play video title words of the year 1066
Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.


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play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

play video title attorney generals
Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

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

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play hanger-hangar-illustrations
Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

 

How to remember which is which

play calendar that says day today
Is It 'day today' or 'day-to-day'?

 

What about Day Tomorrow?