You Really Ought to Know...

Let me introduce you to a lovely new friend.

On this cite lives simple definitions (that include phonetic breakdown and part of speech references, just like a "real" dictionary), curious quotations, and a sign-up for the Word of the Day via email, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, or Android...so there's no sound technological reason you cannot partake. (Today's word, in case you're curious, is "lucifugous", an adjective meaning "avoiding light").

And if that's not enough to either send you into a coma or dance a jig - and don't pretend you're not one or the other - there's a daily crossword and thesaurus tab to engage all spheres of your lovely cranial space.

But here's my favorite feature: the FAQ column for all wonder of the English language. For all the reasons grammar confuses you, Dictionary.com has an answer. Here's today's issue Word FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions on Dictionary.com - a problem plaguing - yes, plaguing - Standard Spoken English every day.

Do I sound sufficiently like a snob? Well, where words are concerned, I suppose I am. Why not say exactly what you want in precisely the way you mean it? Doesn't communication have enough road bumps without you lending errors to misunderstanding?

Besides, why shouldn't you explore something new...because, really, you ought to know.