About two weeks ago we shared the fact that many language experts believe “cellar door” is the most euphonious phrase in the English language. More than 400 people replied to our post with strong opinions about the “cellar door” selection. If you would like to know the rationale behind the choice, you can read about it here.
Tons of people also shared their own choice for the best-sounding CONTINUE READING »
The term “Cyber Monday” was first used as part of a marketing strategy in 2005 to refer to the Monday following Black Friday.
(Why is the popular sales day called Black Friday when Black Monday refers to a day of financial devastation? Read about that here.)
The prefix “cyber” means “computer,” “computer CONTINUE READING »
On a recent expedition to explore the seamounts in the southern Indian Ocean by scientists, a new species of large squid was discovered. A specimen of the new species, which can grow up to 30 inches long, belongs to the deep-sea Chiroteuthid family, which are known for being radically bioluminescent (naturally glowing.) Don’t confuse this squid with the squidworm, a creature also just discovered that is so unusual that it requires a brand new genus.
This lovely squid find sparked a common question regarding squids and octopi (or octopuses, both plural forms are correct.) How do the two marine creatures differ? CONTINUE READING »
The trailer for “Burlesque,” starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, makes the film seem like cheesy fun. What the preview fails to do, however, is explain what actually defines burlesque. Is it strictly a type of dance performed in seedy venues, a fancy word for striptease? Luckily for word enthusiasts, “burlesque” derives from a rich tradition as well as a compelling meaning.
Traditionally, burlesque has been a type of variety show that is CONTINUE READING »
If you’ve ever visited Turkey, you probably ate shwarma, but it’s unlikely that you were served a crispy, golden turkey leg. The former center of the Ottoman Empire isn’t exactly a breeding ground for the bird that we most closely associate with Thanksgiving. In fact, the turkey is native to North America.
So why do they share the same name? CONTINUE READING »
The yummy portion of your Thanksgiving dinner that happens to be orange ― is it made of yams or sweet potatoes? Even if you think you used yams, they might be sweet potatoes after all.
Yams and sweet potatoes are in fact two different root vegetables. And unless you shop in a specialty store, it’s likely that you’ve only purchased
Tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula. The aggression by North Korea on the South has captured the world’s attention and raised a number of questions about Korea’s history, names, and geography.
Prior to 1910, Korea was a kingdom. Then, from 1910 to 1945, the country was under Japanese rule. At the end of World War II, the country was divided into two occupational zones along the thirty-eighth CONTINUE READING »
Consider the dish named with one of the greatest portmanteaus of all time: the turducken.
If you’ve never heard of turducken and you are a meat lover, prepare to rejoice. A turducken is a de-boned chicken (or hen) stuffed into a de-boned duck, which is then stuffed into a de-boned turkey. CONTINUE READING »
After hours of calculation, deliberation, and lexical prestidigitation, we are pleased to reveal our selection for the 2010 Word of the Year.
In 2010, millions of people visited Dictionary.com to learn the right spelling, pronunciation, or definition of millions of words. Our Word of the Year directly reflects the hard work of our users — a word that experienced a surge of look-ups in the past 12 months. The word CONTINUE READING »
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” is now in theaters. The newest movie in the series promises to be packed with magic spells. There are dozens of spells that are used by the characters in Harry Potter’s fictional world of wizardry. But are any of them real words?
The names of many of the spells are indeed derived from other languages, especially Latin. However, for the most CONTINUE READING »