Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

Popular

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Don’t watch without reading this, you little frippets!

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

The answer to a color coded language riddle

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

A cartoon origin story

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?

And should we beware?

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Do they really sell fleas?

17 Words for Dog Breeds

If you love dogs and words, you’re barking up the right tree

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

… Ready for them?

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

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

Word Choices

Gabrielle Zevin

Emily Flake

New Yorker Cartoonist

Celeste Ng

Eli Cymet

Video Game Writer/Producer, Cuphead

Emma Straub

Novelist and Children’s Book Author

Arts & Culture

12 Words and Phrases for Romantic Relationships

This list warms the cockles of our hearts

Where does the expression 'throw someone under the bus' come from?

Let's blame the British

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

We know you're going to look these up

Where does the phrase 'barn burner' come from?

This one's pretty exciting

Top Banana, Kingpin, and Other Nicknames for Important People

Big wigs, big enchiladas, and big shots

Foreign

'In Vino Veritas' and Other Latin Phrases to Live By

Top 10 Latin Phrases

10 of Our Favourite British Words

Please don't whinge about being knackered, you prat.

Digging Up the Latin Roots of 14 Abbreviations

Beyond 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

All About Latin Plurals

Check your dictionary

Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins

You've used more than you might think

Games & Hobbies

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Are you ready for some stoolball?

Winning Scrabble Words for Everyday People

You don't have to be a pro to play these words.

12 Words From Basketball

Plus a few terms that never quite made it

Popular Gaming Terms Explained

Nerfs, MMORPGs, and who the final boss really is

A Player's Guide to 'Q' without 'U' Words

Remember this and win.

Science & Nature

7 Luscious, Fruit-Based Idioms

For a touch of sweetness or acidity

12 Pairs of Commonly Confused Animal Words

The animal words went in two by two, hurrah, hurrah!

The Infernal History of 'Turtle'

And you thought they were so cute.

7 Common Idioms That Come from Chickens

Don't ask us which came first

12 Bird Names that Sound Like Compliments

From the godwits at your favorite dictionary

Word History

Quick: Read This!

'Quick' once had a very different meaning

The Origin of O'clock

The apostrophe that ate a whole word

The Origins of Daredevil

Hint: they've been around for a while

The Hairy History of 'Sideburns'

Lousy general. Amazing hair.

Eavesdrop, Fiasco, and 8 More Words with Surprising Origins

Including some trivia on ‘trivia’