‘Black Friday’, ‘Movember’, and ‘Philae’: trending words in November

2nd Dec 2014

Unfortunately the most googled word for the month of November has been “Kardashian” (not for the first or last time); but the less said about that the better. November is the beginning of the festive season, so it’s no surprise trending terms included Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night and Black Friday,… Read More

14 Mad Facts About Medieval England

27th Nov 2014

The Middle Ages, lasting from the 5th century to 1485, are best known for their violent revolts and revolutions, gruesome punishments, feasting and fetes, gallant knights and fairytale princesses. But what was life like on the home front in Medieval England? Read on for 14 facts that might… Read More

Lucy Mangan is back on your word submissions this week, taking on ‘meetnapping’ and ‘brunneous’ among others

27th Nov 2014

Well, hello again. First off – my heartfelt thanks to tikitaka for his or her submission of “cosplayer” and accompanying explanation of it as “someone who wears costumes and acts out roles based on them.” It is a term I have been coming across a lot lately,… Read More

The year that was…Lucy Mangan looks at the Collins Word of the Year shortlist

5th Nov 2014

Cometh the publication of the 12th edition of the Collins English Dictionary (and I hope you’re all having fun with it, by the way. My favourite discovery so far is “centonate” – having many pieces or patches. I intend to use it instead of… Read More

Collins English Dictionary, 12th edition – FAQs

22nd Oct 2014

Published on Thursday 23rd October, the Collins English Dictionary, 12th edition is the only dictionary you need – the largest single-volume English dictionary in print with over 50,000 newly added words and a total of 722,000 words, meanings and phrases. With all these additions, and a new… Read More

The Collins English Dictionary, 12th edition

15th Oct 2014

It’s word nerd Christmas, folks! Which is to say, the new Collins English Dictionary is almost here! Nearly three quarters of a million words (50,000 newly added) in one rather classy-looking volume – or as a Kindle ebook or iOS app, I am reliably informed while still… Read More

Hands up! Do You Remember Your School Playground Slang?

7th Oct 2014

Teacher’s pet, or constantly bunking off due to schoolitis? Some words and phrases have survived generations of schoolchildren, and will always remind us of the classroom. Which of the below are you familiar with, and can you add any more words to our list? All-nighterTo… Read More

All the insider secrets to help you become Top Banana!

7th Oct 2014

Since being created around founder Rena Nathanson’s family table, BANANAGRAMS has become one of the most popular word games in the world, selling over 6 million copies worldwide and becoming loved on flat surfaces everywhere! The pocket-sized Collins Little Book of BANANAGRAMS is specially designed to match the fast and… Read More

14 untranslatable emotions that English can’t convey

3rd Oct 2014

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