A venerable grammatical nuance crossed the Atlantic and came back again. Read more

Diagramming a sentence is a great exercise to gain a deeper understanding of its grammatical structure. Read more

Johnson’s choice is neither clever nor lovely. But it is hugely consequential Read more

How did "spirit of a dead person" come to mean "unceremoniously dumping someone"? Read more

It is tempting to think that they have clear beginnings. They don’t. Read more

People who speak more than one language are fascinating. They provide insight into the power of language and how it shapes the way we think [...]

Two remarkable etymological maps show twin forces at work throughout human history. Read more

In more than a dozen countries as far apart as Portugal and Russia, 'Smith' is the most popular occupational surname. Read more

Giga- and nano- are not the final frontier. Read more

We make it no secret here that we think words are really cool. Read more