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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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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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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

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How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

 

Is there one standard way?

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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

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

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Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary