Language Usage and Word History Videos

Latest Videos

'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

A simple trick to keep them separate

97,391 views

semantic bleaching text on white background

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"

58,750 views

serenity carr next to an illustration of a refrigerator with the letter d in it

Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

Thawing one of the mysteries of English

48,155 views

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

We're intent on clearing it up

287,049 views

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

We're gonna stop you right there

318,026 views

emily brewster and one and the same text graphic

'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Is it all the same anyway?

79,245 views

Grammar and Usage

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

And is one more correct than the others?

181,574 views

The Serial Comma Explained

No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?

438,945 views

There, They're, Their

There, there. We'll sort it out.

101,742 views

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

261,548 views

Sneaked vs. Snuck

No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.

55,485 views

Further vs. Farther

They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

46,507 views

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

323,891 views

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

286,970 views

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

259,279 views

Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.

544,556 views

Hot Mess

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

152,542 views

The History of 'Cynic'

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

39,638 views

Pictures in the Dictionary

The story of those iconic illustrations.

23,470 views

An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

97,382 views

Most Viewed

illustration of a man watching a washing machine overflow

'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

We'll help you figure it out at once

878,098 views

Words of the Year: 1066

Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.

544,556 views

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts

440,428 views

The Serial Comma Explained

No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?

438,945 views

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

323,891 views

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

We're gonna stop you right there

318,026 views

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors

294,647 views

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

We're intent on clearing it up

287,049 views

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

286,970 views

Videos

How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

The Serial Comma Explained

Latest Videos

'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

Grammar and Usage

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

The Serial Comma Explained

There, They're, Their

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Sneaked vs. Snuck

Further vs. Farther

Lay vs. Lie

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

Fun, Funner, Funnest

Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Hot Mess

The History of 'Cynic'

Pictures in the Dictionary

An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Most Viewed

'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

The Serial Comma Explained

Lay vs. Lie

'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

Test Your Vocabulary