The Death of Taboo
How Donald Trump and his allies have drained the stigma from society's worst transgressions.
Language
Are Hurricanes Changing How We Talk?
Linguists are studying how climate-related migration is affecting regional American dialects.
What’s So Bad About the C-Word?
On Samantha Bee, Ivanka Trump, and the rhetorical power of English’s strongest epithet.
American Authors Are Swearing More. So What?
A new study represents a new low for pop psychology.
Democrats Should Swear More at Donald Trump
Some journalists are wringing their hands over a rise in profanity. Screw 'em.
Should We Call Climate-Change Deniers “Dismissives” Instead?
A renowned scientist proposes an alternative to a contested word.
Is Trump Authoritarian or Incompetent? Yes.
John McCain and Corey Robin say the president's actions speak louder than his words. But this is a false distinction.
Being Bilingual Keeps Your Brain Fit
A journey into the evolving research on the benefits of speaking multiple languages.
How Other Languages Can Reveal the Secrets to Happiness
A limited vocabulary could be limiting your happiness.
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Roman Holiday
In her new memoir, the novelist abandons English for Italian.
That’s What Zhe Said: Mx-ing up the Language of Gender
How "they" is going from plural to singular.
Why I Heart the Twitter Heart
The social network's new icon will enlarge our emotional vocabulary
Stop Capitalizing the Word Internet
Dictionaries and style guides treat it as a proper noun, but no one else does
Under a Spell
The spine-tingling glee of the Scrabble enthusiast
When "Holocaust" Became "The Holocaust"
An etymological mystery
