In ancient Rome, Mercury (the messenger of the gods) was constantly zipping around from deity to deity. So when the Romans needed a word for the poisonous metallic element that flowed quickly at room temperature, they named it "Mercury" for their ...

Q: I thought it was "all of a sudden," not "all of the sudden." Am I right? --Margery Mosher, Putnam, Conn.

A: Indeed you are. Though people often say "all of the sudden" or "all the sudden," usage authorities agree that "all of a sudden" is the ...

Q: Is it proper to use "canceled" or "cancelled"? --Barry Zadworny, Robbinsville, N.J.

A: This very question almost led to a feud in my own family. Many years ago, my mom decided to cancel a yard sale that we had already advertised in the ...

Browsing through the newest edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $15.95) makes me feel "as pleased as Punch" and "as happy as a clam."

The former phrase, reports the Dictionary of Idioms, refers to the...

During a recent interview on the "PBS News Hour," Middle East expert Andrew Tabler observed that President Barack Obama was very "reticent" to arm Syrian rebels. He meant, of course, not that Obama was reserved and unwilling to speak (the ...

What is it about "g" words? Many words beginning with "g" are often confused with one another. "Gambit" or "gamut"? "Gaff" or "gaffe"? "Grizzly" or "grisly" or even "gristly"? It's almost too much to bear!

Speaking of which, "grizzly" derives ...