We'd like to welcome writer, editor, and designer James Harbeck as our newest regular contributor! His specialty is "Word Tasting Notes." "Words are delicious and intoxicating," Harbeck writes. "So why not taste them like a fine wine?" Here, he savors the word chiaroscuro.  Continue reading...

On WBUR's Cognoscenti blog, Jan Freeman (formerly the language columnist for the Boston Globe) writes: "In the 15 years I've been writing about the English language, I've learned a lot, but one question remains as baffling as ever: Why do people love their language peeves so dearly?" To find out her answer, click here.

Teachers in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are heading back to school this fall with some added anxieties: new Common Core State Standards seek to put reading, writing, and vocabulary at the forefront of the STEM classroom. Here, Shannon Reed breaks down what the new standards mean to STEM teachers, and how they can use the opportunity to engage with students more profoundly.  Continue reading...

Jennifer Miller writes: "When I was brainstorming titles for my debut novel, I had in mind something intriguing yet bold — a title that screamed Read Me Now! And after weeks of making lists and scouring the thesaurus, I found the five-word masterpiece that I was looking for: The Year of the Gadfly." But there was a problem.  Continue reading...

It's important for students to keep their ism's straight — especially in social studies. You wouldn't want to confuse capitalism with communism, or internationalism with colonialism. This week's worksheet guides students to learn each of these 25 social studies ism's by looking up their base words on the Visual Thesaurus and right-clicking their way to examples of these ism's in action.  Continue reading...

August is Connected Educators Month, and to celebrate, the New York Times Learning Network has rounded up 33 educators to explain who is in their "Personal Learning Network" (PLN). Among those responding are Visual Thesaurus executive producer Ben Zimmer and curriculum development director Georgia Scurletis. Check out all the responses here.

Let's say you've just arrived from another planet, with a mastery of English, but little exposure to the popular sport known as golf. So you don't understand why one golfer would hit a "banana ball" and end up with a "bogey," while another used a "chicken stick" and ended up with an "eagle."  Continue reading...