Tag Archive: Language
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The Lighter Side of Language
How long has hip been hot? Why are folks from Delaware called Blue Hens? Did William Shakespeare really coin alligator and be-all-and-end-all? People have been asking Merriam-Webster questions like those for decades. Now the Lighter Side of Language series provides the fascinating (and sometimes surprising) answers.
Word for the Wise : Wonk & nerd
A listener asked about the origin of the word wonk. Wonk is a synonym of nerd, and it means an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person, especially one slavishly devoted to intellectual pursuits. You don’t have to be a word wonk to know that our language — especially slang — is filled with words used [...]
