ETYMOLOGY

Where does this literary device come from, and why is it named after a fish?

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.

Ever wonder what you're supposed to be minding when your mind your p's and q's?

What Exactly Are Your P’s and Q’s?

Does it have to do with pea coats? Or maybe Latin scribes?

The Interesting Etymologies of 71 Everyday Words

Here’s (at least) one interesting way station each of these common words made on its journey to the present day, whether it’s an analysis of the Latin roots, a hypothesis about a proto-Indo-European origin, or a pivotal change in meaning.

This isn't as tough as the whole chicken-and-egg conundrum.

What Came First: The Color Orange or the Fruit?

The story behind which orange came first involves Arab trade routes and a bunch of old phrases that mean 'orange apple.'

When you're shopping at a flea market, have you ever stopped to wonder how it came by that name?

Why Are Flea Markets Called That?

It’s another in a long line of etymologies that doesn’t have one clear-cut answer, but a few plausible (and interesting) possible explanations.

What Exactly Is a ‘Real Doozy’?

It’s delightfully old-timey slang we still use today. But does it have anything to do with the Duesenberg cars of the 1920s?

Movie-goers prepare to be entertained in 1935.

Why Do We Refer to Movies as “The Silver Screen”?

The origin of the phrase ‘silver screen’ is less about movies and more about how people watched them in the good old days.

Why Does ‘Spick-and-Span’ Mean ‘Really Clean’?

‘Spick’ doesn’t mean ‘clean.’ And ‘span’ doesn’t mean ‘clean.’ So what’s going on here?

People have apparently been saying cold slaw since the 18th century.

11 Commonly Misheard Phrases That Actually Make Sense

Is it coleslaw or cold slaw? Deep-seated or deep-seeded? There are right answers, but the wrong ones seem kind of right in their own right.

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.

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.

Why Do We Call Blonde Kids 'Towheads?'

The origin of ‘towhead’ has roots in 14th-century England, when ‘tow’ often referred to textile fibers.

The Unexpected Origin of 'Feeling One's Oats'

Attention neigh sayers: The idiom has little to do with playing with our food and more to do with equine diets.

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Why Do Performers Say 'Break a Leg'?

The tongue-in-cheek—and superstitious—saying "break a leg" has several possible origins in the theater world.

Why Do We Say “PU” When Something Stinks?

Sadly, PU isn’t an initialism for “Pretty unsavory!”, “Putrid, ugh!”, or even “Please use (deodorant)!”

The 20 Most Spoken Languages in the World

The most popular language in the world and the language with the most native speakers are not the same.

What’s the Scratch in Made From Scratch?

Whoever started 'from scratch’ didn’t actually do it in the kitchen—and ‘scratch’ has nothing to do with clawing ingredients together with your bare hands.

Kindergarten survived some early controversy to become part of the American education system.

Why Do We Call Kindergarten Kindergarten?

This very German word became embedded in the American vernacular—but not before German politicians tried to ban kindergarten entirely.

A 19th-century illustration of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Or are they emigrants?

Immigrate vs. Emigrate: What’s the Difference?

Understanding the difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate’ requires a fun little dive into the world of Latin prefixes.

A promising young restaurateur, ready to be called a restauranteur for the rest of her career.

Why Is There No N in Restaurateur?

If you’ve been spelling ‘restaurateur’ with an ‘n’ for your entire life, don't feel bad. But here’s why you’re wrong.

The Stories Behind 15 Pasta Shapes

You eat pasta, and you love pasta. But have you ever wondered just how your favorite pasta shapes came to be?

If they're not sitting at a desk all day, they might be a blue-collar worker.

Blue Collar vs. White Collar Jobs: What’s the Difference?

White collar jobs are purportedly better paying and more respectable than blue collar jobs—here’s how that came to be.

Why Is TV Called the 'Boob Tube'?

Too much TV screen time in the mid-20th century was considered even more detrimental than it is today.

A medical professional does the vaccination; your body does the immunization.

Vaccination vs. Immunization vs. Inoculation: What's the Difference?

If we’re being pedantic here (and we are), ‘vaccination’ and ‘immunization’ shouldn't be used interchangeably.