Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

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Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Lovely, pointless, or both?

8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words

This article’s got a little something something for everyone.

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words (or Phrases) Birds Seem to Be Saying

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

We just can’t bananaquit them

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

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

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Heads up: one is 'vulgar'

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

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

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

Some may be more useful than others.

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

What Does 'Eighty-Six' Mean?

We won't refuse you service

10 Phrases from Shakespeare

Where the "wild goose chase" comes from

7 Words from Political Scandals

Behind the smoke-filled rooms

Stay Woke

Tracing the history of 'woke'

15 Cheffy Words for Chefs (and Everyone Else)

Including 'cheffy'

Foreign

17 English Words That Come From Japanese

Some borrowed words don't get returned

All About Latin Plurals

Check your dictionary

'Disinformation,' 'Parka,' and Other Common Words from Russian

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.'

Games & Hobbies

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

Remember this and win.

9 Idioms from American Football

Tackle these phrases from the gridiron.

12 Words From Basketball

Plus a few terms that never quite made it

Why 'Love' Means "Nothing"

In tennis. This is about tennis.

The Scoop on 'The Proof Is in the Pudding'

A delicious question

Science & Nature

7 Luscious, Fruit-Based Idioms

For a touch of sweetness or acidity

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Words for uncommon fears

Word History

Quick: Read This!

'Quick' once had a very different meaning

'Handsome,' 'Geek,' and 8 More Words That Changed Their Meanings

Language evolves

Where does 'hello' come from?

Don't answer the phone with 'ahoy'

13 New Words for Old Things

When did 'mail' become 'snail mail'?

7 Run-Down Words That Have Seen Better Days

They've taken a hit but are still standing.