Archives

1. 

   When Did “Chemical” Become Such A Toxic Word?

   The word chemical elicits strong reactions from many people. You’ve probably seen viral headlines over the past few years about “yoga mat chemicals” in your Subway sandwich bread or “toxic chemicals” in your mascara. Certainly, you’ve seen people online discussing the “dangerous chemicals” they believe are contained in vaccines. When people see the word chemical, it tends to inspire fear, but should it? What is a chemical? A chemical …

2. 

   nappy hair

   Nappy hair is historically used as a derogatory term to describe the hair of Black people, especially women, many of whom have re-appropriated the term.
3. 

   Blond vs. Blonde: What’s The Difference?

   Grammatical gender* is an unfamiliar concept to some native English speakers. If you’re learning a language like Spanish, for instance, one of the earliest lessons is that some nouns are feminine (la mesa for “the table”) and others masculine (el café for “coffee”). Gendered words are part of many other languages around the world, too, but not so much in English—or are they? Believe it or not, English …

4. 

   Why Do Journalists Avoid The Word “Liar”?

   by Ashley AustrewPoliticians aren’t exactly known for being honest. President Nixon had the Watergate scandal. President Bill Clinton lied about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. And, in the first two years Donald Trump was president, the Washington Post reported he’s made over 8,000 “false or misleading claims” to the American public. Still, it is rare to see a headline declaring any president or politician a liar. …

5. 

   Don’t Be A Gooseberry Fool, Take This Word Of The Day Quiz

   Our crippling anthophobia won’t stop us from taking this week’s Word of the Day Quiz. If the quiz doesn’t display, please try opening in the Chrome browser. Interested in Words of the Day from the past? Check out this one that we brought to life … Tell us your favorite word from this week below (and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter)!

6. 

   Stationary vs. Stationery

   Stationary and stationery are just one letter off, but that seemingly small difference changes the meaning of these words entirely. These two terms share the Latin root statiōnārius, which derives from the word station meaning “a standing place.” What does stationary mean? Stationary with an a is the older of these two terms, and it means “fixed in one place and not moving,” like a …

7. 

   genderfuck

   Genderfuck seeks to subvert traditional gender binary by mixing or bending one's gender expression, identity, or presentation (e.g., a transgender woman wearing a dress and having a beard may considered genderfuck or engaging in genderfucking).
8. 

   Mondaze

   Mondaze is a blend of Monday and daze, a humorous term for the stupor some find themselves in at the start of the work week. Mondaze can also just be a fun, intentional misspelling of…
9. 

   demotional

   Are you really passionate yet don't let things get under your skin? You may be demotional, a slang coinage meaning "detached and emotional."
10. 

    mufo

    Mufo is short for mutual follower, referring to someone you follow on social media who follows you back. But, it is sometimes an alternative form of mofo, a softening of the vulgar slang motherfucker.
11. 

    choob

    Choob is gaming slang for a high-level player that acts like a noob, or "a newbie," to annoy or disrespect other players. Choob also represents a British, Irish, and Scottish English pronunciation of tube, which can refer…
12. 

    sadcited

    Sadcited describes the feeling of being sad and excited at the same time, especially at the transition from an ending to a beginning.