Linguists say this joyful weirdness isn’t random—it’s rooted in how humans build bonds, play with sound, and treat animals ...

Giving our pets goofy nicknames is not just a weird human habit. It turns out that it is part of how we build connections, ...

The writer Geoff Dyer unravels a tale in which the intricacies of model airplanes and the comic horrors of school lunch ...

Adam Aleksic, who posts as Etymology Nerd on social media, argues in a new book that algorithms are reshaping the English language.

Lena Dunham's Too Much has landed on Netflix, introducing viewers to Jessica (played by Megan Stalter ), an overworked American reeling from a seven-year breakup. A fresh start across the pond sees ...

The word "chuckle" comes from the Middle English chukken, meaning "to make a clucking noise," dating back to the late 14th ...

In English there are many ways to apologise ... Well, that's what we'll be finding out in this episode, along with some ...

Do people actually talk like that?Some use big words. Others just say it how it is. Big words aren’t always better - it’s often just about knowing what they mean in plain language.In this quiz, you’ll ...

Turning ‘terror’ from negative to positive As a historical lexicographer from the Philippines, Salazar says she finds it fascinating — and sometimes funny — how Malaysians give their own spin to ...

Beautiful words, ugly words, funny words Some words are beautiful, or are thought to be. They may be phonologically attractive, or they may conjure up beautiful thoughts, or both. When I surveyed a ...

The word “funny,” the adjectival form of “fun,” which may have come from an Early English word, fon, meaning a fool and related to “fond,” has several different meanings, two of which are relevant ...