language

While "passing the mustard" is about handing over the Dijon or spicy brown, "cutting the mustard" is the phrase that means to meet expectations, similar to "passing muster."

Standard dictionaries have yet to catch up with us as we differentiate "fantastic" and "fantastical."

A hyphen can mean the difference between resigning from a job or re-signing a contract to keep that job. But style guides don't always agree on which words should get one.

Do we really need both "infeasible" and "unfeasible?" It's feasible to argue that we don't.

Language is an essential part of preserving the ancient ties to heritage and culture. And with the native language of the Ojibwe people starting to fade,…

Many would consider arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court to be the pinnacle of a lawyer’s career. For lawyers facing that opportunity, a new study…

Texting has become a dominant means of communication in today’s interconnected world. Some reports suggest that large swaths of Americans prefer it to…

A recent Boston Globe piece from Mark Peters takes a look at the title “first lady,” calling it an “archaic term.”We don’t use the term “lady” very often…

Time for a little wordplay.We asked you to send us phrases or terms that you find a little strange so we could have University of Michigan English…

Whether you love it or hate it, the oxford comma evokes some pretty strong feelings – both among people who study language and the rest of us. Why?Why do…