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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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Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

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

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Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

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Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

 

How to remember which is which

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What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

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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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