John Kelly

Joined: May 20, 2016

How 35 Languages Say the Word 'Hiccup'

12 Hats And How They Got Their Names

15 Subatomic Word Origins

16 Latin Question Words Hiding in the English Language

11 Game Names and Their Fun-Filled Origins

We have many games to while away long days, but where do these words like 'poker' and 'hopscotch' come from? Here’s the etymological past of 11 pastimes enjoyed by young and old.

This small pup is looking festively foolish.

21 Words for 'Fool' And Their Oafish Origins

Show your friends you’re no oaf this April 1 with these 21 foolishly fun synonyms.

11 Boozy Word Origins

Let’s reach into the etymological cooler and crack open the origins of some everyday booze names.

23 Slang Terms You Only Understand if You Work in Antarctica

Antarctica has developed a lingo all its own.

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The Fascinating Origins of 12 Beautiful Flower Names

With spring in bloom, let’s stop and smell the etymological roses and learn the origins of flower names like orchid, tulip, and violet.

The Multi-Faceted Origins of 12 Birthstone Names

Their etymologies, unearthed.

24 Fantastic Frequentative Words And Where They Come From

If sniffle comes from sniff and chatter comes from chat, where do fizzle, waddle, and flutter come from?

14 Articles of Clothing Named After Places

Many common articles of clothing and general fashion terms have surprising geographic roots.

15 Words With Origins So Obvious You Never Noticed Them

The origins of these words are hiding right under your nose.

15 Abstract Thinking Words With Concrete Etymological Roots

How would you explain what it means to think? This act, though central to our very humanity, is an incredibly abstract process. Behind many of our thinking words, however, are some concrete Latin etymologies, and they show how we like to understand our me

20 Fall Harvest Words and Their Origins

Fall is here, and you're getting hungry. Feast on this cornucopia of etymologies for seasonal veggies straight from the garden.

Bullet_Chained (monsters), AJWAD CREATIVE (SPEECH BUBBLE) // ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES PLUS

13 Fiendish Etymologies for Halloween Monsters

On Halloween, witches and werewolves, ghosts and ghouls, and demons and devils stalk the streets for tricks or treats. But the real tricks and treats—at least for the horror-loving word nerds among us—might just be the strange and far-flung origins of the