by Taneesh KheraWhen you picture a wave, what do you think of? I bet you see a body of water, possibly a lake, but more likely an ocean. A shore might come to mind, as would sand and beaches, and maybe a surfer or a boat or ship. Another possibility, not altogether different, is a hand saying hello, waving goodbye. If you consume much news, …
In 2012, as Halloween quickly approached, a Frankenstorm was sneaking up on the East Coast. Forecasters were calling the hurricane headed for New York, New Jersey, and as far inland as Ohio, “Frankenstorm” because (like the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus) this storm was stitched together from three different weather systems, Hurricane Sandy from the Caribbean, a western early winter …
As flashy and fun as the terms selfie and binge-watch are, it’s important to keep in mind another, more business-casual buzzword of the 2010s: lean in. In fact, this term existed before Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg started using lean in to encourage women to embrace challenge and risk in the workplace. What is the traditional meaning of lean in? Traditionally lean in has been used in the …
From PRISM and the Edward Snowden scandal to the arrival of Google Glass, 2013 was the year that the desire to be seen and heard was turned on its head. Consider the following: In January, the TSA scrapped airport body scanners that produce near-naked images of travelers; In June, Edward Snowden revealed the widespread global-spying program, Project PRISM; In October, Google announced new privacy policy …
Whether you’re a Deadhead, Belieber, or a member of Raider Nation, extreme passion lies at the heart of all fans. Oodles of fan sites, message boards, Tumblr feeds, and those old-fashioned print newsletters help fans share the love. Fans use language to set themselves (as a group) apart from fans of rival teams or other artists. They create catchy nicknames and make references that may …
Known for recaps and resolutions, each new year often starts with retrospection and … the month of January. But where did the name January come from and can we learn anything about the name of this first month to inspire us to actually keep those New Year’s resolutions intact? January, as we know, is the first month of the year and contains 31 days. The …
Inept was up 186% in searches this week . . . and this time it’s about somebody else’s dysfunctional government and leadership team. The Times helped us explain this one: “Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, and his deputy, Barnaby Joyce, traded extraordinary public barbs yesterday over an adulterous affair that has gripped the nation and fractured the government. Mr Turnbull said his deputy had ‘appalled everyone’ …
William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His exact birthdate remains unknown, though it is conventionally taken to be the same as the day his “bones were interred.” In his honor, we wanted to share some words popularized by the man himself. Did Shakespeare coin the following terms? Probably not. These words may have already been in conversational …
If you’re a parent who’s worried about your kids getting enough learning time right now, you aren’t alone. The pandemic has impacted kids in a major way, and most moms and dads are struggling to find ways to keep their kids engaged with distance learning and off of Nintendo Switch or Netflix for most of the day. One easy solution? Make learning fun by investing …
If you’ve ever purchased a product, read a book, or watched a movie (read: everyone currently on this page), then you’ve likely seen four symbols time and time again: ™, ®, ©, and ℠. They can be large or close to microscopic. No matter how small, however, they are powerful and convey a lot of meaning. So what’s the deal with each, and what makes …