ve already “visited” the Georgia Aquarium to watch their aquatic animal webcams. Next, we’re heading to the Houston Zoo in Texas to get up close and personal with elephants, flamingos, gorillas, ants, and more! The Houston Zoo is offering fun …
It takes two people to have an affair. Despite this fact, there is a clear disparity in the way the public generally discusses extramarital relationships. Heterosexual men who have affairs are just heterosexual men who had affairs. But, the women with whom they have those affairs quickly get labeled with another term, one for which there is no effective male equivalent in English: mistress. As …
