If you’ve ever heard people talk about lip-singing instead of lip-synching, or order an expresso instead of an espresso, you’ve bumped into the very sensible mistakes we call “eggcorns”. Join us in examining these little adventures in creative confusion.

Have you ever wondered about the apple of your eye, the skin of your teeth, or your neck of the woods? This Word Stories instalment explains some idioms that refer in odd ways to body parts.

Games come and go, but sometimes they shape the language before they disappear. This Word Stories instalment examines idioms that are rooted in forgotten games.

Some say May is the month of youth (for the Roman springtime goddess Maia). Others say May is the month of the old (for the “maiores” or “elders” of Rome). In this Word Stories instalment, we salute May by investigating words that evoke youth and age.