This article is based on the video Is there a better alphabet for English? by RobWords, a YouTube channel known for its smart, funny takes on language and history. The video asks a surprisingly tricky question: Could English be written more clearly with a different alphabet? Turns out, quite a few people thought so — …
English
On the surface, humans are polite. We say please, thank you, and ask about people’s weekends with an alarming degree of interest. But underneath that shiny layer of etiquette? A whole arsenal of phrases that sound friendly but hit like a truck. Welcome to the world of weaponized niceness—those little linguistic landmines that seem harmless, …
English spelling is a menace. A beautiful, rule-breaking, logic-defying menace. And no matter how many degrees you’ve got hanging on your wall—or how many Grammarly plugins you’ve installed—there are still words that will trip you up faster than a Lego in the dark. These are the traitors. The deceptively innocent-looking words you’ve probably typed a …
This article summarizes a thought-provoking video by Lamont, a language YouTuber (channel name: Days and Words) known for his honest and personal take on how people really learn languages. In this episode, he takes aim at the word “immersion” — a term so widely used (and misused) in the language-learning world that it’s basically lost …
If ‘whom’ were a person, it’d be the one at a dinner party correcting everyone’s grammar and quoting Shakespeare before dessert. It sounds formal, stiff, and maybe a little smug — but for some reason, it’s still hanging around in our emails and official letters. Most people avoid it. Some people use it to sound …
Exploring the Fascinating Origins of Month Names This summary highlights a compelling video by RobWords, exploring the historical origins and meanings behind the names of our calendar months. Blending Roman mythology, Old English traditions, and linguistic history, the video reveals how each month got its modern name, along with intriguing historical alternatives. Key Takeaways ? …
Let’s talk about a little linguistic gap you’ve probably never noticed. English, for all its quirks, complexities, and global clout, somehow missed a memo. We’ve got a word for today. We’ve got a word for tomorrow. But what about the day after tomorrow? Well, we say the day after tomorrow. That’s four whole words to …
Today, we’re going to ruin some romantic words for you. Lovingly, of course. We’ll peek into the origins of honeymoons, dig into the pain behind passion, and find out why a beheaded man is behind your Valentine’s Day plans. Oh, and there will be rats. But we’ll save those for last. ? Honeymoon: Sounds …
Some food names make sense. Others? They’re weird little linguistic puzzles wrapped in sauce, seasoning, and centuries of miscommunication. I started looking into where some of these everyday words came from… and things got out of hand fast. From pasta that sounds like a death threat to avocados you’ll never look at the same way …