play video new words for 2011
Words Matter

New Dictionary Words for 2011

'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.


'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.

Up next

play video new words for 2011
New Dictionary Words for 2011

 

'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.

play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

play video his or her
Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

play video soup vs soop
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

play video old school grammar humorsome
Old-School Grammar

 

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

play merriam-webster eggcorns title page
What Is an Eggcorn?

 

And how did it get that name?

play fun funner funnest
Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'