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Word History

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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play video cynic
The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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Video: Why is there a 'c' in 'indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

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Games & Quizzes

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Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
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Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
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Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
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