Legendary figures and the words that define them
Celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words
We're gonna stop you right there
What about Day Tomorrow?
And how did it get that name?
Word Icons
New!
And is one more correct than the others?
209,077 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
454,604 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,177 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
265,910 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,837 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
54,518 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
363,823 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,195 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,059 views
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.
547,685 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
156,989 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,239 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,440 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,440 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,697 views
795,935 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,126 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,811 views
And who put it there, anyway?
323,758 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,296 views
Face Your Fears
You know what it looks like… but what is it called?
Pick the best words!
