Jul 29, 2016 8:05 PM

The Most (And Least) Metal Words Ever, Says Math

Data scientist Iain Barr wanted to find out what the most—and least—common words were in metal lyrics. So he did the math. Here's what he found.

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Breathe
(v.) a process by which animals absorb various drugs
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Eternity
(n.) a very long time, usually spent in hell or national election cycles

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Veins
(n.) another medium through which animals absorb various drugs
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Cries
(n., v.) a pathetic wailing in humans. In eagles and other raptors, though, crying is considered most excellent.

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Burn
(n., v.) the application of excessive heat to flesh; or, in language, the application of biting criticism
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University
(n.) a place of learning and indebtedness

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Committee
(n.) one of the few words other than Mississippi with three double letters, which is something to be proud of
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Secretary
(n.) in the office: an archaic word for an assistant. In government: a person who is a little sick of being called a secretary, though they’d never admit it.

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Indicated
(v.) to point out or show something. A word envious of its near-twin *indicted*, which is clearly more interesting.
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Particularly
(adv.) a particularly difficult word to pronounce, for which it loses points

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Matt Simon was a senior staff writer covering biology, robotics, and the environment. He’s the author, most recently, of A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies. ... Read More

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