by Dictionary Scoop Compound words are everywhere, often hiding fascinating stories in plain sight. English is an exceptionally adaptable language, and one way it creates new words is by combining the sounds and meanings of existing ones. These terms, deeply rooted in history, culture, and language evolution, have become part of everyday speech. …
Category Archives: language
How I Rode Cold Notes Straight To The Top
by Kevin Burton Today we finish up the Dictionary Scoop website’s list of jargon phrases used in journalism. As I did yesterday, I will add to the list. “Above The Fold” is a term that refers to stories and pictures that appear in the top half of the front page. It’s the part …
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Speaking My Language, Journalism Jargon
by Kevin Burton Every industry has its insider jargon and our friends at Dictionary Scoop have released a list of journalism phrases. And I’ll get to it, gladly. But first, one bone to pick. So the way I was trained in journalism was, get to the point, now. Put the most important …
Yum, Yum, Here’s Some Food For Thought
by Kevin Burton Just so you know, I did not write these little gems I am going to share today, though I could have. It’s the kind of smart-alecky stuff that sounds like something I would say, and perhaps I will write my own list like this someday, but for this stuff, not …
A Fearful List Of Ten Unusual Phobias
by Dictionary Scoop The word “phobia” does not merely mean “fear of” as some believe. There is more to it. A phobia is an irrational fear, “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation,” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Here are ten uncommon fears and …
Foreign Words With No English Equivalent
by Interesting Facts With the right combination of words and expressions, we can communicate anything our hearts desire. That’s the power of language. But what about those times when you’re looking for a single word rather than an entire sentence to sum up a thought or feeling? For that, we can look to …
Braille Gives Literacy, Independence, Access
by Megan Dausch Helen Keller Services The Louis Braille Museum in Coupvray, France, smelled like history—aged wood, old paper, and the faint mustiness of time. It was a small house, but it held the weight of a remarkable legacy. I remember running my fingers over the dominoes Louis Braille played with as a …
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Words For Cats’ Eyes, Bad Hair, Plenty More
by Kevin Burton Merriam-Webster dictionary took to social media to ask readers to identify some of their favorite underrated words. Yesterday we posted some of these words and today we finish their list. This may be the weirdest list I’ve ever posted. Some of these words don’t strike me as particularly useful. Others …
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Panning For Gold In The Discount Word Bin
by Kevin Burton I missed it and didn’t get to participate, but Merriam-Webster had a notice on social media inviting readers to vote for their favorite underused words. The dictionary published the results under the headline “12 Underrated Words That Deserve More Love.” I don’t agree with all the choices, but there was …
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Where Ya From? What’s Your Demonym?
by Kevin Burton People from Wichita, the nearest large city to me, are called Wichitans. That’s straightforward enough. People from Puebla, Mexico, a city very near to my heart, are called Poblanos. Why not Pueblanos? Not sure, good question. Wichitan and Poblano are demonyms. The word demonym is “Rooted in the Greek …
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