Are you hooked on "Downton Abbey"? The second season of the British period drama has been airing in the U.S. on PBS, and it's been an addictive treat for Anglophiles. But just how accurate is the language used on the show? Though it mostly remains true to its post-Edwardian setting, at times the talk is a bit anachronistic.
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If you’ve been following the story of Twitter agreeing to block users’ tweets in countries where the tweets are deemed illegal, you might have encountered the words censor/censure. And, like many among us, you might hesitate when you see them. Is it right to say, “Last month, Twitter exposed itself to public censor by agreeing to block government-censured posts?” Or is it, “Last month, Twitter exposed itself to public censure by agreeing to block government-censored posts?”
Learn more about the censor/censure distinction here.
We’re excited to add a new and very useful feature — the ability to learn a Vocabulary List. This has been by far our most requested feature, and we're thrilled to have it go live.
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With the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens approaching (get your party hats ready for February 7th!), it's a good time to gauge the enormous impact he had on the English language. By many accounts he was the most widely read author of the Victorian era, and no writer since has held a candle to him in terms of popularity, prolificness, and influence in spreading new forms of the language — both highbrow and lowbrow.
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This past week, Vocabulary.com was named a SXSW Interactive Awards finalist in the category of Educational Resource. We are thrilled and honored by the recognition. Contest winners will be announced in March at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, TX.
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Last month, Vocabulary.com was granted an Award of Excellence by the K-12 technology and education magazine
Tech & Learning.
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What happens when nouns turn into verbs, and how can language arts educators use these "verbings" as teachable moments? Fitch O'Connell, a longtime teacher of English as a foreign language, takes a look at this "trending" topic.
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