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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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Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

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Its vs. It's

 

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

play video ending a sentence with a preposition
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

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

 

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

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Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

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Affect vs. Effect

 

Here's the lowdown on what may be the most confusing pair of words in the English language.

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