Jan 14, 2025 · The New Latin term deus ex machina is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally 'a god from a machine.' Machine, in this case, refers to the crane (yes, crane) that held a god …

Sep 10, 2025 · “Music is both the subject and mechanism of Sinners, which opens with a voiceover history of how some musicians, dating back to the West African griots, have been seen as conduits …

Aug 2, 2025 · Long ago, writing surfaces were so highly valued that they were often used more than once. Palimpsest in its original use referred to an early form of recycling in which an old document …

Nov 22, 2025 · “The stick used to command the crowd is called a ‘brigadier.’ A brigadier is usually used to describe one who commands a military brigade, yes, but does not a stage manager lead his …

Aug 25, 2023 · "The mechanism is just one way that scientists are realizing that asteroids can be active, dynamic places rather than quiescent lumps of rock." — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 …

Nov 22, 2025 · Build your vocabulary: get a new word every day from Merriam-Webster dictionary. Learn the meaning, history, and fun facts about Metonymy. Also available as podcast, newsletter, …

Mar 15, 2025 · A stratagem is any clever scheme—sometimes one that's part of an overall strategy (i.e., a carefully prepared plan of action). The word stratagem entered English in the 15th century and was …

Nov 8, 2024 · Of the many ways Ferris Bueller feigns illness—that is, pretends to be sick—to avoid going to school in the 1986 comedy film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, arguably the most ingenious …

Oct 11, 2024 · On Yom Kippur, the ancient Hebrews would sacrifice one goat for God and lead another one, over whom all the sins of Israel had been confessed, into the wilderness to bear the sins of the …

May 16, 2024 · If you need an icebreaker in some social setting, why not recount the history of debacle? After all, when it was first used in English, debacle referred to the literal breaking up of ice (such as the