Merriam-Webster

Does Not Rhyme
-through
-cough
-though
-rough
-bough

Does Rhyme
-pony
-bologna

The ‘dog days’ of summer get their name due to their association with the Dog Star, Sirius, found in the constellation Canis Major.

The first visible rising of Sirius occurs during the hot stretch from early July to early September.

Woof.

That did not fit the definition of a red card.

‘Odyssey’ comes from the name Odysseus.

The first known use of ‘odyssey’ as a generic term for “journey” was in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Kidnapped” in 1886.

denim = ‘de Nîmes’ because they were made in the French city of Nĭmes

jeans = ‘Genoa’ because they were worn by the Genoese navy

khakis = Hindi word for “dust-colored, brown”

JNCO = “Judge None Choose One"

A Strawberry Moon is the first full moon of summer.

It signals the start of summer, when strawberries ripen in the US.

The name comes from the Algonquin tribes.

And it's tonight.

Pro tip: it's spelled d-i-a-r-r-h-e-a.

Happy birthday to the late Robin Williams, who would’ve turned 75 today 🕊️♥️

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We know a lot is going on right now, but we just realized that:

cabinet/board/panel = things made
of wood

cabinet/board/panel = terms for organizations

It is a coincidence that 'emoji' and 'emoticon' sound alike.

'Emoji' is a Japanese term meaning 'pictograph.'

'e' is "picture, drawing" + 'moji' is “letter, character”

'Emoticon' is 'emotion' + 'icon.'

Underestimate freelancers at your own peril.

Originally, ‘freelance’ referred to a medieval mercenary who would fight for whichever nation or person paid them the most.

Those tax forms must’ve been nuts to fill out.

Acronyms & Initialisms

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The first known use of 'scorcher' was in 1733.

false positive | noun | a person or test result that is incorrectly classified as positive (as for the presence of a health condition) because of imperfect testing methods or procedures

What is a 'garden-path sentence'?

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FWIW, the first known use of the Wordle word today was in 1607.

"Got a way with my words, my lingo and vernacular, marketable."

-E-40

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Happy Bastille Day!
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/unt...

8 Words We Stole from French

...some of which mean different things in English

These are your words of the week

father
hat trick
haggis
alga
kakistocracy
pie-counter
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the...

The Words of the Week - Jun 26

Dictionary lookups from the World Cup, Father’s Day, and Washington D.C.

shrekking | noun | purposefully dating someone considered unattractive

These are your words of the week

harm
avuncular
bison
Scouser
cyclospora
mackerel sky
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the...

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Dictionary lookups from Hollywood, Yellowstone, and Liverpool

Ideally, you should read this article on an IMAX 70mm screen.
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/wor...

Words from the 'Odyssey'

These are your words of the week

red card
fissiparous
immerge
window seat
firework
dirigo
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the...

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Dictionary lookups from the World Cup, Madison Square Garden, and Love Island

These are your words of the week

Odysseus
extradite
haze
nil
Rickroll
spizzerinctum
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the...

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Dictionary lookups from soccer, law, and the Odyssey