As the weather warms and the flowers start to bloom, you may have noticed an increase in the different types of birdsong you hear each day. Birds’ songs and calls serve many purposes, from warning flocks of predators to helping birds catch the attention of potential mates. In the cases of the birds on this list, their songs and calls also inspired their names. The …
Every time another birthday rolls around, the thrills become fewer and the anxiety about aging becomes greater. But don’t let those landmark decade birthdays get you down! Now you can whip out a new word every 10 years to describe yourself. You may not have heard these words used very often, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Try saying one (or all) of them …
The ninth, fiery sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius, begins November 22 and lasts until December 21. Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is also a mutable fire sign, meaning it is one “of the three astrological signs, Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, that are grouped together because of the shared attributes of enthusiasm, vitality, and interest in spiritual things.” The mutable part signals that Sagittarians can …
In the US voting system, there are two rounds of voting generally every two and four years. First, a primary or a caucus is held. During those, voters pick a party nominee. For example, in a Democratic primary, voters (often but not necessarily registered as Democrats) would pick among Democratic candidates for an office. The winner of that election then goes on to run in …
From Glenn Close at the Golden Globes to Cyntoia Brown in Tennessee, here’s who (and what) had folks searching for meaning on Dictionary.com the week of January 4–11, 2019. Humanitarian President Donald Trump made his first-ever address to the nation from the Oval Office this week, so it’s no surprise that folks tuned in to see what he had to say, or that plenty stuck …
Every year as the weather heats up, grills are dusted off and meats and vegetables are thrown on the fire. To those in the West and many northern cities, this is barbecuing. Just don’t call it that in the South or parts of the Midwest like Kansas City, Mo., because in certain regions, not everything cooked on a grill is called barbecue. The word barbecue means different …
Has someone ever asked for your objective opinion? Or said that something is “entirely subjective”? The words subjective and objective are used in all kinds of contexts, from journalism to science to grammar, and they’re often discussed as opposites. But what do they actually mean? In most cases, it comes down to whether something is based on personal experience or on verifiable facts. But it …
With the Super Bowl coming up this Sunday, it’s a good time to take a look at the language of the sport of professional football. Whether you’re referring to words used for penalties such as offside and clipping or actual play calling (which is truly arcane), football has a language all its own. With that in mind, here’s a list of curious football terminology. On …
We've rounded up all of the different emoji hearts and will try to break down what they represent—so the next time you're confessing your undying love for the person next door via Tweet, of course, you'll know exactly which heart to send.
Naming your newborn can be an exciting and creative experience. A person’s given name, or forename, is important because it is usually the first impression your child will make on the world. Some parents choose to honor a family member by naming their child after a father, mother, or sibling. Others look to history for that perfect given name. And some look to … Facebook? …
