Who is Wordwizard?

Wordwizard was founded in 1995 by Rufus Miles to discuss English word or phrase origins, or to share other interesting aspects of English with like-minded people. Over the years it has gained a reputation as the leading site of its kind.

The enormous base of information accumulated over the years is freely available to all, but if you wish to ask a new question you do need to join the Clubhouse.
If there is a particular word or expression you want to know about, the best way to start is by using the search function, which looks through the archive of Clubhouse contributions and other areas of the site. You do not have to register to be able to search the site.
Many people are interested in the same words, and a high proportion of queries have therefore been answered previously. So do search here first in order to check if your question has already been answered!

To ask a new question, you will need to join the Clubhouse forum, where our regular contributors are available to respond to your queries about word and phrase origins. All of them are volunteers, so please do not tell them that "I need to know the meaning of XYZ immediately"! They will answer questions about individual words or expressions, but believe that students should do their own homework. Do not ask about lists of words that a teacher has asked you to research!

As well as information about word origins we offer a range of other resources, including a selection of coinages, quotations, insults and historical diaries. We also have other forums in which our regular contributors are able to answer members' questions about usage or to suggest solutions regarding the drafting of letters etc.

Finally, because no word or phrase is ruled out of bounds for discussion, some postings inevitably include references to sexual behaviour or swearing. So be warned if such things easily offend you. All messages posted in the forum Clubhouse and using the site's Content Management System reflect the views of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the owners and administrators of this site. We reserve the right to remove, edit, or move any messages or submissions for any reason.

Please feel free to mention our site - which is gratis - to everyone you think might be interested.
We do not advertise or pay to obtain placements on search engines. The site is hosted in Germany.

Wordwizard team:

Editor-in-Chief - Rufus Miles
WW Administrator and Community Management - Jim Ransom
Website Architect - Phil White
Webmaster - Johnny Ashburton
Forum Moderators - Erik Kowal, Ken Greenwald, Jim Ransom

Wordwizard Advisory Board:

Ken Greenwald
Erik Kowal
Phil White

To contact any of the above, use the contact form. Return to the home page here.
Copyright © 1995-2008 Wordwizard Ltd, Wordwizard Inc