Words have no intrinsic meaning. That is to say that the words don’t have meaning in and of themselves. Words are symbols of thoughts. We attach thoughts to words. The degree to which those ...

You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Follow Talia Lakritz Every time Talia publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox!

A Janus word or phrase has two meanings, each the opposite of the other. Janus words are named after the two-faced Roman god of archways and doors, Janus. There are many such words in English, the ...

Your mom asked you to pick up shelled pistachios at the store, but you’d better ask whether she wants nuts still in their shells or those with their shells already removed. Because the word shelled ...

Some time ago, I fell into conversation with a colleague about what we had been reading lately, and the person suggested that I absolutely must give Henry James’s “The Ambassadors” a try. The pandemic ...

In May 1993, Trinidadian-German Eurodance artist Haddaway posed a crucial query to the world: “What is love?” Haddaway asked his question in English, but he received a range of responses—in part, ...