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PublishedJune 18, 2023
In a word: Spelling reform’s long, fyootl history
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said, 'Reformed spelling might become universal, but it would cease to be the English language.'
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PublishedJune 11, 2023
In a word: All the buzz about spelling bees
When Kingston, Jamaica’s Jody-Anne Maxwell spelled 'chiaroscurist' correctly in 1998, she became the event’s first black winner and also the first winner from outside the United States.
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PublishedJune 4, 2023
In a word: Tech names and a look at FANG
Amazon started out as Cadabra. But not everyone got the reference, and it didn’t help that people calling the retailer often heard 'cadaver' instead.
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PublishedMay 28, 2023
In a word: The names behind some big names
'Pete’s Submarines' sounded too much like “pizza submarines,” so owners Fred DeLuca and Doctor Peter Buck first changed the name to 'Doctor’s Associates' before deciding on a more familiar one.
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PublishedMay 21, 2023
In a word: How did you pronounce that again?
Take the word 'gif," which is an acronym for 'graphics interchange format.' People seem to pronounce it one of two ways, but its inventor has no doubt about how it's pronounced.
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PublishedMay 14, 2023
In a word: A look at my elementary words
'It’s not a timecard,' I say back to the nice voice coming out of the speaker in the ceiling, 'it’s a timesheet.'
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PublishedMay 7, 2023
In a word: Loan words bearing lots of interest
Our word 'cookie' comes from the Dutch word 'koekie,' which means 'akin to cake.' Sweet.
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PublishedApril 30, 2023
In a word: SpaceX RUDs and other euphemisms
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve probably heard the phrases 'long in the tooth,' 'getting on in years' or even 'over the hill.'
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PublishedApril 23, 2023
In a word: When foreign sounds very familiar
'Deja vu' is French for feeling as though you've lived through a situation before. As Yogi Berra put it: 'It’s deja vu all over again.'
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PublishedApril 16, 2023
In a word: Product ads from ‘cuckoo’ to ‘gr-r-reat!’
What has to be the most unfortunate advertising slogan ever is one Ford used for its subcompact car, the Pinto.
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