Delve into the fascinating and sometimes confusing world of words and linguistics.

Is Manhattanhenge a real word? Apparently, yes

Find out which new words made it into the Oxford Dictionary's official quarterly update. Star Wars fans, there's something here for you!

Can you pass a Year 4 grammar test?

It might be harder than you think - especially if you get quizzed about "fronted non-finite clauses". Linguist Daniel Midgley puts Russell Woolf through his paces.

How to forgive someone via emoji

There's an emoji for almost everything, but one particular situation seems to be lacking in representation. Can you help?

How to forgive someone via emoji


Where does the word onomatopoeia come from?

Splash, plop, brouhaha - they all sound like the thing they're describing, and there's plenty more where they came from. Linguist and Breakfast regular Daniel Midgley delves into the origins of one of Nadia's favourite words.

Speakeasy: leprechauns, ogach, crottach... it's all medieval Irish craic

Leprechauns are now a quintessential part of Irish folklore, but the word has a very peculiar origin...

Speakeasy: is the language of nature being hijacked by technology?

"Apple", "tweet", "cloud", and "stream". What do these words have in common? They're all terms which have been "hijacked" from nature by technology.

Speakeasy: the Swiftest rebuttal... literally

Linguists have leapt to the defense of pop superstar Taylor Swift, who's drawn criticism for misusing the word 'literally'. But is there literally only one way to say literally?

Speakeasy: why your kids need some hard questions

Reading to children intuitively seems beneficial, but do they also get the opportunity to speak while you're doing that? A new study has suggested a way you can boost their language development.

Speakeasy: got vs gotten

Some purists have gotten mad at the official use of 'gotten' instead of 'got'. They may not be the most graceful of words, but is either option still acceptable? Linguist Daniel Midgley has got you covered.

Speakeasy: how to describe farts

In the 18th century, you could say 'trump', but words for flatulence have evolved since then, and become many and varied. Daniel Midgley offers a linguistic guide.

Speakeasy: the words 'banned' by a British MP

The Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has issued a language guide to his staff, which includes a list of words and phrases they must not use. Linguist Daniel Midgley tries his best to avoid the offending words.

Speakeasy: the 'bonkers' book from 1883

Are you familiar with the esteemed grammar guide 'Verbal Pitfalls'? Well, you are now!

Speakeasy: NAIDOC Week special

Meet the Noongar and Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi woman who's studying to become Australia's first forensic Indigenous linguist.

Speakeasy: gym bunnies, upper-class twits

What is a quillow? What about a curtain-twitcher? The Oxford Dictionary has added a new set of words to its official list.

Speakeasy: very! excitable! punctuation!

Is it a crime to overuse exclamation marks? And if so, who is guilty? Linguist Daniel Midgley investigates.

Speakeasy: cornflake controversy

Honey joys or cornflake crackles? Or something else entirely? This kids' favourite is dividing opinion.

Linguist David Midgley on the Yuwi language

Popular children's book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is getting translated to the Yuwi language of Queensland. What is this language like, and why is this book such a good choice?

Speakeasy: say my name, say my name

Orazio Fantasia. Anthony Albanese. Nic Naitanui. What have these names got in common?

Speakeasy: compare the pairs

Linguist Daniel Midgley uncovers pairs of words that are exactly the same but have different meanings, like 'repair' and 'repair'.