play video cynic
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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The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

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'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

 

A simple trick to keep them separate

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

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We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

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And who put it there, anyway?