

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.




From hearths and looms to combs and ear picks, discover eight everyday household items that helped Viking families cook, work, and live.
The white flag has symbolized surrender for centuries, but its use wasn’t random. Discover why white became the color of capitulation.
Did you know these everyday words can be traced back to Roman gods, legends, and ancient myths?
From blacksmiths to cowboys, these essential jobs defined everyday life on the rugged frontier.
The half-goat, half-man deity Pan was associated with springtime, fertility, hunting, farming, shepherds, flocks, meadows, the wilderness, and fear. Here's how Pan helped shape the word "panic."
The animal that dominated the Oregon Trail wasn't the one most people expect.
The word traces back to a heartbreaking myth of unrequited love, loss, and a voice that could never truly be heard.
Cruentation was a long-held belief that a corpse would show specific signs in the presence of its killer.
How did this awkwardly unwelcome "third" come to be referred to as a "wheel"?
It depends on the location, but there are very important rules to the color of fire hydrants.
The phrase "elephant in the room" wasn't always about awkward topics. Here's how the idiom evolved over the past two centuries.
The Wild West is associated with lawlessness, near constant violence, dusty towns filled with gun-toting, and Stetson-wearing cowboys. But just how much of this image is true?