How Walla Walla, Other Cities Were Named

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 …

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 …

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 …

“Imponderably” And Other English Isograms

by Dictionary Scoop    Words that do not repeat a single letter are called isograms. The longer they are, the less we use them but the more fascinating they are.    Long, unusual isograms go against language economy. However, from time to time, using words like “adjunctively” or “beclamouring” is the only way to express our …