In the 15th century, the word respair meant "to have hope again." Although this word fell out of use, it's... more

Do people who work together sound alike? Yes! Over time, they may begin to develop similar patterns of speech, or... more

Asthenosphere, a geologist's term for the molten layer beneath the earth's crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way... more

How and why do words from one language find their way into another? Vietnamese, for instance, includes lots of words... more

Amid court-ordered busing in the 1970s, a middle-school teacher tried to distract her nervous students on the first day of... more

Some TV commercials launch catchphrases that stick around long after the original ads. The exclamation Good stuff, Maynard! is still... more

In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters... more

What exactly is a planet? Controversy over this question led to Pluto’s redefinition, along with a brand-new English word. And:... more

There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding... more

How hot is it? Well, poet Dylan Thomas found lots of memorable ways to describe a heat wave. In one... more