In Icelandic, the term for “midwife” literally translates as “light mother.” Icelanders voted it the most beautiful word in their language. Similarly, in Spanish, the phrase for “give birth,” dar a luz, translates literally as “give to light.” This...
Is there a connection between the ancient Greek muse and the word amused? No. The muses were mythological figures who inspired the likes of Homer, while amuse comes from the Latin word for “staring stupidly,” as in, “to be distracted by mindless...
Liam from Dallas, Texas, asks what to call more than one Cyclops after a game raised the problem of naming an army of one-eyed mythical monsters. The most common plural is cyclopes, pronounced sye-KLOH-peez, reflecting the word’s Greek roots in...
Ennead, anyone? If you need a word for “a group of nine things,” that one will do the trick. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Ennead” Well, Grant, I’ve been back on FreeRice.com playing their game. You remember that one, Donnie...
skinwalker n.— «Skinwalkers—it should be noted—is a word rooted in native and Norse legends. The word means a person with supernatural abilities, such as the power to become a werewolf.» —“Skinwalkers in theatres July 27″ by Michael Gennings Simcoe...
pixie v.— «The final example is the use of the word “pixieing.” It is in extremely common usage among protesters. It can mean any act of cheeky defiance of authority, such as the snatching and wearing of a security guard’s hard hat, but it more...
