Just for Fun

On Monday, August 21, 2017 there will be a total eclipse of the sun. The moon will appear to completely block the sun for a few minutes, and we will experience darkness in the middle of the day. When you can see this happening depends on where you are in the country. The United States hasn't had an eclipse of this kind since 1979. Below are some vocabulary words related to this extraordinary celestial event.

There's more to books than just reading them. Books have a whole vocabulary associated with them that designates parts of books, kinds of books, people involved in the creation of books, even how books make us feel. This list is about book culture, words you'll often see when people talk about books. Books often open up new worlds to the reader, but they can be a world unto themselves, too.

Looking for a variety of words to choose from when complaining about how hot it is? You're in luck! There are plenty of ways to gripe about just how stifling the summer months can be. For more, check out the article: Sweltering Words for the Nuclear Summer.

Even if a new Spider-Man movie keeps coming more often than Leap Year, the lingo of Spider-Man is eternal and unique. Enjoy these words inspired by the "web-headed menace." For the full article, check out The Web-headed Words of Spider-Man.

There are so many things about the 4th of July that are familiar — the flags, the fireworks, the barbecues and the patriotic songs we all know (or can flub our way through) the first verse to. But how well do we really know those songs, and what do those words mean? Here are 20 vocabulary words from four classic patriotic songs: You're A Grand Old Flag, The Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle Dandy and America The Beautiful to help you celebrate this year and for many years to come. For the full article, check out The 4th of July Songbook

Congraduations may be cute, but it's not a real word. Here are fifteen real words often seen and heard in the days before and after a graduation ceremony, hidden under mortarboards and robes. For the full article, check out The Valedictory Lingo of Graduation

A person is entitled to change their mind. Sometimes, however, this switch can be seen as a betrayal to the people you used to side with and have now left behind. Opinions or deeply held beliefs help make a person who they are, and an entire vocabulary has arisen based on changes of heart because of how fundamental certain viewpoints seem. Here are ten words about changing your mind. For more, read the full article: Flip-Flop Phenomena

There is so much more to dads than a bunch of words, but these terms at least cover the tip of the word-berg that describes both the clichés and the changing culture of fatherhood. For the full article, check out Vocabulary for the Father of All Holidays

Let's face it, we all (or at least most of us) lie. Whether you just want to spare someone's feelings or want to get away with something you really shouldn't be doing, people bend the truth on occasion. It's no surprise, then, that there are so many words that describe the telling of untruths. Whether the motivation is malicious or kindhearted, there is a nuanced way to describe it. Here are fifteen words to describe liars and the webs they spin. For the full article, check out Fudging It: A Lexicon of Lies

June of 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of one of The Beatles' greatest albums, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. The imagery and expressions on Sgt. Pepper's yielded some of the most listenable music and interesting lyrics in the history of pop music. Here are 17 vocabulary words drawn from Sgt. Pepper's. For the full article, check out Sgt. Pepper's: The Language of the Lonely Hearts Club Band

As a mere mortal you may lack Wonder Woman's heroic powers, but you can still attain a super vocabulary by learning these words. For the full article, check out:

Southern Rock pioneer Gregg Allman died on May 28, 2017 at the age of 69. With his Allman Brothers Band, Gregg used wailing guitar and lyrics about gambling and relationships gone bad to define both his persona as a "bad boy" of rock and roll and an entire genre of music. Here are ten vocabulary words drawn from the lyrics of Gregg Allman.

Here’s a look at some of the words you’re most likely to hear and see around Memorial Day. There are many ways to honor the people who died in combat for their country: one is to understand their vocabulary. Read the full article: The Respectful, Somber Vocabulary of Memorial Day

Mothers do so many things, which is why a good nap may be the best gift you can give your own mom on Mother's Day. Still, you might want to offer Mom a few words of appreciation, so here's a list of 13 verbs that get to the heart of what mothers do. Read more here: A Motherlode of Vocabulary for Mother's Day

Rejoice, Star Wars fans! May the 4th is National Star Wars Day! The epic film series launched plenty of words—like Jedi and Wookiee—but it also made use of existing words, giving them a new spin, and a new force, if you will. Our Star Wars lexicon will serve you well in any galaxy. Read the full article here.

Tax Day, April 15th, is the second most dreaded day of the year—next to Doomsday. The language of taxation runs all over the financial map, describing the wealthy, the disadvantaged, and the ungodly process of paying taxes. Here are some words you're likely to hear in relation to this stressful day, which can be—pardon the expression—quite taxing. Read the full article: Money, Money, Money: The Rich and Poor Words of Tax Day

Whether you're a cat-person or have a case of feline phobia, here are 13 words to describe these lithe, stealthy creatures.

In celebration of April Fool's Day, here are twenty vocabulary words that all have to do with various degrees of joking, trickery and deceit. Some involve a simple lie or two, while others indicate elaborate schemes. For more on the history of these words, read The Cunning, Risible Holiday of April Fool's Day.

With St. Patrick's Day — and celebrations of all things Irish — coming up on March 17th, learn 10 words derived from the Irish language. For more words from the Emerald Isle, read the article: Beyond Shamrocks and Leprechauns

Beware the ides of March, and other obscure time-related words that you only see once in a blue moon. Learn these terms in a fortnight (perhaps less?), and usher in a new era of vocabulary knowledge. Read the full article: Beware the Time-related Vocabulary of March!

March Madness basketball and brackets are pure mania, but the related words are pretty chill, right? Think again. Do YOU know all five meanings of foul? Test your skills with this list, and for more on b-ball vocabulary, check out: March Madness Ensues, But Basketball Vocabulary is Relatively Sane

While the origins of this day are hard to trace and it's unclear how many observers actually celebrate this March 2 event , we thought it was a perfectly valid reason to share a list of words related to old things you might be stashing in your attic. Even if your musty junk isn't worth much to anyone but you, expanding your vocabulary always has value!

Super Bowls don't always live up to the hype. But even if the game itself is boring, the words used to describe it are exciting.

What does it mean to trump or have a trump? Find out through this list of synonymous verbs and nouns.