Looking for a word that denotes being really excited for someone, but also a little sad? One option is bittersweet, but if you’d like a term that’s not quite so overused, yayboo is taking hold online. The Modern Greek word charmolype...
The Stendhal syndrome is a term used to describe feeling overwhelmed by the beauty of a work of art. The name comes from the French writer Stendhal, who wrote about the dizzying sensation of seeing the art in Florence. It’s somewhat similar to...
Back when George W. Bush was a student at a New England prep school, he took to the thesaurus to impress a teacher, and wound up using a synonym for the wrong meaning for tear. Hence, the telltale phrase lacerates falling from my eyes wound up in...
To throw a wobbly means lose self-control in a panic or temper tantrum, or to cause consternation by acting in a surprising way. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “What Does “Throw a Wobbly” Mean in British English?”...
Emotions can be hard to define. That’s why there’s The Emotionary, a collection of words made up specifically to capture emotions in a single word, like “intaxication”– the euphoria of getting a tax refund–until...
Keep the ishpee out of your mouth. One caller’s parents used to shout “Ishpee!” when he or his siblings would try and eat dirt, marbles, or whatever they found on the floor. He wonders if this expression is unique to his family. It...

