Topic : Word Origins

2 3 4 5 6 Displaying 22-28 of 240 Articles

Word Routes

Exploring the pathways of our lexicon

Tracing the Tangled Thread of "Seersucker"

May 7, 2015
By Ben Zimmer
The weather is getting warmer, so you might start to see men arrayed in stylishly rumpled seersucker suits (especially in the American South). On the latest installment of Slate's podcast Lexicon Valley, I followed the thread of seersucker all the way back to its Persian roots, and then looked at how both the fabric and the word spread around the world.   Continue reading...
Article Topics:
2 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Word Routes.

Word Count

Writers Talk About Writing

Why We "Stave Off" Colds: It Started With Wine

April 22, 2015
By Merrill Perlman
"I'm trying to stave off a cold," a friend said. Another responded, "Wine will work for that." Neither probably realized that, indeed, to "stave off" has its origins in wine, or something like wine.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
6 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Word Count.

Word Routes

Exploring the pathways of our lexicon

The Devilish Origins of "Pumpernickel"

April 6, 2015
By Ben Zimmer
For the latest installment of the Slate podcast Lexicon Valley, I take a look at the peculiar history of the word pumpernickel — a kind of German bread with an origin that turns out to be downright devilish.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
7 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Word Routes.

Word Count

Writers Talk About Writing

The Spooky History of "Nightmare"

March 24, 2015
By Merrill Perlman
People awakening from a "nightmare" often have the sensation that they can't breathe. Not surprising: That's where the word "nightmare" comes from.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
5 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Word Count.

Behind the Dictionary

Lexicographers Talk About Language

Of Snubs and Snobs

March 16, 2015
By Neal Whitman
When the Academy Awards were given out last month, entertainment news was full of commentary about which movies, directors and performers should have been nominated but weren't—who got snubbed by those snobs in the Academy. That made me wonder if snub and snob were etymologically related.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
7 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Behind the Dictionary.

Word Routes

Exploring the pathways of our lexicon

Celebrating an Etymological "Carnival"

March 9, 2015
By Ben Zimmer
On the latest installment of Slate's podcast Lexicon Valley, I look at the roots of the festive word carnival, associated with pre-Lenten celebrations around the Christian world. Some scholars speculate that the true origins of carnival actually lie in pagan rituals predating Christianity.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
Post a comment Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Word Routes.

Behind the Dictionary

Lexicographers Talk About Language

Geeking Out On "Fleek"

February 23, 2015
By Neal Whitman
Over the weekend, The New York Times presented an interactive quiz on newly prominent slang terms entitled "Are You On Fleek?" But what does "on fleek" mean, and how did it get to be such a trendy expression, especially on social media? Our resident linguist Neal Whitman investigates.  Continue reading...
Article Topics:
2 comments Suggest a topic / contribute
Click here to read more articles from Behind the Dictionary.
2 3 4 5 6 Displaying 22-28 of 240 Articles

Other Topics:

Fun

Language

Words

Writers

Writing

Media

Word Origins

Linguistics

Books

Dictionaries

Naming

Advertising

Marketing

Branding

Reading

How to write

Marketing copy