Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

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9 Financial Words With Surprising Origins

In the beginning, 'income' simply meant "coming in"

Strange Words for Body Functions

Did you know that you 'micturate' and 'sternutate'?

Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from?

No cats were harmed in the making of this idiom

The Words of the Week - May 8

Lookups from war, holidays, and Alcatraz

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

9 Other Words for Beautiful

Here are some additional words for calling something lovely

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Here's how all this nonsense started

The Changing Meaning of 'Elope'

Read this before you elope. Or 'elope.'

The History of 'Bull' and 'Bear' Markets

Which came first?

8 Words and Phrases from U.S. Presidents

How to sound presidential

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

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

7 Luscious, Fruit-Based Idioms

For a touch of sweetness or acidity

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'