

Paul Anthony Jones
Joined: Jun 20, 2014
Paul Anthony Jones is a writer and musician from Newcastle upon Tyne. He is the author of word origins guide Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons, and runs its tie-in Twitter account @HaggardHawks.




The Tower of London was once home to lions, tigers, baboons, and yes—a polar bear whose presence caused city officials a fair amount of grief.
How accurate is Charles Dickens’s "A Tale of Two Cities"? See what the novel gets right about the French Revolution—and where it takes some liberties.
From the communicator to touchscreens, 'Star Trek' predicted the future in surprisingly accurate ways.
Discover where the phrase “back to the grind” came from, and how “grind” went from college slang for hard work to an everyday expression.
From "across the board" to "hedge your bets," these phrases have their roots in blackjack, horse racing, and more.
These brave animals earned medals and recognition for their heroic actions on the battlefield and beyond.
The origins of the animal-inspired idiom.
Juliana the Great Dane received not one but two Blue Cross Medals for different heroic acts, yet her story was almost forgotten entirely.
Ever wondered why a secret advantage is called an "ace in the hole"? Discover the 19th-century poker origins behind this iconic idiom.
Tim Burton's favorite movies include 'The Wicker Man' as well as a stop-motion classic and a 'Dracula' adaptation that received terrible reviews.
From monkeys to ferrets, people kept all kinds of surprising pets in the Middle Ages.
We can all thank the renowned playwright for livening up our vocabulary into the 21st century!