Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)(english.stackexchange.com)

1128 points by flexagoon 2 years ago | 256 comments

A locked English Language & Usage Stack Exchange question asking which word starting with "y" names an axe-like object shown in a picture.

Where Do “Shenanigans” Come From? (2013)(english.stackexchange.com)

50 points by networked 3 years ago | 23 comments

Why is there a drink called 手打柠檬鸭屎香 = “hand-made lemon duck-feces fragrance”?(chinese.stackexchange.com)

50 points by chromoblob 3 years ago | 77 comments

How should I read type system notation?(langdev.stackexchange.com)

302 points by mpweiher 3 years ago | 70 comments

How much bigger could Earth be before rockets wouldn't work?(space.stackexchange.com)

393 points by trashtensor 2 years ago | 206 comments

A Space Exploration Stack Exchange question asking how much larger Earth could be before chemical rockets could no longer reach orbit.

How can we compare expressive power between two Turing-complete languages?(langdev.stackexchange.com)

67 points by joebiden2 3 years ago | 39 comments

Ask HN: Why did Python win?

398 points by MatthiasPortzel 3 years ago | 649 comments

An Ask HN thread asking why Python grew into a dominant programming language while Ruby, once similarly popular, stalled.

Sharded, encrypted storage between friends over Yggdrasil(github.com)

17 points by peter_retief 19 days ago | 5 comments

GitHub repository for yggstore, a Go tool for sharded, encrypted storage shared between friends over the Yggdrasil mesh network.

Does DNA have the equivalent of IF-statements, WHILE loops, or function calls?(biology.stackexchange.com)

407 points by ent101 2 years ago | 169 comments

A Biology Stack Exchange question asking whether DNA has analogues of programming constructs like IF-statements, WHILE loops, function calls, and GOTO.

How many of the 170k English words do you know?(vocabowl-870366514258.us-west1.run.app)

444 points by abnry 4 months ago | 528 comments

VocabOwl is a web quiz that estimates how many of 171,476 English words you know via a stratified 100-question test.

Reforming English Spelling(blog.oup.com)

33 points by jruohonen 3 days ago | 93 comments

OUPblog column by Anatoly Liberman arguing for a minimalist, gradual reform of English spelling and describing the English Spelling Society's recent congress.

Merry Christmas Everyone

1321 points by joshagilend 1 year ago | 338 comments

An Ask HN-style thread wishing users Merry Christmas and inviting them to share favorite Christmas memories, with one reply so far.