14 untranslatable emotions that English can’t convey

The British are well known for their reserved politeness and ‘stiff upper lip’, and are often seen as less likely to express emotion than other nationalities. It may come as no surprise then that when it comes to emotions, the English language sometimes leaves something to be desired. Read More

Devo Manc, investigoogle and factronise: Lucy Mangan takes on your new word submissions

Let us begin, before the last whispers of the winds of topicality depart, with AustinAllegro’s submission of “Devo Manc” – the name given to the notion of an independent Manchester. It’s a play, obviously, on the “Devo Max” that David Cameron is now quiveringly, quislingly offering to… Read More

Learn Game of Thrones’ weird words and curious constructed languages

Fans of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones will be well acquainted with its unique vocabulary and the various terms of the Valyrian, Braavosi and Dothraki languages. However, had you only ever read the novels in the series A Song of Ice and Fire, then your vocabulary would… Read More

iScotland v the rUK: trending words in September

There’s an elephant in the room, and we all know what it is. Many things happened in September 2014, but the biggest event in the UK has to be the Scottish Independence Referendum, or the “indyref” as it became known on Twitter and beyond. While… Read More

Golfing Slang! Tee off for the Ryder Cup with our Top Golfing Terms

Golf fan? Know the golf jargon? Make sure you know all these golfing terms before the Ryder Cup tees off! Golf as we know it is of Scottish origin, with the first known rules of the sport put down in writing in Edinburgh in 1744. Read More

Are you having a nice fakeation? Lucy Mangan takes on your new word submissions

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone”, reckoned Blaise Pascal when he was composing his Pensees. Alas, he was doing so in the mid-seventeenth century and didn’t know the half of it. D’you know what a “fakeation” is Blaise, mon ami?… Read More

How ‘Adorkable’ Pipped ‘Felfie’ and ‘Fatberg’ To The Post

adorkable (əˈdɔːkəbəl) adj slangsocially inept or unfashionable in a charming or endearing wayETYMOLOGY C21: blend of ADORABLE and DORK Winning out against ‘felfie’ (farmer selfie) and ‘fatberg’ (giant lump of fat found in London’s sewers) with 30% of the vote, ‘adorkable’ will appear… Read More

Weather Words – The Great British Fascination with Forecasting

According to The Telegraph newspaper, talking about the weather is the ‘top British trait’ – a habit that dates back to when Julius Caesar blamed his failed invasion of Britannia on gale-force winds. This obsession is unsurprising, given the unpredictable nature of the UK’s weather. In fact… Read More

The Highland Games: Why Do We Toss the Caber and Where Do Bagpipes Really Come From?

It is thought that the Highland Games originated from ancient Scottish clans competing against each other in various sporting events, with chiefs selecting their strongest, fastest, fittest and most entertaining men to represent the clan. Similar sporting contests were also staged at military meets, where… Read More