We all know someone who repeats a certain word frequently in conversations. Maybe it's "like," or "essentially" or "literally." That likely sounds familiar, and it can be a bit distracting—especially ...

It’s the literal truth, we say, as if that “literal” conveyed an extra measure of authority. Actually, literal meanings are frequently wrong, and often confusing. A recent example is the “naked wife” ...

“It makes me mad when people say ‘literally’ when they mean ‘figuratively’ as it does sound stupid and confusing,” a poster on Quora wrote recently. “Is this normal?” In the replies, the top answer is ...

There are many things that enrage grammar snobs, maybe because they’re not exactly the nicest of people. They hate run-on sentences, the incorrect usage of “your” and “you’re,” and when people don’t ...

"I love you so much I could eat you up," a mother might say to her child. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates. Chances are, the mother will be met with a confused and ...

The political conflict in America, including the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, rests in part upon a language distinction. When does a speaker or writer mean something ...

My editor here in the WGBH Newsroom, Aaron Schachter, is a little bit of a curmudgeon. And in recent weeks he's had a linguistic bee in his bonnet that he will not let go. "I am literally going crazy, ...

Zodiac signs who take things literally often have trouble really understanding certain situations. As an overthinker thinkers myself, I often feel like I’m just not smart enough to get a joke or fully ...

You wake up on a rainy Sunday morning, buzzing with energy. Your 14-year-old son is out playing football in the mud with his friends, so you jump in. From the window, your wife smiles and says, ...

The "Old Money" aesthetic has made its way into modern beauty and style trends, so why not incorporate it into other aspects of culture? These old money-inspired baby names have stood the test of time ...