play video title words of the year 1066
Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.


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play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

play mrs malaprop
What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play video drive safe ly
Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

 

You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

play ismo merriam webster one
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "The One-derful Won"

 

Comedian ISMO tries to figure out 'one' and 'two'

play video schwa
The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings