On Words and Up Words

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Preposterous Words for Perfectly Practical Things
Sometimes you just need to nip out for a nuncheon.
 • 
Jack Shepherd
2
The 5 Naughtiest Medieval Riddles, Ranked
The Anglo-Saxons were beautiful poets, proud warriors, and incurable horn-dogs.
 • 
Jack Shepherd
1
These Words Have Absolutely Wild Superhero Origin Stories
Really drives home how differently people did metaphors in the Middle Ages.
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Jack Shepherd
2
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7 Secret Portmanteaus That Have Been Hiding in Plain Sight
 • Jack Shepherd
7
"Lorem Ipsum" Has a Meaning
 • Jack Shepherd
5 Common Words With Literal Goblins Hiding Inside
 • Jack Shepherd
2
9 Real Words That Those Cowards at Wordle Are Too Scared to Use
 • Jack Shepherd
2
The 5 Naughtiest Medieval Riddles, Ranked
 • Jack Shepherd
1
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7 Secret Portmanteaus That Have Been Hiding in Plain Sight
Some perfectly normal-seeming words that are actually two other words standing on top of each other in a trench coat.
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Jack Shepherd
7
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
On the marvelous achievement that is the “8-buffalo sentence,” and other equally wonderful stupidities.
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Jack Shepherd
3
FUBAR, SUSFU, and 17 Other Glorious “Military Screw-Up Acronyms”
When the snafu goes fubar and suddenly you have a tuifu on your hands ...
 • 
Jack Shepherd
1
5 Common Words With Literal Goblins Hiding Inside
You’ll never look at pumpernickel the same way again.
 • 
Jack Shepherd
2
The 12 Most Astonishingly Bad Puritan Names, Ranked
A cautionary tale for prospective parents who just can't quit the "Fly-Fornication" page in the Baby Names book
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Jack Shepherd
4
6 Great Typos of History
The demon Titivillus exalts, as Clippy screams into the void.
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Jack Shepherd
The Cat Who Helped to Write the Dictionary
The true story of Hodge, the 18th century’s most famous and beloved cat.
 • 
Jack Shepherd
On Words and Up Words
On Words and Up Words
Word nerdery, fun language history, and word puzzles.
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