Wordplay

 For the love of language

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

We’ve seen fire, we’ve seen rain, and we have many words for them

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Heads up: one is 'vulgar'

Popular

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

You can't shut them up, but you can label them

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

"I bow to you"

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

We’re on a word tour, going each and every place with a mic in our hand

Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 3

Useful words for everyday interactions

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

10 words expert players use

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Our maraca shake brings all the hautbois to the yard

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words (or Phrases) Birds Seem to Be Saying

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

Look what you made us do

Word Choices

Gabrielle Zevin

Novelist

Emily Flake

New Yorker Cartoonist

Celeste Ng

Novelist

Eli Cymet

Video Game Writer/Producer, Cuphead

Emma Straub

Novelist and Children’s Book Author

Arts & Culture

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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

9 Other Words for Beautiful

Here are some additional words for calling something lovely

What Does 'Eighty-Six' Mean?

We won't refuse you service

10 Better Ways to Say Underwear

Get your knickers in a twist
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Obscure & Fun

Obscure & Fun

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 1

Some may be more useful than others.

Foreign

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17 English Words That Come From Japanese

Some borrowed words don't get returned

All About Latin Plurals

Check your dictionary

8 Words We Stole from French

Spoiler: We stole way more than 8

Digging Up the Latin Roots of 14 Abbreviations

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

Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins

You've used more than you might think
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Games & Hobbies

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12 Words From Basketball

Plus a few terms that never quite made it

What It Means to ‘Touch Base’

Just checking in with it

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

Remember this and win.

Why 'Love' Means "Nothing"

In tennis. This is about tennis.

The Scoop on 'The Proof Is in the Pudding'

A delicious question
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Insults

Insults

Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 2

Sometimes a 'cacafuego' can be a real 'slubberdegullion'

Science & Nature

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Fruit vs. Vegetable

Are you sure you know which is what?

7 Especially Fitting Common Names for Plants

So you don't mix up your Swiss Cheese plants with your Dutchman's Breeches

12 Words for Signs of Spring

Spring is springing

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

A bouquet of floral origin stories

What is a 'coulrophobe' so afraid of?

Unusual Phobias, Vol. 2
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Word History

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Quick: Read This!

'Quick' once had a very different meaning

13 New Words for Old Things

When did 'mail' become 'snail mail'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Words for uncommon fears

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

They all use this one weird trick (etymology)

7 Run-Down Words That Have Seen Better Days

They've taken a hit but are still standing.
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