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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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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

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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

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Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

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How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

 

Is there one standard way?

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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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