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house of cards

Definition of house of cards

: a structure, situation, or institution that is insubstantial, shaky, or in constant danger of collapse

First Known Use of house of cards

1645

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WORD OF THE DAY

hebetude

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lethargy or dullness

Words at Play

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Great Words for Twilight and Darkness

Words for the goth in all of us

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Helium: This Word Brought to You by a Solar Eclipse

And by the Sun, with some help from Greek.

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We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

Devilish Words

Don't blame a word use error on the devil.

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

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