Category: language

Posted on

Take a Look at These Commonly Used Words That Are Actually Acronyms

Did you know there are words in the English language (recognized by Webster) that were once acronyms? I suppose they could still be considered acronyms, but our lexicon has adopted them as pieces of vocabulary in their own right.

Here are a few interesting words that were once abbreviations.

5. L.A.S.E.R

Photo Credit: Pixabay

LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The first laser was invented in 1960, but had a different name: LOSER. The “O” stood for ocsillation, because a laser (light) is technically an optical oscillator not an optical amplifier. But as the acronym rapidly spread, oscillation was later replaced by amplification. For obvious reasons.

4. C.A.R.E. Packages

Photo Credit: Pixabay

CARE packages started in 1945 after the end of World War II. Care stood for the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe, a group that started preparing packages filled with leftover “humanitarian aid to millions starving in post-war Europe.”

History.com explains, “These first ‘CARE Packages’ contained everything from whole-milk powder and liver loaf to margarine and coffee. The contents of CARE Packages soon expanded to include soap, diapers, school supplies, and medicine as well as fabric, thread, and needles to allow recipients to make and mend clothes.”

3. Navy S.E.A.L.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The SEALs are a group of America’s toughest and most elite navy professionals. Their name stands for “SEa, Air, and Land”. This special operations force adopted the name “SEAL” because of their training and duties spanned “all environments (sea, air, and land)”.

2. S.C.U.B.A.

This well-known activity has been around since 1939. It was first used in military applications, but is now widely enjoyed by vacationers for entertainment, biologists for scientific research, and in many other circumstances. But it wasn’t coined “SCUBA” until 1952.

Wikipedia states, “In the U.S. Major Christian J. Lambertsen invented an underwater free-swimming oxygen rebreather in 1939. In 1952 he patented a modification of his apparatus, this time named SCUBA (an acronym for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus“).

1. Z.I.P. Codes

As we all know, this term is used to help the post office designate what township or region a building or home location resides. It means Zone Improvement Plan Code.

The ZIP code “was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address.”

Before ZIP codes’ inception, delivering mail was taxing. Robert Moon, a career postal employee, created the first codes, consisting of only 3 numbers that notated each central mail processing facility. It wasn’t until 1963 that the ZIP codes expanded to five numbers so as to have more combinations available to accurately reflect area.

The post Take a Look at These Commonly Used Words That Are Actually Acronyms appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Gorillas like to Sing “Little Food Songs” When They Eat

Now this is a story we can all get behind!

A German scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology who was working in the Republic of the Congo recently reported that gorillas hum and sing while they eat.

Yummy songs, if you will.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Eva Luef, primatologist from the institute based in Seewiesen, Germany, studied two families of western lowland gorillas in Congo, and identified the two types of sounds.

While calls regarding food have been observed from chimpanzees, this behavior has never before been officially recorded in gorilla study.

Two different types of sounds have now been observed coming from dominant silverback males at meal time. One is a low hum that may show contentment or happiness. You can listen below:

The other sound–a short series of notes like a song–may be used to call other members over to the food. You can listen below:

Since the males are the leaders, they are the ones that call family over for dinner. It appears to be the males’ way of holding on to their females and keeping them fed and happy. Luef also observed the songs are made up by the big males for each meal time, rather than being the same tones repeated.

More chimps make the nom-nom sounds–not just the dominant males. This may be because chimpanzees have a much more fluid society when it comes to who hangs with whom.

Photo Credit: Pixnio

Researchers think they may have found a clue into how language among humans evolved. Because of the variation in the songs, food calls may have been a start to the way early humanity communicated.

Because no species can evolve on an empty stomach.

The post Gorillas like to Sing “Little Food Songs” When They Eat appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Use These 20 Little-Known Words to Win Your Next Scrabble Game

People take their Scrabble very seriously.

I have some friends who are in some serious Scrabble grudge matches that might just end their friendships with certain people.

And now I’m going to interject myself into the equation! How? Because here are 20 little-known words that you can use in your next Scrabble game that will blow your opponent’s mind and maybe put you over the top for a win!

You’re welcome!

1. Oxyphenbutazone

A type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

2. Muzjiks

A Russian peasant.

3. Qi

The energy of life flowing through the body.

4. Qat

A shrub that grows in the Middle East and Africa.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

5. Xu

A coin that used to be minted in South Vietnam.

6. Cwm

A half-open hollow on a mountainside.

7. Beziques

A card game played with a pack of 48 cards (two of each suit for high cards).

Photo Credit: Pexels

8. Caziques

Black-and-red or black-and-yellow orioles of the American tropics.

9. Highjack

Alternate spelling of hijack.

10. Oxazepam

A tranquilizing drug used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal.

11. Quixotry

Quixotic action or thought.

12. Vizcacha

A burrowing rodent.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

13. Chutzpah

Unbelievable gall; supreme self-confidence.

14. Quetzals

The basic unit of money in Guatemala; large bird of Central and South America.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

15. Whizbang

A small high-velocity shell; a firecracker that makes a whizzing sound followed by an explosion.

16. Wheezily

With a wheeze.

17. Exorcize

Drive out or attempt to drive out (an evil spirit) from a person or place.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

18. Zombify

To turn into a zombie.

19. Jezebel

A shameless, impudent, scheming woman.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

20. Zymurgy

The branch of chemistry concerned with fermentation.

It’s time to dominate! Good luck!

The post Use These 20 Little-Known Words to Win Your Next Scrabble Game appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

It’s Too Bad We Can’t Use These 20 Irish Words in English

There aren’t too many Irish speakers out there. It’s a Celtic language that’s a cousin of other ancient languages like Welsh, Scots, Manx, and Breton. One reason is that it’s particularly tough for native English speakers to master because of complex grammar, varied inflection, and other linguistic constructs that don’t really exist in English.

Image Credit: Pixabay

In addition, the Irish alphabet is comprised of just 18 letters, and the pronunciation is…difficult. If you’re looking to be able to pronounce the words below, check out the University of Dublin’s online Irish speech synthesizer.

 #20. AITEALL

The fine spell of weather between two showers of rain.

#19. BÉALÁISTE

A drink or toast used to seal a deal.

#18. CLAGARNACH

Literally it means clatter, but it refers to the sound of heavy rain on a rooftop.

#17. LADHAR

The gap between your fingers and toes – a ladhar bothairis is a fork in the road.

#16. RAGAIRE

It’s derived from the word for late-night wandering, or for sitting up talking long into the early hours – a ragaire is someone who enjoys those things.

#15. ADUANTAS

The feeling of unease or anxiety caused by being somewhere new or being in a crowd of strangers.

#14. ASCLÁN

The amount of something that can be carried under one arm.

#13. BEOCHAOINEADH

An “elegy for the living,” or a sad lament for someone who is gone but not dead.

#12. CODRAISC

A riff-raff or rabble of people, but also a random collection of worthless or useless objects.

#11. MAOLÓG

The part heaped above a too-full container. Also, someone who sticks out from a crowd or a small knoll or hill.

#10. AIMLIÚ

Something that is ruined or spoiled by exposure to bad weather – plants, soaking clothes, or even one’s health.

#9. BACHRAM

Rambunctious behavior, but also a sudden or violent downpour of rain.

#8. BOGÁN

An egg without a shell; soft, unsteady ground; mushy, overcooked food; or a spineless person.

#7. FOISEACH

Grass that can’t be easily reached to be cut, like the longer grass at the edge of a field or lawn.

#6. PLOBAIREACHT

Trying to speak while crying and being unable to make yourself clear.

#5. AIRNEÁNACH

Someone who takes part in the traditional custom of “night-visiting,” in which everyone in a village or area would go to a local’s home for an evening of music and entertainment.

It can also be used to describe someone who likes working or staying up late into the night.

#4. BACACH

It can mean lame or limping, but also a beggar or someone who outstays their welcome or drags their heels.

#3. BOTHÁNTAÍOCHT

The practice of calling on all your neighbors to catch up on all the gossip.

#2. IOMBHÁ

A sinking boat half submerged in water, or a place where there is a danger of drowning.

#1. POCLÉIMNIGH

It literally means “buck-jumping,” but could also refer to an energetic, excitable leap into the air – a jump for joy.

If I ever have time to learn a new language I know which one I’m choosing!

The post It’s Too Bad We Can’t Use These 20 Irish Words in English appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

It’s Too Bad We Can’t Use These 20 Irish Words in English

There aren’t too many Irish speakers out there. It’s a Celtic language that’s a cousin of other ancient languages like Welsh, Scots, Manx, and Breton. One reason is that it’s particularly tough for native English speakers to master because of complex grammar, varied inflection, and other linguistic constructs that don’t really exist in English.

Image Credit: Pixabay

In addition, the Irish alphabet is comprised of just 18 letters, and the pronunciation is…difficult. If you’re looking to be able to pronounce the words below, check out the University of Dublin’s online Irish speech synthesizer.

 #20. AITEALL

The fine spell of weather between two showers of rain.

#19. BÉALÁISTE

A drink or toast used to seal a deal.

#18. CLAGARNACH

Literally it means clatter, but it refers to the sound of heavy rain on a rooftop.

#17. LADHAR

The gap between your fingers and toes – a ladhar bothairis is a fork in the road.

#16. RAGAIRE

It’s derived from the word for late-night wandering, or for sitting up talking long into the early hours – a ragaire is someone who enjoys those things.

#15. ADUANTAS

The feeling of unease or anxiety caused by being somewhere new or being in a crowd of strangers.

#14. ASCLÁN

The amount of something that can be carried under one arm.

#13. BEOCHAOINEADH

An “elegy for the living,” or a sad lament for someone who is gone but not dead.

#12. CODRAISC

A riff-raff or rabble of people, but also a random collection of worthless or useless objects.

#11. MAOLÓG

The part heaped above a too-full container. Also, someone who sticks out from a crowd or a small knoll or hill.

#10. AIMLIÚ

Something that is ruined or spoiled by exposure to bad weather – plants, soaking clothes, or even one’s health.

#9. BACHRAM

Rambunctious behavior, but also a sudden or violent downpour of rain.

#8. BOGÁN

An egg without a shell; soft, unsteady ground; mushy, overcooked food; or a spineless person.

#7. FOISEACH

Grass that can’t be easily reached to be cut, like the longer grass at the edge of a field or lawn.

#6. PLOBAIREACHT

Trying to speak while crying and being unable to make yourself clear.

#5. AIRNEÁNACH

Someone who takes part in the traditional custom of “night-visiting,” in which everyone in a village or area would go to a local’s home for an evening of music and entertainment.

It can also be used to describe someone who likes working or staying up late into the night.

#4. BACACH

It can mean lame or limping, but also a beggar or someone who outstays their welcome or drags their heels.

#3. BOTHÁNTAÍOCHT

The practice of calling on all your neighbors to catch up on all the gossip.

#2. IOMBHÁ

A sinking boat half submerged in water, or a place where there is a danger of drowning.

#1. POCLÉIMNIGH

It literally means “buck-jumping,” but could also refer to an energetic, excitable leap into the air – a jump for joy.

If I ever have time to learn a new language I know which one I’m choosing!

The post It’s Too Bad We Can’t Use These 20 Irish Words in English appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

15+ Words That Are Literally Their Own Opposites

I truly love the English language and am the type of person who can become endlessly fascinated by a word. Perhaps that’s why I became a writer.

Did you know there’s a special type of word known as a “contronym” –  a word that is its own antonym.

Image Credit: Pixabay

#1. Sanction

You can use it to “give official permission or approval for an action” or “impose a penalty on.”

#2. Cleave

“To cling to or adhere” or “to split or sever,” depending on how you use it.

#3. Left

What’s left or we have left? One means “remaining” and the other “departed.”

#4. Go

“To proceed,” of course, but it can also mean “to give out or fail.”

#5. Clip

You can use a clip to “bind things together” or you can “separate” coupons from the paper by clipping them.

#6. Dust

You can apply dust or remove dust, depending on the context – are you dusting crops or furniture?

#7. Weather

It can mean “to withstand or come safely through,” as with a storm, or conversely, “to be worn away.”

#8. Out of

“I hardly get out of the house anymore since I work out of my home” You’re referring to both “outside” and “inside” with the same phrase.

#9. Oversight

“Supervise” or “to fail to see or observe; to pass over without noticing; to disregard, ignore” – true opposites!

#10. Continue

We generally use it to mean to persist in doing something, though in the legal system, it means to stop a proceeding, if only temporarily.

#11. Out

It means both visible (the moon was out) and invisible (the lights are out).

#12. Screen

It means both “to show” (a film) or “to hide” (something unsightly).

#13. Hold up

This phrase can mean “to support” or “to hinder.”

#14. Off

You can turn something off (deactivated) or an alarm can go off (activated) without changing a thing!

#15. Toss out

“To suggest” and also “to discard.”

#16. Help

Most often used as “assist” but can also be used to mean “prevent” – I couldn’t help myself.

#17. Fast

It can mean both “moving rapidly” and “fixed, unmoving,” as in holding fast.

Go forth and sound smarter, people!

The post 15+ Words That Are Literally Their Own Opposites appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

9 Common Phrases That Are Actually Racist

It may come as a surprise that a lot of the everyday terms in our lexicon have racist origins.

So maybe the next time you’re about to use one of these words or phrases, you’ll think twice because you’ll recognize they have some serious connotations.

Here’s a little history lesson for all of us:

1. Shuck and Jive

This term is a throwback to the days of slavery and refers to “the fact that black slaves sang and shouted gleefully during corn-shucking season, and this behavior, along with lying and teasing, became a part of the protective and evasive behavior normally adopted towards white people in ‘ traditional’ race relations.”

Obviously, using that term to describe President Obama was not a smart move.

2. Long Time No See

This term was first used to make fun of Native Americans, mocking a traditional greeting.

3. The Peanut Gallery

4. Uppity

5. Sold Down the River

A literal reference to slaves being sold down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

6. Thug

A thug is a violent criminal, so referring to protesters by that term is way off base and offensive.

7. Grandfather Clause

From the Encyclopedia Britannica: “Grandfather clause, statutory or constitutional device enacted by seven Southern states between 1895 and 1910 to deny suffrage to African Americans. It provided that those who had enjoyed the right to vote prior to 1866 or 1867, or their lineal descendants, would be exempt from educational, property, or tax requirements for voting. Because the former slaves had not been granted the franchise until the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, those clauses worked effectively to exclude black people from the vote but assured the franchise to many impoverished and illiterate whites.”

8. Gypsy or “Gyp”

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“Gypsy” is a slur referring to the Roma people, who have been outcasts throughout much of history. The word “Gypsy” and the term “gyp” or “to get gypped” means to get conned or ripped off because of the stereotype of Roma as thieves.

9. Welfare Queen

This term was first popularized during Ronald Reagan’s 1976 presidential campaign and was used to portray people on welfare as taking advantage of the system.

Think twice before you use any of these terms again.

The post 9 Common Phrases That Are Actually Racist appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

12 Uniquely German Illnesses That We Have No Word For

I’ve always had a secret desire to learn German, because it seems like an extremely descriptive language.

Sure, even a simple recipe for cake can sound like you’re summoning the devil because of how harsh German sounds to the ear, but you’ve got to hand it to them for coming up with words to describe things most of us would never think of.

#1. Zivilisationskrankheit

Image Credit: Pixabay

This “civilization sickness” is a blanket term that can encompass any illness brought on by living in the modern world (anxiety, carpal tunnel, type 2 diabetes, etc).

#2. Kreislaufzusammenbruch

Image Credit: Pixabay

This is a super long word that technically means “circulatory collapse” but actually means “feeling woozy.” That’s it.

#3. Ichschmerz

Image Credit: Pixabay

Like the term above, but to describe dissatisfaction with yourself rather than the world.

#4. Fernweh

Image Credit: Pixabay

If you’ve got the opposite of homesickness – a longing for travel or wanderlust – this is the word for you.

#5. Föhnkrankheit

Image Credit: Pixabay

A föhn is a wind that cools air as it draws up one side of a mountain, then warms as it compresses coming down the other side. The winds are believed to cause headaches and other feelings of illness.

#6. Putzfimmel

Image Credit: Pixabay

Putzen means “to clean” and fimmel is a mania or obsession. You can put them together, and even though people go through it elsewhere, in Germany it’s a common occurrence (possibly because it’s fun to say).

#7. Lebensmüdigkeit

Image Credit: Pixabay

Despair or world-weariness, but literally “life tiredness,” Germans use it to describe people taking stupid chances with their own life.

#8. Werthersfieber

Image Credit: Pixabay

Werther, the main character in Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, is a lovesick lad whose affections ultimately go unrequited (after which he decides to commit suicide). Now, the term translates to “Werther’s fever” and is used to describe a miserable crush.

#9. Zeitkrankheit

Image Credit: Pixabay

It means “time sickness” or “illness of the times” and is used to describe whatever backward mindset and/or practices are attached to a particular era.

#10. Torschlusspanik

Image Credit: Pixabay

This “gate closing panic” describes the anxiety that comes with the awareness that your opportunities wane as the years of your life slip by and the “gates close” forever. Uplifting, right?

#11. Hörsturz

Image Credit: Pixabay

You can actually only contact hörsturz in Germany, because the sudden, stress-related hearing loss pretty much only happens there. Or so they say.

#12. Weltschmerz

Image Credit: Pixabay

It means “world pain” and is a sadness brought on by the reality that the world will never be as you wish it.

Isn’t language fun?

The post 12 Uniquely German Illnesses That We Have No Word For appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Linguistic Maps Highlight How Americans Say Things Differently Across the Country

In case you weren’t aware: America is a HUGE place. Having driven all over the ap when I was younger, I can tell you that it’s truly surprising how vast our nation is.

With that large landmass comes various regional dialects. People in Boston speak differently than people in Mississippi. The folks in North Dakota sound a heck of a lot different than the citizens of Texas. And so on and so on.

These nifty maps show some of the differences in how Americans say things.

1. This one gets people worked up

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

2. Where to put the rubbish?

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

3. Which do you prefer?

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

4. Garage sale is dominant

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

5. Hey y’all!

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

6. What do you call your footwear?

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

7. And finally, how many syllables are there in “caramel”?

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

8. Eastbound and Down, loaded up and truckin’

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

9. I love “bubbler”

Photo Credit: Reader’s Digest

Pop, soda, or Coke? That’ll really get a heated debate started…

The post Linguistic Maps Highlight How Americans Say Things Differently Across the Country appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Up to 50% of young twins develop…

Up to 50% of young twins develop a secret language that can not be understood by others. The phenomenon is called cryptophasia and is thought to be created to communicate when one of the twins develop language slower than the other.