Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

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The Longest Long Words List

21 words with 21 letters or more

The Opposite of Déjà Vu

When the familiar becomes unrecognizable

The Words of the Week - Apr. 17

Lookups from Artemis II, New York City, and the Strait of Hormuz

Was 'nervous Nellie' a Real Person?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

We just can’t bananaquit them

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

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

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

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

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

A bouquet of floral origin stories

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

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

Foreign

Acushla, and More Irish Words for Your Sweetheart

'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.

10 English Words from Dutch

Learn how to tell your caboodle from your caboose

Schadenfreude and Other German Words Without Translation

Accept no substitutes

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.

Why 'Love' Means "Nothing"

In tennis. This is about tennis.

8 Prohibition-Era Words

From bathtub gin to the blind pig

The Scoop on 'The Proof Is in the Pudding'

A delicious question

Science & Nature

Amber, Auburn, Crimson and Other Colorful Words for Autumn Foliage

Peep these leaves.

Possum vs. Opossum: Is There a Difference?

On a marsupial with various names

12 Bird Names that Sound Like Compliments

From the godwits at your favorite dictionary

12 Words for Signs of Spring

Spring is springing

'Blue Moon,' 'Wolf Moon,' and Other Moons to Look for Throughout the Year

More moons than you can shake a stick at

Word History

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?

And should we beware?

Why do we say 'make a beeline'?

Yes, it does involve bees

When do we paint the town red?

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

Surprising Words from the 1920s

Robots, "Atom Bombs," and "Rocket Ships" Were All Born in the Jazz Age

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Heads up: one is 'vulgar'