Podcasts about Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2026 is: mitigate • MIT-uh-gayt • verb To mitigate something is to make it less severe, harmful, or painful. // One way we can mitigate the impact the construction project will have on residents is to commit to completing it in the allotted time. See the entry > Examples: “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order to mitigate blackouts in the Carolinas as the region prepares for a period of hot weather coming up.” — Dave Kovaleski, Daily Energy Insider, 15 June 2026 Did you know? The meaning of mitigate is straightforward enough: to make something—such as a problem, symptom, or punishment—less harsh or severe. Sometimes, however, mitigate appears where the similar-looking militate is expected. That word, which is often followed by against, means “to have weight or effect,” as in “your unexcused absences are likely to militate against your getting a promotion.” The two words are not closely related (mitigate comes from the Latin verb mitigare, meaning “to soften,” whereas militate traces to militare, meaning “to engage in warfare”), but confusion between the two has existed for long enough that some language experts accept “mitigate against” as an idiomatic alternative to militate. Even William Faulkner used mitigate in this way in his 1932 short story, Centaur in Brass, writing “It's as though there were some intangible and invisible social force that mitigates against him.” But unless you're Faulkner, it's best to keep mitigate and militate distinct.

Have you ever gone to an American restaurant and panicked when the server asked, "How would you like your steak cooked?"What's the difference between rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, and well-done?And why do Americans ask so many questions when you order a burger?In this fun and practical episode of the English Makes No Sense Podcast, you'll learn exactly how to order steaks and burgers like a native English speaker. We'll cover common restaurant vocabulary, useful phrases, burger toppings, cooking temperatures, pronunciation tips, and real-life restaurant conversations you can use immediately.Whether you're visiting the United States, living in an English-speaking country, or simply want to feel more confident eating out, this episode will help you order food with confidence and avoid those awkward restaurant moments.Perfect for ESL learners, English students, travelers, and anyone who wants to improve their real-world English communication skills.#LearnEnglish #ESL #EnglishMakesNoSense #AmericanEnglish #RestaurantEnglish #EnglishVocabulary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2026 is: highfalutin • hye-fuh-LOO-tun • adjective Something or someone described as highfalutin seems, or is trying to seem, great or important. // The authors' research may have been impressive, but their paper was full of highfalutin jargon that ultimately obscured what they intended to say. See the entry > Examples: “Standing 787 feet tall, the tower was one of the last of the era—when downtown Dallas' skyline was defined by highfalutin oil execs, bankers, financiers and the architects who used steel, concrete and glass to erect opulent monuments to their economic success.” — Nick Wooten, The Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Highfalutin has a fine purpose: to describe pretentious people or language without making the person using it sound, well, pretentious. Were you to describe the high-flown speech of another using other adjectives available to you (grandiloquent, fustian, orotund) you might well be found guilty of the faux pas yourself. Highfalutin first appeared as American slang in the early 1800s, and like many slang terms it has had a lot of different spellings (hi, high faluting). The word most likely originated as a combination of the adjective high (as used in the phrase “high and mighty”) and the participle fluting. Why fluting? Maybe down-to-earth Americans thought that the overly formal, condescending, and flowery speech of the high and mighty sounded like the shrill and biting high tones of a flute. Whatever the reasoning, highfalutin has remained a staple of down-home American speech ever since.

UWAGA: Właśnie ruszyły zapisy do nowej edycji kursu SIOL Say IT Out Loud. Dowiedz się więcej o kursie dzięki któremu możesz zacząć mówić. KLIKNIJ w poniższy link:siol.plJUŻ tylko do 5 sierpnia 2026 możesz obejrzeć 100% darmową lekcję angielskiego Chill Out, czyli 9 phrasal verbs niezbędnych latem. Odbierz dostęp klikając w poniższy link:https://teacherola.com/chillKarta pracy do odcinka:https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j6z2z6Dwa bardzo popularne słowa, które często tłumaczymy tak samo… ale które w języku angielskim nie znaczą dokładnie tego samego.W tym odcinku nie tylko poznasz różnicę między nice i kind, ale przede wszystkim nauczysz się, jak naturalnie używać tych słów w prawdziwych rozmowach po angielsku.Sprawdzimy, dlaczego nazwanie kogoś kind jest często dużo większym komplementem niż powiedzenie, że ktoś jest nice.Co w dzisiejszym odcinku?✔️ poznajesz różnicę między nice i kind i dowiadujesz się, kiedy używać każdego z tych słów✔️ uczysz się, jak opisywać czyjąś osobowość i zachowanie naturalnym angielskim✔️ poznajesz typowe połączenia, takie jak kind words, kind gesture, be kind to someone czy seem nice✔️ ćwiczysz wymowę i automatyzujesz nowe zdania dzięki końcowej części sentence repetition (słuchaj i powtarzaj na głos) 

Want to know your English level? Take our free English-level quiz here to find out what your current English level is.  Do you love All Ears English?  Try our other podcasts here: Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey IELTS Energy Podcast: Learn IELTS from a former Examiner and achieve your Band 7 or higher, featuring Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter with Jessica Beck in previous episodes Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn If you love this podcast, hit the follow button now so that you don't miss five fresh and fun episodes every single week.  Don't forget to leave us a review wherever you listen to the show. Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2026 is: spindrift • SPIN-drift • noun Spindrift refers to spray blown from waves during a gale or to fine wind-borne snow or sand. // Our whale-watching cruise was a whirlwind of flukes, fins, and clinging to the handrails amid the waves and salty blasts of spindrift. See the entry > Examples: “White-capped waves crash far below the cliffs and sweep out to the horizon, spindrift tosses up mini-rainbows and creamy plumes of sea froth float up and over.” — Amanda Thomson, The Guardian (London), 5 Sept. 2024 Did you know? Spindrift first set sail in English in the early 19th century, under Scottish command. The Scots had by that point been using speendrift for well over a century; their verb speen means “to rush forcefully along with a strong wind,” so speendrift referred to a drift of salty sea spray during such sailing. In the 1820s, English speakers recruited the word, but signed it up as spindrift. At that time, its sole duty was to refer to the driving sprays at sea. By the mid-20th century, English speakers realized that spindrift had potential to serve on land as well, and the word was sent ashore to be used for wind-borne snow and sand. Today, spindrift still serves the language commendably by land and by sea.

Send me a message!Both words mean "to acquire something in exchange for money." But in American English, they sound completely different—and using the wrong one makes you sound like a learner, not a native speaker.In this episode, we break down when to use "buy" (casual, everyday) and when to use "purchase" (formal, official, business). You'll learn the register differences, the situations where each one fits, and why understanding this "vibe difference" is what separates textbook English from real Social English.Key Scenarios: When you're at Starbucks • When you're signing a contract • When you're texting a friend • When you're talking to a client • When you're shopping onlineListen and discover: Why "purchase" in the wrong moment makes you sound stiff • Why "buy" is the default for everyday American life • How register matters more than vocabularySHOW NOTES !!Same Meaning, Different Vibe:Both "purchase" and "buy" mean to acquire something in exchange for money. But in American English, they're used in completely different situations. Using the wrong one makes you sound formal when you should sound casual, or casual when you should sound formal.Key Contexts for "Buy":- Ordering at Starbucks: "I'm going to buy coffee"- Texting a friend: "I bought the new Taylor Swift album"- Casual shopping: "I'm buying groceries this weekend"- Natural conversation: "They bought their house in 2015"Key Contexts for "Purchase":- Legal documents: "Date of purchase: July 17, 2026"- Business emails: "We will purchase office supplies"- Formal transactions: "The company purchased new equipment"- Financial terms: "Your purchase receipt is attached"Cultural Note: In American English, "buy" is the default. "Purchase" is the formal outlier. If you're not sure which to use, default to "buy."Challenge: Write two sentences—one casual (using "buy"), one formal (using "purchase"). Notice the difference in how they feel.Support the showYour friends speak English. You want to join them naturally. You're afraid. That fear is normal. | 友達が英語を話してる。自然に入りたい。怖い。その恐れは普通。Here's the thing: you already have the English. You just need the framework. | ここがポイント：英語はもう持ってる。フレームワークが必要なだけ。Get the free guide and start today: www.realsocialenglish.com | ガイドをもらって今日から始めよう。Instagram @social_english_for_japanese TikTok @realsocialenglish

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2026 is: comely • KUM-lee • adjective Comely is an adjective with an old-fashioned and literary feel that describes someone or something that has a pleasing appearance, or that is pretty or attractive. // The newlyweds make quite a comely couple. See the entry > Examples: "One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Berlin 10 years ago was something odd about the pigeons here: Some of them were pretty, far comelier than Manhattan pigeons ..." — Ben Crair, The New York Times, 29 June 2026 Did you know? Comely—especially when compared to its more common synonyms, including lovely, handsome, and beautiful—has an old-fashioned flair. These days it is used especially by writers of historical fantasy to modify words referring to women, such as maiden and damsel, that also suggest real or imagined days of castles and courts. But comely need not be restricted to such uses, and indeed, it historically was not. Its oldest meaning in English, from the 14th century and still used today, describes things that conform, pleasurably, to notions of good appearance, suitability, or proportion, as when Willa Cather wrote that "they observed that all was neat and comely …" Comely is not etymologically related to the familiar verb come that also forms part of the word come-hither, as in "come-hither glances." It instead traces back to the Old English word cȳmlic, meaning "glorious," which in turn comes from cȳme, meaning "lively" or "fine."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2026 is: sultry • SULL-tree • adjective Sultry means “very hot and humid” when it describes such things as seasons, days, and weather. When it describes things humans do and possess—voices, poses, looks, and the like—it means “exciting or capable of exciting strong sexual desire.” // The restaurant's rooftop deck is the place to be on sultry summer nights. See the entry > Examples: “It's a sultry morning in the Maldives and the mechanic is sweating as he tinkers with the sparkling La Marzocco espresso machine. All the while, hopeful guests watch, desperate for a morning hit.” — Belinda Jackson, The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, 15 Nov. 2025 Did you know? Sultry days and glances both burn hot—one literally, and the other figuratively. Sultry is a late 16th century alteration of the obsolete word sulter, itself an alteration of swelter, which since the 14th century has meant “to suffer, sweat, or be faint from heat” and “to become exceedingly hot.” Sweltering on a sultry day may also bring the word muggy to mind; that word comes from an English dialectical word, mug, meaning “drizzle.” Unlike muggy and swelter, sultry, as we said, applies to both literal and figurative heat, as when a singer's sultry voice brings a figuratively hot vibe.

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Ben looks back at some topics we studied during the month of July.Patreon: patreon.com/learnenglishwithben - For transcripts, comprehension quizzes, and video tutorials, join the fan club.Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/learnenglishwithbenInstagram: instagram.com/learnenglishwithbenWebsite: learnenglishwithben.comEmail: learnenglishwithben88@gmail.com - send me an email if you're interested in classes Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2026 is: inveigle • in-VAY-gul • verb To inveigle someone is to persuade them in a clever or deceptive way to do something. Inveigle can also mean “to get something in a clever or deceptive way.” // According to rumors, the company inveigled employees into signing the agreement. // Their attempts to inveigle the information from her were, eventually, fruitful. See the entry > Examples: “... his wayward cousin Freddie constantly inveigles him into more serious mischief.” — Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Did you know? It's true that you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you might find you can inveigle someone else into getting it for you. Inveigle, a word that dates from the 16th century, is used in situations where someone uses clever talk, trickery, or flattery either to persuade somebody to do something or to obtain something. If you have the morning munchies, for example, but get no satisfaction from cold cereal, you might inveigle a bagel (by complimenting a barista, say) or inveigle a barista into giving you a bagel. Failed to plan thoroughly for your camping trip? It's not inveigling to demand “gimme shelter” or “you gotta move” to someone with a tent you'd like to steal like a thief in the night: inveigling involves subtle acts of persuasion and sometimes outright trickery. The distinction makes sense given that inveigle comes from the Anglo-French verb enveegler, meaning “to hoodwink” (its ultimate source is the Medieval Latin ab oculis, literally, “lacking eyes”). Isn't etymology a gas, gas, gas?

In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, Anthony Ritz, Stacy Blackman Consulting's Director of Test Prep -- who's been a GMAT and GRE tutor for more than two decades -- shares a range of specific suggestions, tips and proven test-prep strategies for the GRE's Vocabulary section. Check out Stacy Blackman Consultings MBA Test Prep services here.

Continuing the conversation from last week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dttr.substack.com/subscribe

UWAGA: Właśnie ruszyły zapisy do nowej edycji kursu SIOL Say IT Out Loud. Dowiedz się więcej o kursie dzięki któremu możesz zacząć mówić. KLIKNIJ w poniższy link:siol.plJUŻ tylko do 5 sierpnia 2026 możesz obejrzeć 100% darmową lekcję angielskiego Chill Out, czyli 9 phrasal verbs niezbędnych latem. Odbierz dostęp klikając w poniższy link:https://teacherola.com/chillKarta pracy do odcinka:https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2h7v4Zamiast tylko tłumaczyć słowa, zaglądamy głębiej. Sprawdzamy, jak naprawdę używać wyrażeń, które pojawiają się w tekście.Co w dzisiejszym odcinku?✔️ uczysz się angielskiego na podstawie prawdziwego tekstu piosenki✔️poznajesz naturalne wyrażenia związane z relacjami i zmianą zachowania drugiej osoby✔️ uczysz się, jak używać wyrażeń takich jak the cold shoulder, switch up on someone, come around czy anyway w codziennym angielskim✔️ poznasz częstą pułapkę językową (false friends)✔️ ćwiczysz wymowę i automatyzujesz nowe zwroty dzięki końcowej części sentence repetition (słuchaj i powtarzaj na głos) 

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Want to know your English level? Take our free English-level quiz here to find out what your current English level is.  Do you love All Ears English?  Try our other podcasts here: Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey IELTS Energy Podcast: Learn IELTS from a former Examiner and achieve your Band 7 or higher, featuring Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter with Jessica Beck in previous episodes Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn If you love this podcast, hit the follow button now so that you don't miss five fresh and fun episodes every single week.  Don't forget to leave us a review wherever you listen to the show. Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2026 is: kludge • KLOOJ • noun A kludge is a haphazard or makeshift solution to a problem and especially to a computer or programming problem. // Andy knocked out a hasty kludge to circumvent the glitch until a more robust solution could be developed. See the entry > Examples: “The advent of television in the 1940s allowed the movie industry to reconsider frame rates. Unfortunately, primitive video technology limited dramatic improvements. ... While the frame rate exceeded cinema, the resolution (how much information each frame actually contained) paled in comparison to 35-mm film. Even worse, the kludge enabling color broadcasting further degraded video quality.” — Rich Warren, The News-Gazette (Champaign, Illinois), 13 Apr. 2025 Did you know? As long as the origins of kludge (also spelled kluge) are uncertain, any attempt to pin them down will itself be a bit of a kludge—that is, a makeshift solution. The writer Jackson W. Granholm, once thought to have coined the word, offered his own when he wrote in his 1962 article “How to design a kludge” that it came from the German word klug, meaning “smart” or “witty.” This connection is unlikely on both phonetic and semantic grounds, however, and in any event the word already existed. A decade earlier, in an article recounting military folklore acquired from ex-soldiers, Agnes Nolan Underwood related a shaggy-dog story about a sailor named Murgatroyd whose civilian occupation is “kluge maker.” The meaning of kluge is withheld till the end of the tale, when the object made by Murgatroyd turns out to be “the damnedest looking little thing you ever saw—wires and springs sticking out in every direction.” Murgatroyd then accidentally drops the object: “the kluge slipped out and went overboard, down into the ocean, and went ‘kkluuge'.” This suggests a possible onomatopoeic origin for kludge/kluge (we note that the kluge spelling better reflects its pronunciation; the word rhymes with huge, not fudge), but again, nothing in this life is certain but death and taxes, and these days also computer malfunctions.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2026 is: parochial • puh-ROH-kee-ul • adjective Parochial is a formal word that is usually used in a disapproving way to describe something that is limited in range or scope, as to a narrow region or area. // For some, college can be an expansive experience that lifts them out of a parochial mindset. See the entry > Examples: “The twenty-first century American university is one of the great achievements of modern civilization and the destruction of the relationship between higher education, the federal government, and the business community would set America back to a parochial era that we left a long time ago.” — Peter Balakian, Literary Hub, 9 July 2025 Did you know? While it's far from a given that small towns foster narrow-mindedness, the limited range of opportunities and experiences in such places when compared to those of bigger burgs is at the heart of the figurative sense of parochial. In Late Latin, parochia was the designation for a group of Christians in a given area under the leadership of one pastor—what came to be known in English as a parish in the 14th century. Both parish and its related adjective parochial were borrowed at that time directly from Anglo-French terms that came from parochia. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that parochial expanded beyond the borders of its literal sense to describe attitudes, beliefs, mentalities, outlooks, etc., considered limited or narrow, confined or restricted, as if within a single parish.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2026 is: aerie • AIR-ee • noun Aerie refers to the nest of a bird (such as an eagle or hawk) built high up on a cliff or on the top of a mountain. It can also be used for a room or building built high up so that people inside can see things happening below them. // From the lighthouse's aerie tourists can get a bird's-eye view of the rocky coastline. See the entry > Examples: “Their eaglet is expected to hatch around April 21. In the meantime, audience members tuning in will likely see at least one eagle at the nest. To keep up with home improvements, the majestic birds often arrive home bearing sticks and grass to add to their aerie.” — Mary Ann Lickteig, Seven Days (Burlington, Vermont), 8 Apr. 2026 Did you know? English poet John Milton put a variant of aerie to good use in Paradise Lost (1667), writing, “… there the eagle and the stork / On cliffs and cedar tops their eyries build.” But Milton wasn't the first to use the term, which comes to us via Medieval Latin and Old French and probably traces to an earlier Latin word, ager, meaning “field.” English speakers had been employing aerie as a word for a bird's nest for more than a century when he penned those words. Eventually, aerie was applied to human dwellings as well as birds' nests. At first, this sense referred to dwellings nestled high up in mountains or hills. These days, you're also likely to hear high-rise city apartments or offices referred to as “aeries.”

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP119c-Telephone-Appointment.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on making an appointment over the telephone. Despite the many options for communication, the telephone is still the fastest and easiest way to do get some things done. This is true in business as much as it is in personal life. There are many reasons to skip the back and forth of email or texting and just call someone. One good reason is to make an appointment. It could be a business meeting, a conversation with your lawyer, a visit to a client, or a doctor's appointment. In this case, the real business needs to happen in person. But that in-person appointment needs to be arranged and agreed on. When we make an appointment over the phone, we often say our reason for calling before asking for a meeting. And it's a good idea to give a clear reason for that meeting or appointment. You'll also have to discuss existing plans and suggest times for the meeting. In today's dialog, we'll hear Gordon Knight calling to make an appointment with Penny Yip. Gordon works for a pension fund, while Penny works for an investment company. Gordon met Penny at a recent conference and now wants to follow up and meet her when he is in Malaysia. Listening Questions 1. What does Gordon tell the assistant about his reason for calling? 2. What does Gordon tell Penny about his reason for meeting? 3. What time does Penny suggest they meet? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 119c – Telephone English: Making an Appointment first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2026 is: vituperate • vye-TOO-puh-rayt • verb To vituperate someone is to criticize or censure them severely or abusively. Vituperate can also mean "to use harsh condemnatory language." // They were vituperated for betraying their friends. See the entry > Examples: "On the world stage where Britain's royal family have traditionally been in the vanguard promoting our nation's brand, the Duke and Duchess remain hugely relevant. Old codgers vituperate and hate on them for their lucrative Instagram vibes, but out there in the global ether Haz and Megs still matter ..." — Tessa Dunlop, The i Paper (United Kingdom), 24 Mar. 2026 Did you know? There would seem to be as many English words and phrases for reading someone the riot act as there are justifications for doing so, from chew out, bawl out, and ream out, to dress down and tongue-lash. Vituperate, unlike this sample litany, is decidedly formal. This isn't to say that one needs must wear a top hat or pince-nez to vituperate or be vituperated, only that the word vituperate (which traces in part back to the Latin word vitium, meaning "fault") tends to appear in the types of publications that also use constructions like "needs must" and words like pince-nez.

Parole intraducibili della lingua parlata | Spendieren Sie einen Cafè (1€)? Donate a coffee (1€)? https://ko-fi.com/italiano Livello A2 - #language #grammar #vocabularyLearn italian with an easy but interesting crime story - take a look at Luisa's murder mistery on Amazon: Gianduiotti e Delitti, i misteriosi casi del Commissario DalmassoBuongiorno cari amici e amanti della lingua italiana e benvenuti alla seconda parte delle parole intraducibili.In realtà oggi parliamo anche di alcune parole o modi di dire che hanno una traduzione nelle altre lingue, ma che non si imparano nei corsi di lingua perché sono parole o espressioni che usiamo solo quando parliamo, in situazioni informali.Cominciamo con alcune espressioni che usiamo per descrivere una cosa o una situazione molto bella. Una cosa bella:Una bomba Si può dire di tutto per esempio: „Q“uesto vestito è una bomba, questa macchina è una bomba, la vacanza è stata una vera bomba”.Una figata È davvero difficile trovare una traduzione per questa parola ma sappiate che si usa per descrivere qualcosa di veramente bello, eccitante, forse potremmo dire „cool“?...- The full transcript of this Episode (and excercises for many of the grammar episodes) is available via "Luisa's learn Italian Premium", Premium is no subscription and does not incur any recurring fees. You can just shop for the materials you need or want and shop per piece. Prices start at 0.20 Cent (i. e. Eurocent). - das komplette Transcript / die Show-Notes zu allen Episoden (und Übungen zu vielen der Grammatik Episoden) sind über Luisa's Podcast Premium verfügbar. Den Shop mit allen Materialien zum Podcast finden Sie unterhttps://premium.il-tedesco.itLuisa's Podcast Premium ist kein Abo - sie erhalten das jeweilige Transscript/die Shownotes sowie zu den Grammatik Episoden Übungen die Sie "pro Stück" bezahlen (ab 20ct). https://premium.il-tedesco.itMehr info unter www.il-tedesco.it bzw. https://www.il-tedesco.it/premiumMore information on www.il-tedesco.it or via my shop https://www.il-tedesco.it/premium

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2026 is: itinerant • eye-TIN-uh-runt • adjective Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession. // Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes. See the entry > Examples: “‘There has long been this masculine idea that a lone, itinerant male blues singer, travelling the South with a guitar slung over his back, was the authentic representation of the blues,' she [Dr. Cookie Woolner] explains, ‘while female performers like [Ma] Rainey, who drew from vaudeville and blackface minstrelsy, were commercial entertainers and not artists.'” — Deborah Nicholls-Lee, BBC, 5 June 2025 Did you know? Many a song in popular music has been penned about the itinerant lifestyle of touring, ranging from the exuberant (“Travelin' Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival) to the exhausted (“Lodi” by, er, Creedence Clearwater Revival). All journeys have their highs and lows, of course, and the word itinerant is all about the journey, not the destination. Indeed, itinerant comes from the Late Latin verb itinerari, meaning “to journey,” which in turn traipsed down the etymological trail from the noun iter meaning “way” or “journey.” Itinerant is usually encountered as an adjective used to describe traveling types, especially those—like touring musicians—whose itineraries (to use another iter descendent) are often circuits, but it can also be used as a noun. Itinerants, musical or otherwise, are those who never stay in one place for long, who whether by choice, profession, or circumstance, keep on chooglin'.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2026 is: maverick • MAV-rik • noun Maverick refers to a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group; in other words, a nonconformist. // Ayo has always been a bit of a maverick in the fashion world, inventing new trends rather than following them. See the entry > Examples: “[Luis] Alvarez has been described as a scientific Indiana Jones, but his reputation as a maverick was built on a foundation of patience and discipline.” — Alec Nevala-Lee, Collisions: A Physicist's Journey from Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs, 2025 Did you know? When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term maverick was being used to refer to individuals who prefer, like cattle left to their own devices, to blaze their own trails.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2026 is: stalwart • STAWL-wert • adjective Stalwart is a formal word used to describe someone or something that is very loyal and dedicated or that is physically or mentally strong. // He was a stalwart civil rights supporter throughout his political career. // The football team's stalwart defense only gave up a single field goal in the second half. See the entry > Examples: "Arbour is a stalwart defender of women's rights, having witnessed the struggle for equality during Quebec's Quiet Revolution." — Allison Hanes, The Montreal Gazette, 6 May 2026 Did you know? Stalwart is a word with ancient roots that has lent its stalwart service to the English language for centuries. Coming, via Middle English, from the Old English word stǣlwierthe, meaning "serviceable," stalwart describes people or things that are marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit, as revealed by traits such as loyalty and steadfastness, capability and dependability, or physical robustness. Old oak trees, for example, have long been described as stalwart for their imposing stature and endurance. A baseball team's closing pitcher may be deemed stalwart by showing mental fortitude in consistently striking out opposing batters in high-pressure situations. And a stalwart lover is one who, through thick and thin, is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and hurt you.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2026 is: stalwart • STAWL-wert • adjective Stalwart is a formal word used to describe someone or something that is very loyal and dedicated or that is physically or mentally strong. // He was a stalwart civil rights supporter throughout his political career. // The football team's stalwart defense only gave up a single field goal in the second half. See the entry > Examples: "Arbour is a stalwart defender of women's rights, having witnessed the struggle for equality during Quebec's Quiet Revolution." — Allison Hanes, The Montreal Gazette, 6 May 2026 Did you know? Stalwart is a word with ancient roots that has lent its stalwart service to the English language for centuries. Coming, via Middle English, from the Old English word stǣlwierthe, meaning "serviceable," stalwart describes people or things that are marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit, as revealed by traits such as loyalty and steadfastness, capability and dependability, or physical robustness. Old oak trees, for example, have long been described as stalwart for their imposing stature and endurance. A baseball team's closing pitcher may be deemed stalwart by showing mental fortitude in consistently striking out opposing batters in high-pressure situations. And a stalwart lover is one who, through thick and thin, is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and hurt you.

If you have been reading my work for a while, you may have noticed something.Every so often, my language changes.A familiar phrase disappears. A new one appears. Sometimes I introduce an entirely different way of describing an idea that I have been teaching for years.This isn't new. If you have been studying my work for any length of time, you have probably noticed these shifts in vocabulary. I regularly test different lexicons, and because of that I often begin my classes by defining exactly what I mean when I use a particular word. Sometimes I will use the same word in a completely different context.What I am doing with the use of different language is not altering reality itself, nor the observations I have made about it. Those have remained consistent over a lifetime of research into the human role in the co-construction of reality.What I am doing is test a new lexicon to see if I can breach the gap between reality and intellect..Words are not reality, although they can shape it. They are tools we use to comprehend reality's complexity.Some words work better than others.Over the years I have discovered that changing a single word can dramatically change how people understand, discuss, and apply an idea, method, tool or theory. A different lexicon can illuminate aspects of the same concepts that were always there but were difficult to describe with the previous vocabulary.Take the word manifestation.It is a perfectly useful word, but at a societal level and over time it has gathered many meanings. Depending on who you ask, it can mean attracting what you want, visualizing an outcome, positive thinking, creating reality, intention, magic, or any number of other things.Recently, I began testing a different word.Compatibility.The mechanics themselves have not changed.The model has not changed.What changes is the question people ask when they want a different experience of life.Instead of, “How do I manifest what I want?” the question becomes, “What reality am I presently compatible with? And how can I change it?”That single shift points much more directly toward the process I have been describing for years.The same thing is happening with other parts of my work.Rather than speaking about how events and people influence one another, I am testing language that describes reality as an ongoing discourse composed of threads of connectivity: what I call the Communication Network of Reality.Again, the observation is not new.Only the vocabulary is.Whether these particular words remain for years or eventually give way to better ones is almost beside the point.Their purpose is not permanence.Their purpose is effectiveness.Every time I try a new lexicon, I ask:* Does this point more accurately toward what I have perceived reality to be?* Does it help people understand the model more clearly?* Does it make the ideas easier to discuss, test, and apply?If the answer is yes to any of those, the words stay.If the answer is no, I keep looking and testing new ones.So if you notice my vocabulary changing from time to time, it doesn't mean I have abandoned the previous model or adopted a new one.More often than not, I am simply testing whether a different set of words makes the same landscape easier to navigate.Language is one of the most powerful tools we have for exploring reality. As well as creating it.So I'd like your help.Over the coming weeks I'll be testing this new lexicon in my articles, classes, and on my podcast, Driving to the Rez. We'll see together whether these new words simply sound different, or whether they make the underlying model easier to understand, discuss, and apply.The next stop? Threads of connectivity. Can you guess what they are made of?The discussion doesn't stop here - listen to the full podcast episode for unfiltered insights from Inelia and our panelists. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dttr.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Teaching Literacy Podcast, host Jake Downs sits down with Dr. Laura Tortorelli and Dr. John Strong to unpack how vocabulary and advanced decoding interact to help upper elementary students navigate complex academic texts. Discussing their recent study on multisyllabic decoding achievement, the researchers explain why treating vocabulary and word recognition as isolated instructional buckets is a critical mistake. They dive into the mechanics of the fourth-grade slump and Linnea Ehri’s consolidated alphabetic phase, sharing striking findings like why nearly 100% of struggling readers can easily decode compound words like mushroom while only 5% can read bugle—revealing how a word's “age of acquisition” and presence in a child’s oral vocabulary directly dictates their reading accuracy. Listeners will walk away with a practical understanding of the “decoding threshold” and concrete, flexible classroom strategies from the Read Stop Write intervention to help students move past rigid syllabication rules and seamlessly integrate word meaning with multisyllabic decoding.Link to ReadStopWrite: https://www.readstopwrite.com/ (book coming in 2027!!) 00:00 Multisyllabic Reading Challenge01:33 Meet the Researchers03:40 Why Readers Hit a Wall08:46 Decoding Threshold Explained10:50 Stop Over-Syllabicating13:38 Morphology in Action17:02 Vocabulary and Decoding Unite23:27 Inside the Study Design26:41 Multisyllabic Inventory Breakdown30:20 Surprising Student Performance33:27 Compound Words Mastery33:59 Tricky Syllable Patterns35:11 Nonsense Words Accuracy36:51 Vocabulary vs Morphology39:14 Why Bugle Is Hard43:09 Age of Acquisition Effect45:20 Read Stop Write Strategies50:44 Choosing High Impact Words55:51 Interpreting Nonsense Tests59:01 Literacy Optimisms01:02:16 Jake’s Take Reference:Tortorelli, L. S., Strong, J. Z., & Anderson, B. E. (2024). Multisyllabic decoding achievement and relation to vocabulary at the end of elementary school. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 246, 106018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106018

Two essays this week. First: polysemy sounds like a skin condition, but it's why one word can mean several things without anyone getting confused. Usually. An essay about the word "asylum" and the lowest bar in public discourse.Then, a serious publisher called my book proposal "true and valid and in our wheelhouse," and said no anyway. Why that rejection was worth more than most acceptances, and what it says about an industry courting authors who no longer need it.Watch the video and subscribe (free or paid): https://alex715.substack.com25% off a paid year: https://alex715.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=896a6242Coming in August: more author interviews.CONNECT:​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a Book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Going to Killing City...Alex's True Crime Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enjoy this episode? Please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice, and don't forget to subscribe for more literary journeys! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LEAVE A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2026 is: dog days • DAWG-DAYZ • plural noun Dog days is a plural noun that refers to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, sultry weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work. // Spending the day at a swimming hole has always been the perfect relief for the dog days of summer. See the entry > Examples: “When the dog days of summer were at their fullest, my new friends and I often played scrub baseball at Cameron Street School. We also rode our bicycles all over the south end.” — Gary Baldwin, The Peterborough (Ontario) Examiner, 19 July 2025 Did you know? Idle hands may be the devil's workshop, but let's be serious: when it's stiflingly hot outside, who among us isn't tempted to shirk work to go lie doggo in the shade somewhere? Such is the desire of many a creature—not just dogs (or lexicographers)—during the dog days of summer. If you're curious about how dogs got singled out in this expression, we might say it was in the stars. The dog in dog days is the Dog Star, aka Sirius, the star that represents the hound of the hunter Orion in the eponymous constellation. The star has long been associated with sultry weather in the northern hemisphere because it rises simultaneously with the sun during the hottest days of summer.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2026 is: raffish • RAF-ish • adjective Raffish describes people and things that show a careless but usually attractive unconventionality. // She didn't expect to like him but his raffish charm quickly won her over. See the entry > Examples: "Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant." — David Wingrave, Harper's Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Did you know? Raffish combines the English noun raff with the suffix -ish, which in this case means "characteristic of": when we use the word raffish, we literally mean "resembling raff." But what exactly is raff? You might be more familiar with raff's synonym, riffraff, which refers to disreputable people of low social status. Despite the resemblance, these two nouns are distinct in origin. Raff comes directly from the Middle English raf, meaning "rubbish," while riffraff descends from the Anglo-French rif e raf, meaning "altogether." The similarities between raff and riffraff prompted people to start using the two words as synonyms, and raff gained a "rabble" sense. It was that ragtag raff that gave rise to the adjective raffish in the late 1700s.

El viernes antes del viaje de inmersión de How to Spanish Podcast, Ana empezó a sentirse mal. El domingo, prueba positiva de COVID. David aguantó hasta el lunes. Y 12 estudiantes ya estaban en el avión.En este episodio, David y Ana cuentan exactamente qué pasó, cómo salieron adelante, y por qué decidieron traer todos esos aprendizajes al podcast — porque aplican perfectamente a tu camino de aprender español. Hablan de cuatro lecciones concretas: no necesitas estar al 100% para avanzar, los sistemas tienen que poder sobrevivir tus peores semanas, la motivación sola no alcanza, y la culpa y el perfeccionismo te frenan más de lo que crees.

In today's episode of Speak English With Tiffani, you'll learn 5 English phrases that instantly make you sound more natural—the kind of small, everyday expressions native speakers use automatically. You may already know every word in these phrases, but once you understand the feeling behind them, you'll start using them with confidence in real conversations.You'll learn how to use phrases like:No way to react with surprise (in a friendly, natural way)Just saying to soften a pointed comment without starting dramaPing me to casually say “message me” (especially at work)Have a good one as a warm, easy goodbye in almost any situationMust be nice (and how tone changes it from a compliment to quiet jealousy)If you want to sign up for the free English email newsletter, go to https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/newsletter

Today's podcast covers: 〜たり〜たりする — to do things like A and B (listing representative actions) This pattern lists a few representative actions or states among many, implying they are examples rather than an exhaustive list. Each verb takes its past-tense form followed by ri, and the whole phrase is typically closed with the verb suru. Example: 週末は本を読んだり映画を見たりします。 On weekends I do things like read books and watch movies. Vocabulary: 週末は — on weekends 本を — books 読んだり — do things like read 映画を — movies 見たりします — and watch, among other things Become a Makoto+ member for bonus content: www.MakotoPlus.com

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2026 is: accentuate • ak-SEN-shu-wayt • verb To accentuate something is to make it more noticeable. // He likes to wear clothes that accentuate his muscular build. See the entry > Examples: “My mother could make me anything I wanted to be. As a child she transformed me into a swan, a mermaid, a white Persian cat dressed like an elegant Victorian lady with a porkpie hat and a ruffled bustle to accentuate my tail. She'd trained as a costume designer.” — Perdita Finn, Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors, 2026 Did you know? When you accentuate something you put an “accent,” or emphasis, on it. Stress not about the word's history; its journey into the English language was very straightforward. It comes from the Latin accentus, meaning “accent” (which itself comes in part from cantus, meaning “song”), and since the early 18th century, its meanings haven't changed much. The word was initially used as a synonym of the verb accent to mean “to pronounce with greater stress or force,” which is a small leap from today's meaning of “to make something more noticeable; to emphasize.” One excellent way to remember not only how to pronounce accentuate but also its etymological connection to song is the classic (and helpfully titled) tune “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, which has been performed by such luminaries as Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.

Welcome to this English lesson about advanced weather vocabulary! In this free English class, I'll help you learn many common, but more advanced, words and phrases that native English speakers use when talking about the weather and weather forecasts.In this lesson you'll learn words and phrases like hazy, smoky, air quality, downpour, torrential rain, scattered showers, severe thunderstorm, blustery, gale-force winds, muggy, UV index, sub-zero, whiteout, squall, visibility, conditions, alert, advisory, watch, warning, front, and system.Whether you're watching the English weather forecast, reading the news, or simply chatting in English about the weather with friends, these words will help you understand and describe all kinds of weather more naturally.I hope you enjoy this English lesson about advanced weather vocabulary!

Parole intraducibili | Spendieren Sie einen Cafè (1€)? Donate a coffee (1€)? https://ko-fi.com/italiano Livello A2 - #language #grammar #vocabularyLearn italian with an easy but interesting crime story - take a look at Luisa's murder mistery on Amazon: Gianduiotti e Delitti, i misteriosi casi del Commissario DalmassoAlcune parole italiane intraducibili nelle altre lingue – Parte 1 Buongiorno cari amici e amanti dell'italiano e benvenuti al nuovo episodio di Tulip. Oggi vi voglio spiegare il significato di alcune parole italiane che non si possono tradurre in altre lingue o che sono comunque difficili da tradurre, ma che se riuscirete a usarle vi renderanno dei veri italiani.Cominciamo con la prima: Allora.Questa parola l'avrete sicuramente sentita milioni di volte. Ha tre diversi significati. Vediamoli insieme. Allora si può usare per iniziare un discorso, per prendere tempo.Per esempio: „ Allora, che compiti abbiamo per la prossima lezione?“ – „Allora oggi devo andare a fare la spesa, poi stirare le camicie e preparare la cena“. La possiamo usare per prendere tempo quando stiamo pensando, riflettendo su cosa dire o fare....- The full transcript of this Episode (and excercises for many of the grammar episodes) is available via "Luisa's learn Italian Premium", Premium is no subscription and does not incur any recurring fees. You can just shop for the materials you need or want and shop per piece. Prices start at 0.20 Cent (i. e. Eurocent). - das komplette Transcript / die Show-Notes zu allen Episoden (und Übungen zu vielen der Grammatik Episoden) sind über Luisa's Podcast Premium verfügbar. Den Shop mit allen Materialien zum Podcast finden Sie unterhttps://premium.il-tedesco.itLuisa's Podcast Premium ist kein Abo - sie erhalten das jeweilige Transscript/die Shownotes sowie zu den Grammatik Episoden Übungen die Sie "pro Stück" bezahlen (ab 20ct). https://premium.il-tedesco.itMehr info unter www.il-tedesco.it bzw. https://www.il-tedesco.it/premiumMore information on www.il-tedesco.it or via my shop https://www.il-tedesco.it/premium

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2026 is: quid pro quo • kwid-proh-KWOH • noun Quid pro quo refers to something that is given to you or done for you in return for something you have given to or done for someone else. // If they do us this favor, they'll expect a quid pro quo. See the entry > Examples: “For each proposal, it's almost guaranteed you'll have to negotiate with at least one faction, which usually involves some kind of quid pro quo. Maybe you agree to pass a policy they want next, or to advance research on a new technology of their choice.” — Deven McClure, Polygon, 24 Jan. 2026 Did you know? In the 1500s, a quid pro quo was something obtained from an apothecary. That's because when quid pro quo (New Latin for “something for something”) was first used as a phrase in English it appeared especially in situations where one medicine was substituted for another—whether intentionally (and sometimes fraudulently) or accidentally. The meaning of the phrase was quickly extended, however, and within several decades it was being used for more general equivalent exchanges, and as a noun for the act of substituting, or the substituted thing itself. By the mid-1600s the noun could be used for a bargain made between two parties involving the giving of one thing in return for another, e.g. “I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” Although such bargains are not inherently illegal, this sense of quid pro quo often appears today in legal contexts where the giving and taking is less than completely lawful.

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2026 is: obdurate • AHB-duh-rut • adjective Obdurate is a formal word that means "resistant to persuasion." It is usually used to describe someone who is not willing to change their methods or opinions, or something that is not easily altered. // Though obdurate problems loom, the organization under its new leadership is poised to make real and effective changes. See the entry > Examples: "... even great careers must end sometime, and as often as not against obdurate wills." — Greg Baum, The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 Dec. 2025 Did you know? When trying to persuade someone who has an obdurate disposition, you may end up feeling rather dour about your ability to change their mind. To endure such encounters in the future, you may find that you need to be more durable and not let the person's mulishness get you down. Maybe you will find such situations less stressful if you can face them knowing that the words obdurate, dour, endure, and durable are etymological kissing cousins. All trace back to the Latin adjective durus, which means "hard."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2026 is: bibelot • BEE-buh-loh • noun A bibelot is a small household ornament or decorative object. // His grandfather set up a table every week at the flea market where he sold all sorts of bibelots and bric-a-brac, from ceramic figurines to tiny blown glass sculptures. See the entry > Examples: “One by one, the beads and baubles and charms and bibelots have been cleaned and polished and now they are being placed on shelves, in jars and containers, in bins, and in a bathtub in Beadniks' new store on Main Street.” — Bob Audette, The Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer, 21 June 2025 Did you know? The English language, it would seem, can't get enough of synonyms for trinket, including gewgaw, gimcrack, and knickknack, just as lovers of tchotchkes can't get enough of such ornamental trifles. Lady Charlotte Guest (1812-1895) was just such a lover of baubles and bric-a-brac. Not only was Guest an accomplished linguist, educator, publisher, and philanthropist, she also amassed collections of everything from porcelain to playing cards, which she ultimately donated to museums. We also have Guest to thank for the first known use in English of the French word for “trinket,” bibelot, which she recorded in a journal entry in 1873 while in Paris: “After 3, walked up to Lady Hopetoun's to amuse her with some of our little bibelots.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2026 is: loquacious • loh-KWAY-shus • adjective Loquacious means “liking to talk and talking smoothly and easily.” Someone described as loquacious might also be called wordy (prone to using more words than necessary) or garrulous (tending to talk a lot). // We were entertained all afternoon by our host's loquacious parrot and its nonstop script of favored phrases. See the entry > Examples: “Due to their loquacious nature, marmosets have recently become a focus of studies on the evolutionary origin of human speech and language.” — Tobias Kahland et al., Nature Communications, 28 Mar. 2026 Did you know? Loquacious undeniably has a poetic ring to it. It's been a favorite of the writerly sort since it made its first appearance in English in the 17th century and, with poetic license, writers stretched its meaning beyond “talkative,” and especially “excessively talkative,” to describe such things as the chattering of birds and the babbling of brooks. The ultimate source of all this chattiness is loquī, a Latin verb meaning “to talk, speak.” Other words descended from loquī include colloquial, eloquent, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2026 is: yaw • YAW • verb The verb yaw when used for the action of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or projectile means "to move to the left or right especially in an uncontrolled manner." More broadly, yaw is used as a synonym of alternate to mean "to change from one to another repeatedly." // The rogue wave hit the vessel, and the ship yawed hard to the right. // The album yaws from soulful ballad to up-tempo pop hit and back again. See the entry > Examples: "The out-of-control motion radiated down to the spacecraft itself, which began yawing and pitching in response to the force." — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025 Did you know? In the heyday of large sailing ships, numerous nautical words appeared on the horizon. Yaw is one such word. Its origin isn't exactly known, but it began turning up in print in the 16th century, first as a noun meaning "movement off course" or "side to side movement," and then as a verb. For centuries, it remained a sailing word—often alongside pitch ("to have the front end rise and fall")—with occasional extended use as a synonym of the verb alternate. When the era of airplane flight dawned, much of the vocabulary of sailing found new life in aeronautics, and "yawing" was no longer confined to the sea. Nowadays yaw, pitch, and roll are just as likely to be used by pilots and rocket scientists to describe the motion of their crafts.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2026 is: implacable • im-PLAK-uh-bul • adjective Someone or something described as implacable is not capable of being appeased or changed. // The project faced implacable resistance from community members, and is now off the table. See the entry > Examples: “Unlike, say, the globetrotting stories of Ian Fleming or John le Carré, in which victories only temporarily frustrate an implacable foe, [Agatha] Christie's smaller worlds feel put right when the cover closes or credits roll.” — The Economist, 17 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Implacable is rooted in the Latin verb placare, meaning “to soothe,” but its im- prefix is a variant of the negating prefix in- (as in inactive) and it signals that there's nothing warm and fuzzy here. Someone or something described as implacable cannot be soothed, which usually means trouble: implacable is most often attached to words like foe, enemy, hatred and hostility. The opposite of implacable is, of course, placable; it means “easily soothed,” but sadly isn't called upon very often. Another placare word is likely more familiar. Placate means “to soothe or appease”; it's frequently applied when an angry person is made to feel less so.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2026 is: implacable • im-PLAK-uh-bul • adjective Someone or something described as implacable is not capable of being appeased or changed. // The project faced implacable resistance from community members, and is now off the table. See the entry > Examples: “Unlike, say, the globetrotting stories of Ian Fleming or John le Carré, in which victories only temporarily frustrate an implacable foe, [Agatha] Christie's smaller worlds feel put right when the cover closes or credits roll.” — The Economist, 17 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Implacable is rooted in the Latin verb placare, meaning “to soothe,” but its im- prefix is a variant of the negating prefix in- (as in inactive) and it signals that there's nothing warm and fuzzy here. Someone or something described as implacable cannot be soothed, which usually means trouble: implacable is most often attached to words like foe, enemy, hatred and hostility. The opposite of implacable is, of course, placable; it means “easily soothed,” but sadly isn't called upon very often. Another placare word is likely more familiar. Placate means “to soothe or appease”; it's frequently applied when an angry person is made to feel less so.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2026 is: fulcrum • FULL-krum • noun In technical use, fulcrum refers to the support on which a lever moves when it is used to lift something. In figurative use, fulcrum refers to a person or thing that makes it possible for something to function or develop, or in other words, one who plays an essential role in something. // Although the lead actor was phenomenal, critics suggested that the supporting cast was the real fulcrum of the show. See the entry > Examples: “The moral fulcrum of Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, in which a scholar gains knowledge and power through a demonic pact, is a relatively straightforward statement on the human condition.” — Eric Olson, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026 Did you know? The Latin word fulcrum, which refers to the head or back support of a couch, comes from the verb fulcīre, which means “to prop, support.” When fulcrum was first used in English in the 17th century, it referred to the point on which a lever or similar device (such as the oar of a boat) is supported. The literal use easily supported figurative use, and it didn't take long for the word to develop a meaning referring to one deemed essential to the function or development of something. Despite fulcrum's multiple senses, the word's meanings have kept a steady theme. In zoology, fulcrum refers to a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support, such as the joint supporting a bird's wing.