Assuming you are a person of reasonable intelligence, (actually, since you are a reader of Commonplace Fun Facts, we assume you are a person of extraordinary intelligence), what would you make of […]
The English language is robustly filled with many homonyms — words that have multiple meanings. The word bark can refer to the outer covering of a tree as well as the sound […]
For all of the gift-giving, decorations, holiday music, delicious food, and festive traditions, there is no escaping the fact that the central element of Christmas is the recognition of the birth of […]
Christmas. The very word brings to mind countless images, such as the birth of Christ, religious traditions, family gatherings, gift exchanges, Christmas carols, tasty morsels, and poop. Wait… was that last word […]
2020 is the year we all became familiar with the concept of “social distancing.” Deep within the rainforest of the Amazon is a man who may not have heard those words, but […]
Lawyers are expected to use long, complicated sentences. Many attorneys pride themselves on their ability to use unnecessarily-complicated words and phrases. Sometimes, however, even those within the profession will cry foul at […]
Originally posted on installect:
Ultracrepidarian The only thing worse than receiving criticism on a piece of your work is when that person doing the criticizing has no idea what they are talking about.…
We all know that person who just has to have the latest news — good or bad — about everyone. You might think of that person as a busybody or a gossip. […]
Few people have ever commanded such a mastery of the English language as Winston Churchill. He labored over his speeches and writing, carefully selecting just the right words in just the right […]
Who knew that animals are like people in having to learn other languages to be understood in different cultures? It may seem that the basic sound made by dogs, “woof,” would be […]
Although the English language presents more than its fair share of challenges, its alphabet is pretty cut and dry. Granted, there are simpler alphabets to learn. Rotokas, spoken in parts of Papua […]
Have you ever heard of a “kangaroo word”? You may not recognize the term, but you use kangaroo words all the time. Just as an adult kangaroo carries a joey around in […]
When you want to say a mouthful with just one word, you can do it with “Mamihlapinatapai.” Coming from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, it refers to “a look that […]
When it comes to complicated things, you will be hard-pressed to find anything that is worse than Malbolge. It takes the complexity of computer programming, the nuances of foreign languages, and mixes […]
When it comes to the alphabet, everyone knows that “Z” is the last letter, but did you know it wasn’t the last letter to be added? Although located in the first half […]
