Vocabulary.com Blog Contributor
Adam Cooper
Adam Cooper studied linguistics at Brandeis University and The University of Chicago. Since 2010, he has been working with The Endangered Language Alliance in New York City on documentation and preservation projects.
Dept. of Word Lists
Words heard at the Republican National Convention
A smackdown of forceful vocabulary
National party conventions are really about two things: painting the candidate you are supporting in the best possible light, and engaging in attacks on the opposition.
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Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
Getting the Low-down on Up-classify
A word lesson compliments of the F.B.I's email investigation
Reporting on his investigation of Hillary Clinton's email use, F.B.I. Director James B. Comey mentioned several times that the F.B.I. engaged in up-classifying emails.
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Dept. of Word Lists
Ode to the Language of the Declaration
Examining the Language of the Declaration of Independence on its 240th birthday.
The fourth of July holiday is approaching fast and besides fireworks and barbecues, one way to celebrate is to take another look at the language of the document we honor on that day: The Declaration of Independence.
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When a graduating class sits down to listen to its graduation speaker, graduates are looking for more than everyday advice. After all, the speaker is very accomplished in their field, possibly famous, and they've been out in the real world and conquered it. What the audience is looking for, and what the speaker is trying to deliver, is a few nuggets of wisdom that will break through the noise of the the day and stay with the graduate forever. Learn this list of sixteen words that help advance the three common themes that emerged among the graduation speeches of 2016: freedom, success and failure.
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Dept. of Word Lists
Vocabulary Lessons from Beyoncé's Lemonade
Words of transformation from a poet to a superstar
Beyoncé's Lemonade was introduced to the nation as a "visual album," a series of videos for the songs connected by images backed by Beyoncé speaking phrases which echo the concerns of the lyrics. Beyoncé's choice of words in these spoken passages is just as interesting as those she chooses for her lyrics, and they tell us a great deal about what Lemonade is about.
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Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
From Being In a Pickle to Hitting a Can of Corn
Things you wouldn't hear anywhere but on the baseball field
The language used by the National Pastime is wonderful and strange (and not all food-related) - there are things you can say in baseball that you wouldn't say anywhere anywhere else.
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Word CountWriters Talk About Writing
Can Captain America Really Wage a "Civil" War?
A brief history lesson on the word "civil"
Captain America: Civil War is a hit film at the early summer box office, having recently surpassed 1 billion dollars in worldwide ticket sales. The film raises a lot of questions. A basic question can be answered well before that having to do with the language of the title: How can a War be Civil?
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