It's a leap! It's a limit! It's all tied up! It's ready to go! The many meanings—and origins—of a familiar word.  Continue reading...

"Plantation"--a word with a complicated history in the US--appears in many brand and community names. Is it time to abandon it?  Continue reading...

How important is a slogan during a global health crisis like the one we're experiencing with COVID-19? More important than you might think.  Continue reading...

A case recently argued before the US Supreme Court — by telephone! — teaches us a lot about trademarks, generic terms, and domain names.  Continue reading...

Before the 20th century, generational names were rare or nonexistent. What changed? And what do the names of generations tell us about history and identity?  Continue reading...

From cholera to Spanish flu to "Wuhan virus," what we call a disease reveals our fears and prejudices.  Continue reading...

The woman suffrage movement introduced Americans to a new vocabulary of voting rights. Here's a centennial look back at our linguistic debt to the 19th Amendment and its advocates.  Continue reading...