Language Usage and Word History Videos

Latest Videos

'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

A simple trick to keep them separate

170,414 views

semantic bleaching text on white background

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

85,796 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

92,956 views

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

We're intent on clearing it up

304,702 views

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

We're gonna stop you right there

779,149 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?

85,659 views

Grammar and Usage

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one more correct than the others?

191,730 views

The Serial Comma Explained

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

439,993 views

There, They're, Their

There, there. We'll sort it out.

102,497 views

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

262,270 views

Sneaked vs. Snuck

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

56,186 views

Further vs. Farther

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

49,647 views

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

357,792 views

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

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

287,820 views

Fun, Funner, Funnest

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

259,957 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.

545,670 views

Hot Mess

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

155,663 views

The History of 'Cynic'

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

40,066 views

Pictures in the Dictionary

The story of those iconic illustrations.

23,707 views

An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

160,903 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

882,913 views

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

We're gonna stop you right there

779,149 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.

545,670 views

Literally

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

449,753 views

The Serial Comma Explained

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

439,993 views

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

357,792 views

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

We're intent on clearing it up

304,702 views

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors

304,425 views

Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

And who put it there, anyway?

302,993 views

Videos

How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

The Serial Comma Explained

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'?

The Serial Comma Explained

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

Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Hot Mess

The History of 'Cynic'

Pictures in the Dictionary

An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Most Viewed

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

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

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

The Serial Comma Explained

Lay vs. Lie

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

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

A Good Old-Fashioned Quiz