Why Do We Only Say “Merry” for Christmas?
Americans favor 'Merry Christmas,' while Brits opt for 'Happy Christmas.' Here's how we got here.
2023-11-10 05:58
Why Do We Call Blonde Kids ‘Towheads’?
The origin of ‘towhead’ has roots in 14th-century England, when ‘tow’ often referred to textile fibers.
2023-10-28 05:20
Why Is It Called the “Placebo Effect”?
What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.
2023-10-23 23:57
13 Old and Obscure Terms for the Butt
When talking about the fundament, some terms have slipped through the crack of lexical history—so please enjoy these old and enjoyable terms for the hindquarters.
2023-10-18 20:26
Why Are Some Liquors Called “Spirits”?
One theory suggests that we call liquor 'spirits' because of alcohol’s association with one spirit in particular: the Holy Spirit. But there are other theories.
2023-10-17 00:19
11 Common English Words That Come From Native American Languages
‘Avocado’ comes to us from Nahuatl—and it doesn’t mean what you might think it means.
2023-10-04 04:22
How Did ‘Jones’ Come to Mean ‘Craving’?
Nowadays, we use jones to express an intense craving for something. But it used to refer specifically to drugs.
2023-09-30 04:24
Why Are Unidentified People Called John or Jane Doe?
From the courts to the morgue, if the government doesn't know someone's name or wants to withhold it, they give them one of these as a placeholder. Why?
2023-09-26 04:55
The Reason Why Americans Refer to Autumn as ‘Fall’
The words ‘fall’ and ‘autumn’ appeared around the same time in Great Britain, but only one of the seasonal names is still used there today.
2023-09-12 04:52
The Racist Origins of 7 Common Phrases
From ‘cakewalk’ to ‘no can do,’ the origins of these common idioms and sayings are surprisingly dark.
2023-09-11 23:52
What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?
In the U.S., the terms ‘bison’ and ‘buffalo’ are used interchangeably—but they’re actually two different animals. Here’s how to tell them apart.
2023-08-29 21:59
Where Did the Phrase 'Red Herring' Come From?
The figurative phrase is more than 200 years old, but the obscure etymology of a 'red herring' is a fishy story that is itself a red herring.
2023-06-01 04:27