English spelling is a hot mess, even for native speakers. But as a new book shows, would-be spelling reformers, including... more

Throwing cheese and shaky cheese are two very different things. In baseball, hard cheese refers to a powerful fastball, and... more

So you think you can spell? Youngsters in modern spelling bees are expected to memorize a wide range of words,... more

Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old... more

In the 1920’s, Americans were warned of a new danger sweeping across the country. This menace that harmed people’s health,... more

People who hunt treasure with metal detectors have a lingo all their own. Canslaw means the shreds of aluminum cans... more

A baby’s first word is often a cherished milestone, but some cultures pay more attention to other firsts, like a... more

Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other... more

Samantha Harvey’s novel Orbital is a sensuous, exhilarating meditation about the strangeness of life on a space station, with its mix of... more

Don’t move my cheese! It’s a phrase middle managers use to talk about adapting to change in the workplace. Plus, the... more