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politics

We Uncovered the Hidden Patterns in Clinton and Trump's Most Common Phrases

Linguists dissected over 100,000 words from their speeches.
Cara Giaimo and Sarah Laskow July 21, 2016
A convenience store—or corner store—in London.
stores

What Do You Call the Corner Store?

Bodega, deli, offy, party store, and more.
Dan Nosowitz July 7, 2016
linguistics

How Hardened Gangsters Got the Cute Name 'Bugsy'

Once it just meant crazy, now it means criminal.
Eric Grundhauser June 23, 2016
linguistics

What's Going On With the Way Canadians Say 'About'?

It's not pronounced how you think it is.
Dan Nosowitz June 1, 2016
language

The Delightful Perversity of Québec's Catholic Swears

The Canadian province has expletives like no other.
Dan Nosowitz May 26, 2016
amish

The Inter-Amish Language Barriers of Indiana

In the eastern part of the state, a dialect like no other quietly endures. But for how long?
Kevin Williams May 5, 2016
islands

The Hidden History of Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language

How a deaf utopia was uncovered in the 1970s.
Natalie Zarrelli May 4, 2016
linguistics

Singaporean English Is Almost Impossible to Pick Up

Wah lao! Why can't I speak Singlish?
Urvija Banerji May 2, 2016
A 1900s-era bicycle—Edmond Edmont's tool of the trade.
bicycles

Do You Like Dialect Quizzes? You Have a French Bicyclist To Thank

How a 19th century "human transcribing machine" inspired generations of linguists.
Cara Giaimo April 22, 2016
shakespeare

You're Missing Shakespeare's Best, Most Sophisticated Boner Jokes

Well, unless you're a reanimated Elizabethan.
Nathalie Lagerfeld April 22, 2016
news

The National Weather Service Will STOP USING ALL CAPS IN FORECASTS

Well, most of the time.
Erik Shilling April 12, 2016
culture

Why There's No 'Right' Way To Speak English

The English language is the ultimate code-switcher, gaining multiple personalities when it travels.
Natalie Zarrelli April 5, 2016
sisters of perpetual indulgence : 2013
language

The Forgotten Secret Language of Gay Men

After a heyday in the '50s and '60s, Polari all but vanished.
Ella Morton March 25, 2016
In Philadelphia, "jawn" can mean just about anything.
language

The Enduring Mystery of 'Jawn,' Philadelphia's All-Purpose Noun

According to experts, it's unlike any word, in any language.
Dan Nosowitz March 24, 2016
Just dandy. (Photo: Johnny Magnusson/Public Domain)
news

It's the 178th Birthday of 'Okay'

The word first appeared in print in the Boston Morning Post to make fun of a rival paper.
Cara Giaimo March 23, 2016
Something a garbage son might do.
linguistics

The Linguistic Appeal Of 'Garbage Person,' The Internet's Favorite Insult

We trace the phrase's provenance from Charles Manson to Clickhole.
Cara Giaimo March 16, 2016
computers

Is This the First Time Anyone Printed, ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out’?

Ironically, the early computing phrase's history is rife with bad information.
Rob Stenson March 14, 2016
industrial

New Hampshire Mill Workers Invented A New Type Of French

Sarah Laskow February 8, 2016