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Word History

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.


How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

 

Is it all the same anyway?

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Alright vs. All Right

 

Is 'alright' all right?

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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

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Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

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The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.