Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

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Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Vol. 3

When thingummy and whatsit won't do

Why is the letter ‘Z’ associated with sleeping?

A cartoon origin story

How long is a jiffy?

It depends on who you ask

When do we paint the town red?

It may have begun with a literal paint job (but probably didn’t)

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'?

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

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

The Hilarious History of 'OK'

English's most successful export

10 Words Conjuring Hell and the Devil

Going beyond the fire and brimstone

Why Jaywalking is Called Jaywalking

The shape of the letter J has nothing to do with it

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Joyful words from around the world

If You Like to Complain About 'Decimate'...

You'll love to hate these other words!

Foreign

17 English Words That Come From Japanese

Some borrowed words don't get returned

Alcohol & Algebra: Common Words from Arabic

Number 4 might scare you

Schadenfreude and Other German Words Without Translation

Accept no substitutes

10 English Words from Dutch

Learn how to tell your caboodle from your caboose

10 of Our Favourite British Words

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

Games & Hobbies

Why Is the Sport Called ‘Pickleball’?

The origin story is clearer than most sports

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

Remember this and win.

These Are Fighting Words

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

Winning Scrabble Words for Everyday People

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

Know Your Baseball Idioms

'Southpaw,' 'can of corn,' and other phrases

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 Hairy History of 'Sideburns'

Lousy general. Amazing hair.

Eavesdrop, Fiasco, and 8 More Words with Surprising Origins

Including some trivia on ‘trivia’

What does it mean to 'endorse' a presidential candidate?

It's kind of like "endorsing" a check

Funner, Stupider, and Other Words That Are in Fact Real

Don't argue with the dictionary