Using These French Phrases in English Elevates Your Speech
Even if English is the only language you speak, we’re more than convinced that you’re quite familiar with a bunch of French words...
You Know These 10 Foreign Words Without Even Realizing It
We’re willing to bet that you know more foreign words than you think, even if English is the only language you speak. Here’s why...
10 English Words That Come From Native American Languages
Some seemingly ordinary English words, such as barbecue, raccoon, and even squash, actually come from Native American languages and it's fascinating!
You Won’t Believe These 11 Phrases Are Over a Century Old
These 11 words and phrases seem like they're a recent invention in English, but they're actually at least a century old...
14 Uniquely Canadian Words and Phrases You Should Know
There are some Canadian words no American would understand. If you’re planning on visiting Canada, it’s quite useful to learn these 14 words and phrases.
The Extraordinary Origins of 10 Common English Words
In this article, we uncover the extraordinary etymology of 10 common English words, including ‘daisy’, ‘eavesdropper’, and ‘vaccine’.
15 Latin Phrases We Use to This Day Without Even Realizing
As an English, speaker you likely know more Latin than you ever thought you did. Just look at these 15 Latin phrases and see if you know what they mean...
I Can’t Believe These Ordinary Words Used to Mean That...
Let’s take a short journey back in time and trace the origins of 11 seemingly-ordinary words that have exceptionally-interesting histories.
These Age-Old Idioms Date Back to the Renaissance!
The expressions listed here all sound contemporary, but they're almost half a millennium old.
Language vs Dialect - How Are They Different?
You've surely heard about the term "dialect" before. But have you ever considered how a language and a dialect differ?
These Words Wouldn’t Exist Without These 10 Famous Authors
Learn of 10 commonly-used English words that were coined by famous authors and philosophers.
10 Popular “Contemporary” Words Coined by Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s impact on the language we speak is far greater than most of us realize. These surprising words are just a few of hundreds attributed to the Bard.
How Did European Countries Get Their Names?
Did you know that the word Spain, the name of the country, is translated from Phoenician as "the land of rabbits?"
Knowing These Latin Shortenings Is Super Useful Even Today
Knowing a little bit of Latin can be quite useful to all the English speakers out there, and these 7 short phrases we see all the time are proof of exactly that!
Let’s Thank Cinema For These 10 English Words and Phrases
Films and TV shows have invented and popularized countless words we use in everyday speech today. Here are just 10 surprising examples you’ll want to know
These Slang Words Are Sure to Tickle Your Funny Bone
We’ve collected 11 silly-sounding slang words starting from Victorian times all the way to the present day so that all of us could have a good laugh!
8 Ordinary English Words With Surprisingly Spicy Origins
The origins of all these 8 seemingly innocent words - e.g. gymnasium, avocado, and nice - are not for the faint of heart, as they're quite naughty!
10 Quirky British Slang Phrases to Add to Your Vocabulary
British English often seems like a whole different language. Learn all about 10 common and certainly fun and quirky British slang words in this article!
10 Difficult Words in English Everyone Should Know
English has many difficult words with meanings that are nearly impossible to guess, which makes them super tough to remember. Here are 10 such words
20th Century Slang People Rarely Use Nowadays
Did you know that these 20th-century slang words and phrases are considered outdated?
From Salt to Salary: Surprising Origins of Ordinary Words
Did you know that the word 'muscle' stems from the Latin word for little mouse? Here is a collection of words with peculiar etymologies
16 Confusing Words That Even Intellectuals Get Wrong
Find out the difference between these difficult word pairs, and don’t let them confuse you ever again.
11 Clever Contronyms - Same Word, Opposite Meanings
Have you ever heard of contronyms? Here’s a hint - these are words that contradict themselves.
The Origins of these 10 Olympic Words is Fascinating
You use these popular sports words all the time. But do you know where they come from?
14 Obsolete English Terms We Wish Were Brought Back!
Over the centuries, so many eloquent and useful English words fell out of use. We wish these 14 clever (but sadly obsolete) terms were used more often.
15 Essential Legal Terms That Sound Confusing to People
If you want to understand legal representatives better and simply enjoy your favorite legal TV show to the fullest, learn these 15 legal words and phrases.
Phrases We Use Without Realizing It’s a Shakespeare Quote
William Shakespeare had a huge impact on modern English, so much so that most of us are quoting the great bard every day without even realizing it!
Smart Synonyms for 16 Words That Will Elevate Your Speech
Sound smarter and enrich your lexicon with these 16 clever alternatives to ordinary English words
11 New English Words That Are Actually USEFUL To Know
The majority of new English words are very short-lived, but these were added to various dictionaries and seem to be quite useful to know
How 10 Ordinary English Idioms and Phrases Began...
Many English phrases and idioms have fascinating histories behind them, here is a selection of 10 astounding examples.
10 Words We Use Every Day That Shakespeare Made Popular
Shakespeare is believed to have invented 1,700 words, but these 10 should be taken off the list, as he didn't invent, but popularized them.
30 Essential Medical Terms For Bodily Functions
The next time you hear a doctor utter something in Latin, pay close attention, as after reading this article, you may understand what it means.
The MOST Shocking False Etymologies in English
If a word's history sounds too good, it probably is.
From Food to Science - The WORST Misnomers You’ll Find!
Whoever named these objects must have seriously run out of imagination!
Check Out These Rare and Fascinating Antonyms!
Here are a few rare but fascinating antonyms we wish people used more often.
10 Surprising Facts About the Food in Your Kitchen
Did you know that ordinary foods like carrots, jelly beans, sandwiches, and broccoli have a fascinating story to tell?
11 English Words You Didn't Know Were Actually Spanish!
Learn about the Spanish etymology of 11 words in American English (and a bonus at the end!)
How Did the World's Continents Get Their Names?
Have you ever wondered how the world's continents got their names?
10 Sinister Facts About the World We Live In
Ready for a fresh list of blood-curdling facts?
English Vocab History: Few Can Pass This Vocabulary Quiz?
These 14 words have really strayed away from their original meaning, can you guess what words like 'girl' and 'clue' used to mean?
There Are Surprising Stories Behind Every US State’s Name
Learn the fascinating history behind the origin of each US state's name.
Fun Geography - These Countries Moved Their Capitals
Changing the capital city is a surprisingly common practice in history, and the historical reasons for the change of capitals are often fascinating!
These Bygone Terms for ‘Happy’ Need to Be Brought Back
There were some really cool ways to describe happiness back in the day.
These Maps Reveal Interesting Facts About the World
Take a look at these unique maps that show us the world like never before...
The Fascinating World of British Accents
There's a multitude of fascinating accents on the British Isles! Here are 20 of the most interesting ones.
What's Portmanteau? Surprising Etymologies of Common Words
If If you have ever said the words brunch, sitcom or spam, you have used portmanteaus. This is the fascinating origins story of many common words...
Choose a Word, and I’ll Tell You Where You’re From
Let’s do a quick test: in your mind, count the number of syllables in the word ‘caramel’, and let us reveal where you’re from. Click here to find the answer.
Explained: The Fascinating Origins of Human Language
Have you ever wondered how did human language come into existence? Find out the origins of language in this video.
Amazing - Woman Switches Between 21 American Accents!
Amy Walker is an accent coach, and in this amazing video, she showcases the variety of American regional accents by performing 21 of them herself in 6 minutes!
The 12 Words of Christmas: Funny Long Lost Phrases
If you think eggnog and wassail are funny-sounding, wait till you hear the Christmas words that didn't stand the test of time
11 Surprising Facts About Dictionaries You Never Knew!
Learn some little-known yet fascinating facts about dictionaries that will help you appreciate them a little more.
Is It Soda or Pop? 12 Fun and Interesting Regional Words
How are these objects called? It depends on who you ask! Every part of the US has its own fun and fascinating set of regional words
These Clever Pictures Illustrate Common GRAMMAR Conundrums
The world of English grammar is a confusing place where words that mean different things may be spelled or pronounced the same... Here are 15 examples
How About Learning Some Fun SLANG From Colonial Times?
Here are 14 fascinating words from Colonial times that sadly didn’t survive until the present days, but we certainly think they’re worth bringing back!
10 New Words That Emerged During the Covid-19 Pandemic
In this article, we'll discuss 10 new words and phrases in English that have emerged as a consequence of Covid-19.
Learn How These 10 Body Parts Got Their Names
Learn about the curious and interesting origin stories of the names of several common body parts.
These History Facts Sound Unlikely But They’re Accurate!
From a happy story of a lucky kitty to one of an utterly tragic shipwreck, all 6 of these mind-blowing facts are difficult to believe but accurate!
These 11 Alcoholic Drinks Have a Fascinating History!
In this article, we’ll tell you about the truly fascinating origins of 11 time-honored cocktails!
8 Unique Facts You Didn't Know About The Thesaurus
How much do you know about the thesaurus? Here we list some fascinating and lesser-known facts about the word-finding tool.
10 Words That Entered the Dictionary This Decade
The English dictionary has included countless popular and modern words in its lexicon in the last decade. Here is a list of 10 of them.
Everyone Needs to Know These 17 Online Slang Words
We see these 17 online slang words everywhere nowadays, do you know what these words mean?
4 Mind-Blowing Facts About the English Language
Here are 4 incredibly interesting facts about English in the context of other languages
Don’t Say These Words Abroad, You Might Be Misunderstood
These 15 words are all similar to English ones, but they mean something completely different in other languages
The Surprising Link Between English and Sanskrit
Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language, but most people don't know that this archaic language and English have a common ancestor
1950’s Slang Is a Blast! Learn 10 Essential Terms
These 10 words and phrases are the essentials of 1950’s slang, some of which we still use today...
10 Common French Loanwords You’re Probably Mispronouncing
French loanwords that are pronounced differently or mean something else entirely in French
QUIZ: Do You Really Know These Common Phrases In English?
Is your English as good as you think it is?
QUIZ: Can You Guess What These Words Used to Mean?
I Never Knew the Origin of These Common Words!
These regular words have very exotic origins.
21 Fascinating Facts About Word Origins You Never Knew
Linguist Gareth Roberts provides some fascinating insights into the origins of different words.
Bizarre But True: 15 Fascinating Facts That Surprised Us
These utterly amazing tidbits will leave you utterly amazed.
Hitler's Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games
When the Olympics became a Nazi showcase.
16 Unusual Maps That Offer Interesting Insights
It’s time for another fascinating collection of amazing maps.
Discover the Stories of 5 of France's Greatest Artists
Come discover the French painters, and through their works also the history and development of modern French art.
The Stories of These Women from History are Inspiring
Read the inspiring stories of these amazingly strong women.
Meet the Genius Who Recorded Humanity's First Sound
Do you know who Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville is? You should!
These Naval Battles Changed the Course of History
History has been witness to some momentous naval battles. Here is a look at some of the greatest.
Discover Cool Facts about the World with These Fun Maps
These interesting ad unusual maps will make you see the world in a totally new perspective.
12 Words You Probably Didn't Know Were Acronyms
Without even realizing it, we are frequently incorporating many acronyms into our everyday lives!
19 Everyday Items That Started as Military Inventions
Look around your home, and you’ll surely find a handful of these items that were originally developed for the armed forces.
These Are Some of the Most Unusual Trains Ever Made
Join us on a fascinating journey of history’s most unusual trains.
These Common Words Began as Mistakes - Unbelievable!
Some spelling and grammar mistakes change a student’s grade for the worse, others transform the language forever.
Avoid These Email Clichés and Communicate More Effectively
Watch out for the outdated phrases below and upgrade your email vocabulary with thoughtful and unique sentiments.
12 Accurate Facts That Sounds TOO Weird to Believe
With authentic facts like these, who needs fiction?
These Trite and Stale Words Should Be Banished in 2022
Do you ever get tired of hearing the same words everywhere? These 10 words are used so much that they managed to annoy academics!
14 Fascinating Facts That’ll Leave You Surprised
Time to enjoy some random, surprising facts about the world!
Always Wanted to Sound Like You're British? Try This!
Always wanted to "try on" that coveted British pronunciation? Here's how to sound as British as the Queen herself!
Fascinating History - Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Who was the first modern Egyptologist to read a word of Ancient Egyptian and how did he do it? Click here to find out
When GH Says F: Why Does This Occur?
We're meeting up on the corner of history and linguistics to learn why GH is pronounced as F.
You Live and You Learn - 16 Useful Charts and Info
Learn something useful and interesting today!
This Ship Could Have Changed The World… But Didn’t
The N.S. Savannah was one of America’s historic merchant ships that promised to change the world. What happened to it?
16 Absolutely Unforgettable Historical Photographs
Take a peek at these unforgettable 16 photos, and see history from a brand new perspective.
Where Do Common Dog Breeds Come From?
Explore the genealogical tree of the man's best friend, and learn of the origins of common dog breeds like the spaniel and the golden retriever.
How Come the Word Football Describes Two Different Games?
Learn about the origins of the word soccer and find out how it's related to rugby.
Weaponry in the Middle Ages Was Truly Extraordinary
Weapons in the Middle Ages were truly unusual and extraordinary. Some were so remarkable that they sound made up!
Can Your English Vocabulary Reveal Where You Are From?
This English test attempts to guess if your accent is closer to British, American, Canadian or Australian, will we be able to guess yours?
The History Behind Commonly Used Phrases You Never Knew
Do you know the origins of these 10 phrases?
Funny: When Words Sound Alike With Different Meanings
Homophones are words that sound exactly the same, but aren't spelled the same and mean something different. Here are 20 that are the wordiest of words.
Was the Statue of Liberty REALLY a Gift?
Learn about the numerous possible people who may have modeled for the Statue of Liberty, and some shocking myth-busting.
Visitors Always Misspell These London Place Names
Most tourists mispronounce these place names in London. Let a Londoner teach you how to say them right!