Latest articles by Arika Okrent
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Why does 'terrible' mean bad and 'terrific' mean good?
feature These crossover words often require a bit of ironic slang in order to evolve
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Impress your friends with these 18 fancy words for specific shapes
feature There's even a word for horseshoe-shaped (though it takes just as long to say as "shaped like a horseshoe")
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Why have baby-names become increasingly female-sounding?
feature Since 1950, both boys' and girls' names have been taking on more feminine characteristics
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18 famous literary lines perfectly paired with rap lyrics
feature "Turning and turning in the widening gyre/ I won't stop rockin' till I retire"
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What most people get wrong about 'o' vs 'oh'
feature O reader, we're here to help!
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11 places to visit on a tour of the English language
feature Experience the places where our ancestors recorded the first English word, sentence, and conversation
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How Philadelphia's neighborhoods got their names
feature Philadelphia is a city of American history, and that history is reflected in its various neighborhoods
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11 beautiful alphabets from ancient and medieval times
feature Go way beyond Helvetica
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16 characters from other languages that make great emoticons
feature Pro tip: Obscure Indian alphabets can really step up your game
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Why are 'rhyme' and 'rhythm' spelled like that?
feature Blame some showoffs in the 16th century
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11 inscriptions on old buildings that tell it like it is
feature "We shall die all"
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17 town welcome signs you won't see anywhere else
feature "Welcome to Earth, Est. 1924"
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12 animals whose names etymologically describe them
feature Armadillo means "little armored one," because of course it does
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Why does 'will not' become 'won't'?
feature Shouldn't it be "willn't"?
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9 words created by spelling other words backwards
feature Fancy some "semordnilaps"?
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21 wonderful words for wind
feature Do you know a willy-willy from a williwaw?
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How do you do a Philadelphia accent?
feature Repeat after me: "Halve the hoagie, then have half"
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4 good reasons why people say 'I could care less'
feature No, you couldn't
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Our favorite regional words from waaaay Northern Michigan
feature Holy wah! To make it in the U.P., you've gotta have sisu.
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12 scientific postulates perfectly paired with rap lyrics
feature Physics meets Talib Kweli
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Don't use 'pants' for 'pantaloons': 19 surprising rules copy editors used to enforce
feature Newspapers often enshrine the pet peeves of one man... from the 19th century
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9 scientific experiments that used '90s TV shows to manipulate subjects
feature Power Rangers really can make you want to punch things
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11 fun word lists to drill your vocabulary on
feature Word from Shakespearean insults, '70s songs, and more
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Listen to a quartet sing while you watch a close-up of their vocal cords
feature It's like Fantastic Voyage (without the lasers)
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