Search Results for: drag culture
-
-
A New Planet? Perhaps. What Does The Name “Tyche” Mean?
For years, scientists have been on the hunt for a mysterious “Planet Nine” that may exist in our solar system with a massive orbit of thousands—or even millions—of years. In 2011, a provocative hypothesis posed by a duo of planetary astronomers from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette named its version of this mysterious planet Tyche. They proposed a planet estimated to be four times the size of …
-
The Top Baby Names Are Actually Nouns
Want your child to stand out on the preschool roster? Going with a strong noun name is an all-American tradition. Below are some names that you may not have even realized were nouns. And, with a little help from Babylist (who we love because they named the dictionary and thesaurus as some of the top ways to pick a baby name), we’ve ranked awesome noun-inspired names …
-
What Exactly Does “Illuminati” Mean?
A few years back, after the release of his short film “Runaway,” rap impresario Kanye West found himself busy quashing rumors that he practices devil worship and is part of the notorious Illuminati. The gossip was sparked by references in “Runaway” to that elusive organization. West expressed confusion about the Illuminati. Is it connected to supposed devil worship? What does the word signify? The Illuminati refers to several different groups. The …
-
Where Does the Name “October” Come From?
October is here, and in the Northern Hemisphere, that often means the days are flush with falling leaves, chilling weather, and growing anticipation for the holiday season. The tenth month by our Gregorian calendar, October shares a root with octopus and octagon—the Latin octo and Greek okto, meaning “eight.” According to the original Roman republican calendar, October was the eighth month of the year rather than the …
-
retro radio
Yeezus, Simile, and Metaphor
If you know Kanye, you know the man likes to pronounce his greatness. He does it in a myriad of ways. In a past compulsively quotable interview in New York Times, he did it by likening himself to Steve Jobs: “I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture.” On his album, he takes it a step further with a ditty titled “I Am …
-
nontroversy
A nontroversy is an attempt, often politically or commercially motivated, to cause controversy over something that isn't contentious, scandalous, or even true. -
“Squash” vs. “Gourd”: Can You Taste the Difference?
There are many things that signify autumn’s arrival. Pumpkin spice everything, for example, or the slight nip of cold air. Yet few things scream fall as much as a bountiful harvest—particularly when it comes to the squash and gourd harvest. Fall is the season for squash soup and pumpkin pie, right alongside decorative gourds of all shapes and sizes. At first glance, there doesn’t appear …
-
Encoding Shakespeare into DNA
It’s time to look at the language of life itself—DNA. As you might remember from 7th-grade science, DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecular structure that stores the genetic code for all life forms.
-
What Do You Call Your Parents And Grandparents?
When you’re born, the first words you speak are so often mommy or daddy. (In some garbled, gurgled form or another—translation is often required.) So, let’s explore this commonality that connects us all and learn the different words people have come up with to describe their moms, dads, and grandparents. We might just toss in the random uncle, aunt, and cousin, too. Most of these …
-
What Is The Lesser-Known Language Millions Of People Speak In Spain?
Catalan is a Romance language spoken primarily in the Eastern and Northeastern regions of Spain, mainly Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Isles. It is the official language of Andorra, a landlocked country located in the Eastern Pyrenees (mountains bordered by Spain and France). The Catalan language was nearly wiped out in the early 1700s only to experience a renaissance beginning in the early 20th century. What …
-
Lexical Investigations: Diaspora
The history of the term diaspora shows how a word’s meaning can spread from a very specific sense to encompass much broader ones.Diaspora first entered English in the late nineteenth century to describe the scattering of Jews after their captivity in Babylonia in the fifth century B.C.E.