4 MIN READ

6 Weird Job Titles You Can Actually Get Paid For

Have you ever scrolled through LinkedIn and come across an unusual listing that raises more questions than it answers? We’d like to shed a little light on some of the weirdest job titles out there.

by Bennett Kleinman
Milking snake for venom to produce snake antidote serum

Odd jobs are typically random tasks such as handyperson services, mowing the yard, or running a couple of errands. But then there are unusual careers that give the phrase “odd job” new meaning. It’s not that these professions are any less legitimate but more that the actual title may intrigue you as to what they entail. Some job listings are clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek, while others have fascinating tasks or the names have an interesting origin story. Here’s a look at a few very real and very weird job titles.

Snake Milker

Don’t worry — you’re not going to find snake milk in the dairy aisle. This profession has to do with extracting snake venom. It’s a niche job in the larger field of herpetology — the branch of zoology that focuses on reptiles and amphibians. Milking a snake for its venom is crucial for medical research, as it allows scientists to analyze the substance and explore ways in which a venomous snakebite could be treated. Snake milkers are tasked with humanely handling each snake until it sinks its fangs into a container in which the venom is collected.

Stevedore

Whether you’re named Steve or not, you can apply to become a stevedore, defined by Merriam-Webster as “one who works at or is responsible for loading and unloading ships in port.” The job title is derived from the Spanish estibador, a noun referring to a person who unloads cargo. The Spanish term comes from the Latin stipare, meaning “to cram.”

Chicken Sexer

Yet another unusual title for an animal-related profession is “chicken sexer.” The genitals of a newborn chick look similar no matter the sex, and it can take weeks for a layman to determine whether it’s a male or a female. But chicken sexers are highly skilled and can accurately determine the sex of a newborn chicken within a day or two of birth. According to a report from Vice, a trained person in this field is able to sex (classify) more than 1,000 chicks per hour with 98% accuracy, making the role particularly valuable on large commercial farms.

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Guru

You may have come across job listings for a “sales guru,” an “SEO guru,” or hundreds of other roles with the word “guru” tacked on to the title or in the job description. In the traditional sense, the word is derived from the Hindi guru and Sanskrit guru-s, both meaning “teacher” or referring to a spiritual guide. But as defined by Merriam-Webster, a guru, as the word developed in English, can also be “a person with knowledge or expertise.” The word saw a steady increase in English usage from the 1960s to the 2000s, and then an especially steep increase from 2014 to today, reflecting the current trend of job identification. The intent is likely to help a job listing stand out and catch the eye of potential applicants, but we may have reached “guru saturation.”

Philatelist

Philately” is the technical term for the hobby of stamp collecting, but a philatelist can turn this hobby into a lucrative career. The term was coined in 1865 by Georges Herpin — a French stamp collector — and combines the Greek phil- (“loving”) and atelēs (“free from tax of charge”). In addition to collecting stamps, philatelists can earn a good living by studying stamps, trading stamps, or even amassing and selling stamps to collectors at local trade shows and auctions.

Lollipop Person

While being a lollipop person may sound like a sweet gig, it has nothing to do with confections. Among Australian, British, and Irish English speakers, “lollipop person” is a colloquial term for a crossing guard. It has to do with the large sign they hold, which looks like a brightly colored lollipop on a stick. According to Merriam-Webster, the term dates to the late 1960s.

Featured image credit: kampwit/ Adobe Stock
Bennett Kleinman
Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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4 MIN READ

Why Fall Is Called ‘Fall’ — And Sometimes ‘Autumn’

“Fall” and “autumn” are to the seasons what “fries” and “chips” are to a certain type of fried potato — the words may imply the exact same thing, but they have varying usage by American and British English speakers.

by Bennett Kleinman
Woman's legs in boots in autumn foliage

Spring, summer, and winter are largely known by the same words among most English speakers. But the same can’t be said for the season when leaves change color and temperatures begin to drop. Some call it “fall,” some call it “autumn,” and others are too sad about the fact that summer is over to care about the phrasing. 

In practice, Americans tend to use “fall” more often, while Brits prefer “autumn.” But no matter your personal preference, the two terms effectively mean the exact same thing. Let’s examine how each one originated, and why people on each side of the pond prefer one over the other.

What Came First?

The word “harvest,” which is derived from the Old English hærfest, predated both “autumn” and “fall.” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “harvest” was used among Middle English speakers in the mid-13th century, but there was some confusion in this word’s multiple meanings.

“Harvest” not only described the intermediary season following summer, but also referenced the time of the year when crops were harvested. While these periods do overlap to some degree, they don’t precisely align. The English language needed a word that could help distinguish the general season from the actual harvest — thus the word “autumn” was born.

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The Origins of “Autumn”

“Autumn” is derived from the Latin autumnus, which comes from augere, meaning “to increase.” Autumnus was adopted by Old French speakers as autumpne sometime in the 13th century and later made its way to Middle English by the late 14th century. It wasn’t until the 16th century, however, that the spelling was changed to “autumn.” This quickly became popular in England as the predominant term for the transitional season between summer and winter.

The Origins of “Fall”

As noted by Merriam-Webster, the word “autumn” didn’t paint enough of a picture for writers who were seeking something with a bit more flourish. Thus, “fall of the leaf” made its way into many literary works by the 1540s. This poetic phrase described the literal falling of leaves and gave rise to the shorthand term “fall” by the 1660s.

From the get-go, “fall” was used as a synonym for “autumn”; however, it was more of a colloquial term in the seasonal sense. “Fall,” as a noun for the season, didn’t appear in an official dictionary until 1755, when it was included in Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language.

American English vs. British English

As British settlers made their way to the Americas, they brought with them their customs, their traditions, and of course, their language. But in part due to the geographic separation between Europe and the New World, American English began to quickly diverge from British English. By the middle of the 1800s, “fall” was one of the terms that marked an American English speaker from a British English speaker. 

Exactly why Americans trended toward “fall” is a somewhat unanswerable question. It’s entirely possible that it was part of a larger trend to distinguish American English from the dialect of their former oppressors. British people had considered “autumn” to be the official term, and so Americans may have embraced “fall” as a way to stand out and make that word their own.

We do know that both “autumn” and “fall” originated in Britain, and the words are now used in an identical manner to one another. That being said, “fall” is much less common in Britain than “autumn” is in America, where the words are more often used interchangeably.

Featured image credit: Maksym Belchenko/ iStock
Bennett Kleinman
Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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6 MIN READ

21 SAT Words That Come Up in Everyday Life

Brush up on your vocab with SAT classics that you’ll actually see in real life. This refresher shows how once-daunting test prep words sneak into slang, food labels, and the daily news.

by Samantha Abernethy
Students taking SAT exam

High school taught us to memorize a lot of facts that rarely came up again afterward, including the year the English navy defeated the Spanish Armada (1588) and that mitochondria are the “powerhouse of the cell.” We also learned a lot of lengthy vocabulary words in preparation for the SATs, but if you are not particularly sesquipedalian (“given to or characterized by the use of long words”),  your inchoate (“unfinished, immature”) brain might have erased many of those words. And while some of them were likely obscure, there are plenty of advanced vocabulary words that have a strong presence in everyday life.

Slang

Lots of those classic SAT words have become part of informal conversations, appearing as internet slang. In some cases, the meaning has changed or the word has been shortened. The vocabulary of internet conversations has come a long way since “You’ve Got Mail” alerts.

Charisma

A special magnetic charm or appeal.”

This SAT word for magnetic charm or appeal is now shortened to “rizz,” keeping roughly the same definition. 

Delusional

“Relating to, based on, or marked by delusions.”

If a person believes obviously false information despite indisputable evidence, they might be “delulu,” in today’s slang.

Demure

Marked by quiet modesty, sedate reserve, restraint, or sobriety.”

In 2024, a TikTok beauty influencer named Jools LeBron referred to her makeup as “very demure, very mindful,” and suddenly we were all using this word meaning “reserved or modest,” usually in the exact opposite context.

Feral

“Being, characteristic of, or suggesting an animal in the state of nature.”

This adjective for animals in their natural environment is now also shorthand for unhinged human behavior.

Lore

“A body of traditions relating to a person, institution, or place.”

Many people now use “lore” to refer to their own mysterious origin story. “Tell me the lore” is a request for the backstory.

Manifest

“To show plainly; make palpably evident or certain by showing or displaying.”

Traditionally, this word as a verb means “to make evident” by showing physically, but now the idea of “manifesting” is about making your own dreams come true. 

Aesthetic

“Relating to the beautiful as distinguished from the merely pleasing, the moral, and especially the useful and utilitarian.”

This word, relating to beauty and appearance, has developed a new importance thanks to visual media such as Instagram and TikTok. It’s common for someone to curate a niche aesthetic, such as “Dark Academia” or “Y2K.”

Suspicious

Arousing or tending to arouse suspicion.

If you’ve heard the word “sus,” you may have had a suspicion that it was short for “suspicious.” However, sometimes it means “suspect.” For example, someone might say, “Jimmy was acting pretty sus” — and they could mean “suspicious” or “suspect” (“not to be relied on or trusted; possibly dangerous or false”). As on the SATs, context clues are important to deciphering meaning. 

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Food & Drink

Grocery store labels can be confusing — could someone explain the difference between “free-range” and “cage-free” eggs? Fortunately, SAT vocabulary words are helpful in decoding some of the information.

Artisanal

Produced in limited quantities by an artisan through the use of traditional methods.”

Meaning “hand-crafted in limited quantities,” this term suggests an artisan (a worker who practices a trade or handicraft) prepared the food with care. 

Enriched

“To make richer in some quality (as in nutritive value, savor, or beauty).”

Many cereals claim to be enriched with vitamins and minerals. Reading the label can help you determine what the ingredients are and what quantities of vitamins and minerals the food contains. 

Refined

Free from impurities.”

This term is typically found on white sugar to indicate that it has gone through a process to make it “free from impurities.”

Heritage

Emphasizing the traditional or nostalgic.”

As a noun, “heritage” refers to an inherited property or trait, but in the context or food, it’s usually used as an adjective. For example, heritage pork is made from rare breeds of pigs. An heirloom tomato is a varietal that is less commonly grown than most that you’ll find at the grocery store, but you’re likely to see them at farmers markets.

Authentic

Marked by conformity to widespread or long-continued tradition.”

Something that is authentic follows traditions. For example, in order to make an “authentic” Neapolitan pizza, it requires a specific mozzarella from Italy.

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News

SAT words often appear in news reports, which is probably why teachers encouraged you to learn them. Here are some words that might not have seemed important when you were in high school but appear regularly in the paper.

Accumulation

The action or process of accumulating; state of being or having accumulated; a collecting together.”

In places where the precipitation can accumulate, weather reports will tally the accumulation.

Conditional

Containing, implying, subject to, or depending on a condition.”

Laws and treaties are often conditional, meaning they depend on certain terms being met.

Deficit

An excess of debit over credit items; deficiency in amount or quality.”

Meaning “shortfall,” this word appears everywhere a budget does, as well as in some sports reports. 

Mandate

An authoritative command, order, or injunction; a clear instruction, authorization, or direction.”

Whether referring to an order or a requirement, a mandate is a rule, so you’ll see it in discussions about laws being made (or broken). 

Myopic

Lacking in foresight, discernment, or liberality.”

The medical term for nearsightedness can also describe something that is shortsighted.

Auspicious

Favoring or conducive to success; showing or suggesting that future success is likely; affording an especially favorable auspice.

An auspicious debut is a promising start, suggesting hope and success is on the horizon. 

Catalyst

An agent that provokes or precipitates catalysis.”

In science, a catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction. In the news, it refers to an event or person that sparks change.

Cerebral

Of or relating to the brain or the intellect; appealing to intellectual and critical rather than emotional appreciation.”

A review might describe a book or film as cerebral, meaning it appeals more to intellect than to emotion.

Featured image credit: Wavebreakmedia/ iStock
Samantha Abernethy
Word Smarts Writer
Samantha Abernethy is a freelancer in Chicago. When she isn't staring at a laptop, you can find her sniffing out the best coffee with her greyhound Ruby, or chasing her kids around the nearest library.
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2 MIN READ

Why Does ‘Rx’ Abbreviate ‘Prescription’?

Why does “Rx” stand for prescription when there’s no “X” in the word? The answer may trace to ancient symbols tied to healing gods.

by Stewart Edelstein
Bottle of opened prescription pill bottle

If you need to text your partner to ask them to pick up a prescription on the way home from work, you might type, “Can you pick up my Rx?” Despite the letter “X” appearing nowhere in the word “prescription,” this has been a commonly used abbreviation since the 1920s. As with many linguistic questions, there’s not a definitive origin story, but there are two theories, both going back to ancient times, with the advent of preparing and dispensing drugs associated with healing powers.

One theory: “X” is from the symbol for Horus, the ancient Egyptian god of healing, among other things. During a battle, Horus’ evil uncle, Seth, plucked out Horus’ left eye, tearing it apart. Thoth, the Egyptian god of magic, pieced it back together, added a little magic, and brought Horus’ father, Osiris, back to life. And so the symbol of Horus ensures good health, warding off sickness.

In the second theory, the “R” comes from the Latin root of “recipe,” which is a verb in instructions for medical preparations, essentially meaning “take this.” So, “recipe” originally referred to what the doctor was instructing you to do, and is now what the author of a cookbook is telling you to do with ingredients. When the “Rx” abbreviation is crafted by crossing the leg of the “R,” it mimics the astrological symbol for the Roman god Jupiter, patron of medicine. Thus, the recipe was fortified by Jupiter’s healing powers. According to Roman astrology, the “X” included in the “Rx” symbol improves the efficacy of the medication. 

Whether you believe in the healing powers of Horus or of Jupiter, or you leave it to the doctors and pharmacists, think of these ancient origin stories each time you fill an Rx.  

Featured image credit: duckycards/ iStock
Stewart Edelstein
Word Smarts Writer
Stewart Edelstein has created word games for Merriam-Webster and has been a guest wordsmith for “A Word A Day.” He is author of “Dubious Doublets: A Delightful Compendium of Word Pairs of Common Origin, from Aardvark/Porcelain to Zodiac/Whiskey,” and several other books about etymology, and he teaches adult-ed courses on that subject. He is also a columnist for “The Berkshire Eagle” in Western Massachusetts, which publishes his “Word of the Week” column, each based on a word currently in the news.
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3 MIN READ

5 Nouns We’ve Turned Into Verbs

Nouns can be like chameleons, adapting to the ever-changing linguistic environment. Here’s a look at five nouns that have evolved to also function as verbs.

by Bennett Kleinman
Venmo and Zelle apps on different phones

Traditionally, nouns indicate a person, place, thing, or idea, whereas verbs represent actions. But much like in a watercolor painting, sometimes the lines get blurred. One such example is the concept of verbing, in which nouns are turned into verbs. Consider “dress,” “table,” and “mail,” all of which function as both nouns and verbs — someone can dress for the day in a dress, table an idea while having a discussion at a table, and mail a piece of mail. While it’s been happening virtually as long as English has been around, verbing continues to be a common linguistic practice, as shown by these five modern nouns that have recently been turned into verbs.

Venmo

When you’re out at dinner with friends, you might use Venmo, a mobile payment app, to help settle the bill. Rather than split the bill over multiple credit cards or different denominations of cash, one person may put down their card and tell the others to “Venmo them” the money they owe. Similar services such as Zelle and Cash App are also used as verbs in modern parlance. You’re just as likely to hear “Cash App me” or “Can I PayPal you?”

DM

The abbreviation “DM” is short for “direct message,” referring to a private conversation over social media. (It’s an initialism, not an acronym, so it’s pronounced “dee-em.”) It’s now common to DM someone when messaging them over Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media platform.

Stan

“Stan” is a proper noun that is both a man’s name and the title of a 2000 Eminem song about an obsessed fan named Stan. Today, “stan” is also a common noun to refer to an obsessed fan in general, and “to stan” means “to exhibit fandom to an extreme or excessive degree,” according to Merriam-Webster. These usages developed from the Eminem song.

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Troll

In the oldest sense, a troll is a folklore creature that inhabits caves or hills. In a retro, playful sense, a Troll (capital “T”) is a doll with crazy, colorful hair and a newer animated movie franchise. But online, trolls are bullies who like to antagonize others, and the verb “to troll” means “to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content.”

Zoom

Here’s a verb that turned into a noun that then caused the existing verb to evolve. While “to zoom” has long meant “to go speedily,” it has taken on an additional meaning since the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people shifted to working from home, they began relying on the video conferencing service Zoom to communicate. Now, “let’s Zoom” is a way to say, “let’s video chat.” Even if someone is using a service other than Zoom, saying, “let’s use Zoom,” is understandable by all. 

Featured image credit: Tech Daily/ Unsplash
Bennett Kleinman
Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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2 MIN READ

When Should You Use ‘Insure’ vs. ‘Ensure’?

The words “ensure” and “insure” are easy to mix up. They’re just one letter apart, sound alike, and have similar meanings. Here’s how to tell them apart.

by Bennett Kleinman
Certificate of motor insurance and policy with car and dollar bills

“Ensure” and “insure” have different spellings and meanings, but that wasn’t always the case. For years, the terms were no more than spelling variations with the same meaning, and they only developed distinct definitions in the mid-19th century. However, it’s still easy to mix up the words, given their similar spellings and pronunciations, so here’s what you should know about how they differ.

“Ensure” came about in the late 14th century, derived from the Anglo-French enseurer, meaning “make sure.” By the middle of the 15th century, “insure” developed as an alternate spelling. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that some writers suggested giving the terms distinguishable meanings. An entry in an 1871 writing guide suggested “that each of these words … shall become a distinct word, instead of being as now a various spelling.” Thus, unique definitions for each word developed. 

“Ensure” is now defined by Merriam-Webster as “to make sure, certain, or safe,” while “insure” relates primarily to insurance and is defined as “to provide or obtain insurance on or for.” Because of this, many usage guides suggest using “ensure” in reference to guarantees of a more general nature, and using “insure” when talking about financial matters.

As the difference between the two is so nuanced, you may be wondering if it’s ever OK to use them interchangeably, and technically, the answer is “not really.” While the terms imply similar things, they’re clearly distinguishable from one another and should be used in separate contexts. Of course, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference in a spoken conversation, but when it comes to written text, it’s good to ensure that you use the correct word each time.

Featured image credit: Vlad Deep/ Unsplash
Bennett Kleinman
Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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5 MIN READ

12 Wonderful Words With No Direct English Equivalent

Many languages contain words that defy easy translation into English, including a Welsh word to express deep longing and a German one for the desire to slap someone in the face.

by Tony Dunnell
Several languages on paper with world map background

Sometimes, languages contain words that capture concepts so specific to their culture — or to some undefinable essence of that culture — that they resist direct translation. And even though an English speaker may understand the exact feeling the word conveys, it remains untranslatable, at least without using additional words to explain it. Here are some of the most fascinating words that don’t have a direct, single-word translation in English, including a Danish concept of cozy contentment and a profound Welsh word for a deep and unattainable longing. 

Hygge (Danish)

This Danish concept encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and comforting, pleasurable experiences. Hygge is more than just coziness — it’s about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying life’s simple pleasures, be it cuddling up with a cup of hot cocoa or snuggling in soft blankets. 

Saudade (Portuguese)

Type the Portuguese word saudade into a translator and you’ll probably get back “longing.” But saudade expresses much more than this simple definition. It’s more accurately a longing for someone or something you once loved, now gone forever; a bittersweet nostalgia that goes beyond simply missing someone; or an emotional state that mixes love, loss, and hope. The Portuguese writer Francisco Manuel de Melo described it as “a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.”

Ubuntu (Bantu)

Ubuntu, a word in the Bantu language Zulu, is often compared to “humanity.” But this one-word translation doesn’t do ubuntu justice, as it has a philosophical connotation that emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals and collective well-being. It is sometimes translated into English as, “I am because we are,” which perhaps best approximates its complex meaning. 

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Lagom (Swedish)

This Swedish word is sometimes translated as “just the right amount” — not too little, not too much, but perfectly balanced — while also implying that something is reasonable. It can be seen as reflecting a Swedish approach to moderation, a kind of middle-of-the-road attitude that avoids both excess and limitation.

Tartle (Scottish) 

Tartle is a brilliant Scottish word — little known to English speakers and with no direct translation — that refers to the hesitation we show when we can’t remember someone’s name. It doesn’t apply when you forget the person’s name entirely — it only refers to that awful awkwardness we feel while scrabbling around in our brains to connect a name to the face. 

Ayni (Quechua and Aymara)

Ayni is an important word among the Quechua and Aymara Indigenous populations of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. In English, it can be translated as “reciprocity” or “mutualism,” but its meaning — both as a concept and as a social practice — is deeper. It implies that everything in the world is connected, and so cooperation between members of a community is a natural way of living. Ayni is sometimes translated as “today for you, tomorrow for me,” or vice versa.  

Schadenfreude (German)

Schadenfreude is perhaps one of the most widely known words that has no direct English equivalent — hence its presence as a common loanword in the English language. It indicates the pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune — a universal emotion for which German has given us a precise term. 

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Backpfeifengesicht (German) 

The German language is known for its various untranslatable words, but few have such an impact as backpfeifengesicht — which basically means “a face that looks like it should be slapped.” 

Mamihlapinatapai (Yahgan)

In 1993, a word from the Yahgan (also spelled Yagán) language of Tierra del Fuego, Chile, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most succinct in existence: mamihlapinatapai. The British missionary and linguist Thomas Bridges, who spent 20 years living among the Yaghans in the 1800s, translated it as, “To look at each other, hoping that either will offer to do something, which both parties much desire done but are unwilling to do.” The last native speaker of Yahgan died in 2022, and the language became extinct. 

Cafuné (Brazilian Portuguese)

This Brazilian Portuguese word has no English equivalent, which is unsurprising considering how specific it is. In Brazil, cafuné means “to soothe someone by tenderly running one’s fingers through their hair.” 

Tsundoku (Japanese)

No matter where in the world they may live, book lovers know the feeling of tsundoku. This wonderful Japanese word refers to the act of collecting a large library of unread literature. Or, as Ella Frances Sanders puts it in her book Lost in Translation, it’s the feeling of “leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other unread books.”

Hiraeth (Welsh)

Hiraeth is a highly evocative word in Wales, and one with no direct translation in English. Marian Brosschot, a Welsh language officer in Trelew, Patagonia (where, incidentally, they speak Welsh), described hiraeth to the BBC as “a kind of longing for a person, a place, or a time that you can’t get back to, a kind of unattainable longing.” 

Featured image credit: Peach_iStock/ iStock
Tony Dunnell
Word Smarts Writer
Tony Dunnell is an English writer living on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. When not writing articles on a range of subjects, he dedicates his time to writing speculative fiction. His short stories have appeared in Escape Pod, Daily Science Fiction, Sci Phi Journal and elsewhere. Find him at tonydunnell.com.
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2 MIN READ

What’s the Origin of ‘Blah Blah Blah’?

Whether you’re indicating that something is boring or need a phrase that acts as a fill-in-the-blank, “blah” repeated three times gets the job done. But how did this filler word become an accepted phrase on its own?

by Julia Rittenberg
Drawn out mouth talking and gossip blah blah blah

We’ve all been guilty of excessive talking at some point. If you’re telling a long-winded story or giving confusing directions, the dreaded response from someone is “blah blah blah.” “Blah” functions as a nothing word, a fill-in to a sentence, but repeating it three times can leave an impact. This rejoinder boils down to “you’re talking too much” or “this is not interesting.” 

“Blah” as a noun is defined as “silly or pretentious nonsense.” As an adjective, it means “dull and unattractive.” It’s a 20th-century word; one of the earliest written accounts in the Oxford English Dictionary is in a 1918 diary. Though the origin is a little fuzzy, it could have come from the French word blasé, which has been carried over into English, meaning “apathetic to pleasure or life especially as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment.” If you’re feeling blah or blasé about something in your life, it may be because it’s boring or repetitive. Also a noun, “the blahs” is a colloquial phrase for mild depression — as in, “He fights off the blahs every winter when it’s cold and dreary.”

Then we arrive at “blah blah blah.” The more boring or tedious you find something, the more “blahs” must be added. Punk rock icon Iggy Pop released an album called “Blah-Blah-Blah” in 1986, and it was certified gold in 1987. He wrote the majority of the songs with David Bowie, and despite the title, the album tapped into Iggy Pop’s rageful voice, especially through Bowie’s intense lyrics. The title track “Blah-Blah-Blah” spoke to disaffection with the world. The album’s popularity could have led to a wider adoption of repeating “blah” three times to indicate alienation with something. 

Whether you’re bored during a long lecture, or a punk rocker angry about posers, calling out the “blah blah blah” unites us all. 

Featured image credit: Andrii/ Adobe Stock
Julia Rittenberg
Word Smarts Writer
Julia Rittenberg is a culture writer and content strategist driven by a love of good stories. She writes most often about books for Book Riot. She lives in Brooklyn with a ton of vintage tchotchkes that her cat politely does not knock over.
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2 MIN READ

Is ‘Off Of’ Redundant?

Let’s unravel the truth behind “off of,” a common phrase with a bad rap, and explore why everyone — dictionaries and singers alike — can’t help but use it.

by Rachel Gresh
Woman getting off bus

The double prepositional phrase “off of” might receive a red pen strikeout from an editor, but this common quirk has cemented itself in American English. Just think of Frankie Valli belting out “You’re just too good to be true / Can’t take my eyes off of you.” If a careful editor critiqued the lyrics of this 1960s ballad, they might consider trimming “of,” labeling it redundant. But let’s consider its charm.

Merriam-Webster recognizes “off of” as a valid idiom, noting its relevancy in speech where it typically functions like “off,” as in, “I’d like to get off of the bus.” This usage dates to the mid-16th century. Before then, in Old English, “off” was established as a stronger version of the adverb “of.” Their pairing, with “of” as a helper or intensifier for “off,” is used out of habit or to create rhythm.

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in this usage in the U.S., likely reflecting its relevance in digital writing. In an additional function, “off of” operates much like “from.” Consider “I got the quote off of Facebook” as a casual version of “I got the quote from Facebook.”

“Off of” is also used as an informal replacement for “on” in “based on.” Seton Hill University English professor Dr. Jerz wrote in a blog post that he wouldn’t correct students for saying “based off of” in class, but he does flag it in written work. He recognizes it as a natural evolution of language: “I suspect in another generation only the most linguistically conservative will bother to notice, much less correct, this usage.”

So, while “off of” is grammatically redundant and can almost always be shortened, it is not incorrect. If you’re a meticulous writer, feel free to omit the superfluous “of,” just as the editors at the MLA Style Center recommend. However, keep in mind that this might sound unnatural in informal contexts, as it undermines a staple of colloquial American English.

Featured image credit: SolStock/ iStock
Rachel Gresh
Word Smarts Writer
Rachel is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer. When she's not writing, you can find her wandering through a museum, exploring a new city, or advocating the importance of the Oxford comma.
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5 MIN READ

The Most Common Words in Crossword Puzzles

What’s a five-letter word for “appearing frequently”? There are several answers to this question, though for cruciverbalists (crossword players), some of those words are more common than others.

by Bennett Kleinman
Crossword puzzle

Crossword puzzles are a part of many people’s daily routines — mine included. What began as a casual hobby has grown into a years-long obsession, as evidenced by a 1,700-day streak (and counting). In my crossword experience, I’ve come to notice some words appear more often than others, and I’m not the only one who’s observed this.

In 2013, former New York Times product engineer Michael Donohoe published data regarding the most common words in the NYT crossword from 1996 to 2012. In turn, visual data analyst Noah Veltman created a list of the most common answers, plus a separate category of words he felt demonstrated a special level of “crosswordiness” (his word). While this data is over a decade old at this point, the NYT crossword hasn’t changed in format, and I expect the data to have remained relatively consistent since 2013. In addition to being a word nerd, I can be a data nerd, too. Let’s dig into some of the most interesting findings. 

Most Common Words

The most common crossword answers tend to be short, vowel-packed words. At the top of the list is “ERA,” appearing in 323 NYT puzzles during the aforementioned time span, which amounts to roughly 5% of the total puzzles. Rounding out the top five answers are “AREA, “ERE,” “ONE,” and “ELI.”

The reason those compact, vowel-heavy words are so common is that they provide a useful service to the crossword writers and editors. The people putting those puzzles together need a way to connect the longer, more distinctive words, and the most efficient way to do that is by implementing these briefer, more malleable pieces. 

In other words, the shorter a word is, the likelier it is to fit into those parts of the puzzle where there’s limited space. Also, the more vowels, the better, given how common those letters are in the English language. A word such as “ERE” is perfect because it can easily connect two longer words, so long as each of them contain an “E” — the most common letter in the English language.

In 2018, engineer Jonathan Tan provided an update to support Donohoe and Veltman’s original findings, expanding the data to include 1994 through 2017. The results showed the same five words listed above still topped the list. That said, Tan’s findings showed each of those words has declined slightly in its frequency since 1994, though “ERA” continues to appear in more than 20 NYT crossword puzzles each year.

“Crosswordiest” Words

What exactly does “crosswordiness” mean? Veltman coined this term to describe a certain type of crossword answer that appears particularly often, and he even devised a scientific formula to back it up. 

The easiest way to define the term comes from Veltman himself, who says, “Crossword puzzlers know that certain words that never show up in real life pop up in crosswords all the time.” In other words, words that exude “crosswordiness” are far more useful as puzzle answers than they are in any practical quotidian (a crosswordy word meaning “daily”) scenarios.

The data shows “ASEA” — meaning “on the ocean” or “in the direction of the sea” — exudes the most “crosswordiness.” This is followed by “SMEE” — the name of a pirate character in Peter Pan. In third place is “URSA,” a constellation-related answer that’s often paired with the clue “___ Major” or “___ Minor.” Personally, I always found the words “EWER” and “EPEE” (“a large jug with a wide mouth” and “a sharp-pointed dueling sword, respectively)” to fit this category, though according to Veltman’s formula, they don’t rank as highly as I would’ve guessed.

Tips for Crossword Solving

Looking to improve your crossword skills but don’t know where to begin? Familiarizing yourself with the most common words is a good first step, but that’ll only get you so far. 

To take your crossword skills to the next level, you’ll need a greater understanding of how the clues are written. Some clues contain built-in hints meant to guide you, so here are a few tips:

  • If the clue is plural, so is the answer.
  • If the clue contains a list connected by the word “and,” the answer is also plural. If the list is connected by “or,” the answer is singular.
  • If the clue is in a foreign language, the answer will be in the same language (minus any accent marks or other diacritics).
  • If the clue mentions a city or country (e.g., “Money, in Mexico”) the answer will likely be in the predominant language spoken there (“DINERO”).
  • If the clue is in italics, it relates to the puzzle’s overall theme. These answers may be a bit cryptic on their own, but they will coalesce into a theme once taken all together.
  • If a clue ends in a question mark, the answer likely has an unexpected meaning that incorporates some sort of wordplay (e.g., a double entendre or pun).

Follow these tips, brush up on some common crossword answers, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled cruciverbalist in no time.

Featured image credit: Garrett Aitken/ iStock
Bennett Kleinman
Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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