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Word History

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.


How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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Video: Why is there a 'c' in 'indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

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Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

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Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

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Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.