Otherwords

Does swearing get a bad rap? There's evidence that the shouting obscenities has an evolutionary purpose... and may be good for your psyche!

How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes? Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE on the internet. We use them for memes, inside jokes, to show our membership of the group. But they weren't invented online. In fact, they're way older than you think!

The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language. How did it get this way?

Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!

Gossip is an integral part of human social structure... and maybe the reason language evolved in the first place!

English has more words than most other languages, but there are still so many familiar things and experiences that we don't have a word for... but other languages do! Here are some of our faves!

There was a time when psychologists thought growing up bilingual was harmful to brain development, but recent studies into bilingual children have turned that idea on its head!

Besides being annoying, what if the grammar police are actually... wrong?

Sign Languages are just as linguistically valid and vibrant as spoken languages, and beneficial to learn for Deaf and hearing people. So why for decades was it illegal to teach them in American schools?