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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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The Serial Comma Explained

 

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

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How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

 

A simple way to keep them apart. (Most of the time.)

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When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

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The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.