It used to be a good thing to call someone a crony, but it’s usually not anymore. The…
19 November
23 October
Journalists “bury the lede,” not the “lead.” But why do they spell it that way? And what do…
08 October
You can usually use “while” to mean “although,” but you can’t always use “although” to mean “though.” Today’s…
01 October
“Smarmy” is related to oiliness. It’s rare to know the exact origin or a word, but “smarmy” was…
21 September
Of the two parts of “doomscrolling,” the “doom” part is more interesting. Whether you call it “doomscrolling” or…
19 September
People have been asking about the “unavailable” meaning of “out of pocket” for decades, but there’s also an…
10 September
Why does “money” have a plural, and how do you spell it? “Money” has two acceptable plurals. Most…
08 September
Here’s the problem: Some American style guides recommend “gantlet” in the phrase most of us would say or…
01 May
Когда не хватает слов, чтобы культурно передать весь спектр эмоций, на помощь приходят идиомы. В русском языке их великое множество, и, как правило,…
25 April
Will it help your cabin fever to learn the origin of that term (and others)? “Fever” originally related…