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.

Pioneer Covered Wagon with Oxen, Early American Victorian Engraving, 1868

"The Ordeal of the Bier" by Jenő Gyárfás

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?

Doing laundry by hand and tending to the homestead: a scene from NBC's 'Little House on the Prairie' showing typical frontier childhood chores.

Long before modern conveniences, American Frontier children helped their families survive with chores like fetching water, hunting, and farming.

Mentor's guidance of Telemachus in 'The Odyssey' inspired the modern meaning of the word "mentor." This 18th-century illustration shows the pair visiting the nymph Calypso.

The word "mentor" has its roots in Greek mythology. Discover how a loyal friend of Odysseus—and the goddess Athena—gave us the modern term.

The word traces back more than 2,700 years to the adventures of the hero Odysseus.

Scholars have debated for centuries whether the legendary poet was a real person, a collective of storytellers, or a literary invention.

'The Olympus' ceiling fresco in the the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy.

These common English words—including "siren," "echo," and "narcissism"—all have roots in ancient Greek mythology.

Peter Paul Rubens's 'The Wedding by Proxy of Marie de' Medici to King Henry IV' depicts one of history's most famous proxy marriages.

In medieval Europe, couples sometimes got married without attending their own wedding. Here's how proxy marriages actually worked.

People have been crashing out since ancient times, but the term has evolved in recent years. Here's the history of the term, and where it originated.

Blue ribbon rosette on dark gray graduated background

Before it symbolized victory, the blue ribbon had a very different story.

Paul Anthony Jones

Joined: Jun 20, 2014

The Greek Myth Behind the Word Panic

Why So Many Pioneer Families Chose Oxen Over Horses

The Greek Myth Behind the Word “Echo” Is Incredibly Tragic

The Strange Medieval Belief That a Dead Body Could Accuse Its Murderer

Where Does the Phrase "Third Wheel" Come From?

Why Are Fire Hydrants Different Colors?

Why Do We Use the Phrase "Elephant in the Room"?

6 Misconceptions About the Wild West

8 Household Chores During the American Frontier That Would Shock Modern Kids

The Hidden History of the Word "Mentor"

The 2,000-Year-Old+ Story Behind the Word "Odyssey"

Did Homer Really Exist? The Mystery Historians Still Debate

10 Greek Mythology Words You Use Every Day

The Medieval Marriage Ceremony That Sounds Completely Made Up (But Isn’t)

What Does the Slang Term "Crash Out" Mean?

Why Do First Place Winners Get Blue Ribbons?