People sometimes say “charity begins at home” to mean you shouldn’t help others when struggling yourself. However, that’s only because the meaning of “charity” has drifted away from its original context.... Read More

You probably participate in this this while binging your favorite television series. Complete with pizza and snacks of every variety. ... Read More

It's Children's Book Week. Check out these fabulous resources for celebrating our country's longest-running literacy initiative.... Read More

George M. Johnson's memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue has been characterized as obscene. Here’s a breakdown of why that’s sheer nonsense.... Read More

Book banning has been on the rise in America at an alarming rate. To remind us how dangerous it is, here's a timeline of book banning and burning.... Read More

“Carpe diem” is usually translated as “seize the day” and is often used as an excuse for reckless behavior. But that's an inaccurate translation. What did it originally mean? ... Read More

Aibohphobia is an irrational fear of palindromes. Words like Hannah, madam, and racecar. Why is that ironically amusing? ... Read More

Toni Morrison said in order for the slave experience she explores in Beloved to be intimate, language must get out of the way. That’s quite an ironic thing for a writer to say. So, how does that work?... Read More

The bony personage in this idiom isn’t actually the remains of a once living and breathing human being. But it can be just as frightening. Why? Find out here.... Read More

Let’s put aside all that nonsensical flapdoodle, and get down to reality. The fact of the matter is, such foolish, insincere talk, or prattle is often meant to deceive or overwhelm someone with nonsense.... Read More

Commonly used as a call for pacifism, the biblical phrase “turn the other cheek” was originally a form of protest, encouraging people to stand up against their oppressors. But what kind of protest was Jesus promoting, exactly?... Read More

You might use the word banjaxed, if a weasel ran in front of your bicycle when you were on your way to the market. And you crashed into a tree when you swerved to miss the little critter. So, now your beautiful bike is banjaxed.... Read More