10 Letters Dropped From The Alphabet [video]

The Time the Oxford English Dictionary Forgot a Word

From Mental Floss –

When the complete edition of what would become the Oxford English Dictionary debuted in 1928, it was lauded as a comprehensive collection of the English language, a glossary so vast—and so thorough—that no other reference book could ever exceed its detail or depth. In total, the project took seven decades to catalogue everything from A to Z, defining a total of 414,825 words. But in the eyes of its editor James Murray, the very first volume of the dictionary was something of an embarrassment: It was missing a word.

Continue reading HERE.

Colour or Color – How British And American Spelling Diverged

From mental_floss –

Why do Brits and Americans spell certain words differently? A colourful tale of dictionaries, politics, and national identity ensues here.

View the video HERE.

13 Little-Known Punctuation Marks [info-graphic]

Mental_floss posted an info-graphic, that outlined a few punctuation marks that could be useful, if they gained acceptance.

Check out the info-graphic HERE.

Mental_floss post

Contronyms – Words That Are Their Own Opposites [video]

As You Meggle, Learn These 19 Old-Timey Cold Weather Words

Mental_floss gathered 19 obsolete terms for ice, snow, and everything wintry. My favorite is ‘aquabob’, an 18th. century word for an icicle.

Check out all 19 terms HERE.

 

8 Ancient Writing Systems That Haven’t Been Deciphered

Mental_floss published a list of 8 writing systems that haven’t been deciphered.

Read about them HERE.