Language Usage and Word History Videos

Latest Videos

'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

A simple trick to keep them separate

39,563 views

semantic bleaching text on white background

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

33,585 views

serenity carr next to an illustration of a refrigerator with the letter d in it

Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

Thawing one of the mysteries of English

27,649 views

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

We're intent on clearing it up

226,229 views

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

We're gonna stop you right there

72,641 views

emily brewster and one and the same text graphic

'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Is it all the same anyway?

69,923 views

Grammar and Usage

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one more correct than the others?

176,686 views

There, They're, Their

There, there. We'll sort it out.

100,766 views

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

259,293 views

Sneaked vs. Snuck

No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.

54,879 views

Further vs. Farther

They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

45,452 views

Lay vs. Lie

Tripping up English Speakers for 700 years

313,626 views

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

286,341 views

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

257,383 views

Its vs. It's

Some practical guidance, and interesting history, about a common mistake.

76,360 views

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.

542,130 views

Hot Mess

"Verily, I say unto you, the public is a hot mess"

151,134 views

Cynic

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

39,247 views

Pictures in the Dictionary

The story of those iconic illustrations.

23,272 views

Soop vs. Soup

Noah Webster: the man who changed the way we spell... up to a point.

72,219 views

Most Viewed

illustration of a man watching a washing machine overflow

'All over sudden' vs. "All of a sudden"

We'll help you figure it out at once

772,217 views

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.

542,130 views

The Serial Comma

No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?

436,627 views

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

431,523 views

Lay vs. Lie

Tripping up English Speakers for 700 years

313,626 views

Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

293,170 views

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

286,341 views

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

259,293 views

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

257,383 views

Videos

How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

Ghost Word

The Serial Comma

Latest Videos

'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Grammar and Usage

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

There, They're, Their

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Sneaked vs. Snuck

Further vs. Farther

Lay vs. Lie

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Its vs. It's

Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Hot Mess

Cynic

Pictures in the Dictionary

Soop vs. Soup

Most Viewed

'All over sudden' vs. "All of a sudden"

Words of the Year: 1066

The Serial Comma

Literally

Lay vs. Lie

Ghost Word

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Test Your Vocabulary