Wordplay

Arts & Culture

The History of 'Bull' and 'Bear' Markets

Which came first?

10 Words for Food with Unfortunate Names

All of them may be delicious, but one is offal

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

And why isn't it 'bury the lead'?

A Great Big List of Bread Words

Quit loafing around and get that bread (word)

A List of The U.S. Military Ranks in Order

From Private to General of the Army

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Here's how all this nonsense started

What does 'eighty-six' mean?

We won't refuse you service

The Changing Meaning of 'Elope'

Read this before you elope. Or 'elope.'

8 Words and Phrases from U.S. Presidents

How to sound presidential

Why do we say 'head over heels'?

The original version made more sense

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Our maraca shake brings all the hautbois to the yard

What's the political meaning of 'dog whistle'?

Can you hear me now?

12 Star Wars Words

Enjoy this listicle, you will

The History of 'Nuclear Family'

Getting at the core of it.

17 Tasty Names of Appetizers

Enjoy. They're complimentary.

When is ‘cuffing season'?

Something to do during the cold, dark months.

A Guide to British Noble Titles

Know your Duchess from your Baroness

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

The acronyms began as telegraph codes

How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The answer to a color coded language riddle

How 'Mardi Gras' Got Its Name

Quick: eat everything in the house.

Heroin, Granola, & More: Products That Became Words

Top 10 Words from Trademarks

11 Words Used to Great Effect by Edgar Allan Poe

The Vocabulary in the Rue Morgue
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