An acronym. A place name. A Beatles lyric. A Biblical phrase. The titles of this year's Best Picture nominees tell stories of their own.  Continue reading...

When is a steak not a steak? When is butter not a substance churned from an animal's mammary secretions? What do you call an egg that comes before — and beyond — a chicken?  Continue reading...

Normcore, goblincore, cottagecore, gorpcore: one hard-working suffix turns any style preference into a named trend.  Continue reading...

From Meta to "Squid Game," here are the names and brands that captured our attention this year.  Continue reading...

Gunsels, gumshoes, and hard-boiled dames: Your guide to the slangy talk in Hollywood films of the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Continue reading...

Kings, committees, contests, magnates, and the occasional error have all left their marks on our maps.  Continue reading...