by Dictionary Scoop Sometimes, names reveal much about the history of the lands as native communities and original settlers knew them. Arguments, infestations, practical arrangements, mythology, and landscapes, all inspired the current denominations of these ten cities that are thriving today. 1-Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Punxsutawney’s name might bring a certain charming groundhog to mind, but its …
Category Archives: language
Ten American Idioms Used Around The World
by Dictionary Scoop In different parts of the world, people often express the same ideas in very similar ways, while using different languages. Join us to discover the foreign counterparts of these 10 everyday American idioms. 1-Beggars can’t be choosers When you’re faced with a situation where you have to take what is …
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American Slang Phrases Through The Decades
by Dictionary Scoop Have you listened to teenagers talk lately? Their vocabulary is full of words we don’t quite understand. But come on, we did it too: every decade has had its own set of slang words and expressions. Today, we look back at ten slang words and expressions that have defined each decade from …
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Good Riddance To (Most Of) These Words
by Kevin Burton My first reaction upon reading that Merriam-Webster plans to eliminate words from the dictionary was protective: “keep your hands off my words!” Then I read the list. Well all right then, go ahead and chop them. Except for mugwump. I need that one to stay. The Mugwumps was …
USA And UK Divided By Common Language
by Dictionary Scoop While many things bring Americans closer to the UK, some aspects of our language set us apart. English is spoken by more than 1.4 billion people worldwide; with so many people using this language, it is understandable that some differences have developed. Today we walk through 10 drastic vocabulary differences between American …
Significant Words About Insignificance
by Kevin Burton You may not have heard of some of the words on today’s list from Merriam-Webster, especially the first one. The dictionary is serving up words about insignificance. But the first offering is from my childhood days at the Ohio State School for the Blind. I may have heard this …
Secret Languages From Around The World
by interestingfacts.com From clandestine codes understood only by women to local argots developed in geographically isolated communities, the world is filled with enigmatic languages and jargons. Join us on a linguistic journey as we shed light on some of the cryptic methods people have used to converse throughout history: 1-Boontling (Boonville, California, USA) …
Today We Help You Talk Like An Egyptian
by Dictionary Scoop You are probably aware that the English language has Greek and Latin roots. But did you know some of the most used English words come from Ancient Egyptian? For example, the word pharaoh is a no-brainer. As you would imagine, it is an Ancient Egyptian word meaning “Great House,” the place destined for …
Ten Words Inspired By Our Animal Friends
by Dictionary Scoop Whenever we think about vocabulary related to the animal kingdom, our mind usually goes to long, Latin scientific terms that seem extremely daunting to anyone not well-versed in biology. However, we sometimes fail to see how much our animal friends have also influenced the everyday words we regular joes use. We have …
Appreciate These Rare, Underused Words
by Kevin Burton In a rare misstep, the folks at Dictionary Scoop said we should try to impress people with the vocabulary words listed below. The kind of people who would be impressed by something like that are not, let’s say, among my closest companions. But let’s appreciate the words and use …