Do you have spizerinctum (or spizzerinctum) and huckledebuck? These terms for passion and energy, respectively, are fun examples of false Latin, meaning they replicate the look and mouthfeel of Latin words but aren’t actually Latin...
Beware of linguistic false friends, also known as false cognates. You wouldn’t want to say you’re feeling embarazada in Spanish, unless you want to say you’re pregnant. And don’t order the tuna in Spain unless you want to...
Does a statement have to be true to be a fact? Eric in Dallas asks after his eight-year-old practices a school lesson contrasting fact and opinion, where a fact was described as something that can be proven true or false. Some dictionary senses do...
What do you call an upgrade gone wrong? Perhaps the ‘Puter Principle could be the software equivalent of the Peter Principle, which in business means that every employee in a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. This is...
Take umbrage means to take offense, irritation, or annoyance at something. Umbrage traces back to Latin umbra, “shadow,” and earlier English used it for literal shade, the kind found under orchard trees. It’s a cousin of umbrella. The figurative...
Is boughten a past tense form of to buy? Grant gives his blessing to its use in informal conversation, but when it comes to formal writing, the word you want is bought. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Boughten” Hello...