linguistics

The Forever War Between ‘Come’ and ‘Cum’

The big controversy in sex slang comes down to a couple of vowels

Dude, Where Does the ‘Surfer Voice’ Actually Come From?

It’s a loose, slang-heavy vibe that rejects the formalities of English — and tracing its history means venturing far outside Southern California

Dude. Bro. Chief. Bud. Where Do All These Guy Nicknames Come From?

An etymologist breaks down the complex histories of our favorite male sobriquets

What It Really Means When You’re ‘Fucked’

It's not as simple as it sounds — especially not for President Trump