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.

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?

Now that spring is upon us, incorporate these seasonal words into your vocabulary.

18 Words to Welcome Spring

From adharcáilí to stríocálaí, these Irish words are delightful.

28 Weird and Wonderful Irish Words

The British royal family has been dogged by conspiracy theories for more than 1000 years.

10 Bizarre Royal Conspiracy Theories

This simple cereal has a particularly intriguing backstory.

10 Incredible Things That Were Invented By Accident

Not every great invention was created according to plan. From penicillin to breakfast cereal to popsicles, these everyday items were all invented entirely by accident.

15 Alternative Lyrics From Old Versions of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

Liven up your singing of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by subbing in these old—and occasionally strange—lyrics.

Cold weather words were way more colorful in days gone by.

19 Old Cold Weather Words to Get You Through Winter

There are only so many ways to say “it’s cold outside,” which is why it’s time to supplement your vocabulary with these vintage words and phrases related to winter.

Even words that don’t seem scary might have spooky origins.

10 Common Words With Spooky Etymologies

Ghosts, ghouls, and monsters turn up everywhere at Halloween—including in our language, and sometimes where you least expect.

16 Cryptids That Might (Or Might Not) Exist

Almost every country has its own cryptid, from giant bats in Java to enormous water hounds in Ireland.

‘Fuksheet’ is another word for a sail on the foremast of a ship.

50 Words That Sound Dirty But Actually Aren’t

To paraphrase Krusty the Clown, comedy isn’t dirty words—it’s words that sound dirty. Here are 50 of them.

Sometimes, the regular words you use to describe how you’re feeling just won’t do.

15 Obscure Words for Everyday Feelings and Emotions

There are plenty of obscure English words you can turn to when the current dictionary just isn't cutting it.

How many of these colors did you know about?

39 Colors You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

A vast vocabulary of words have been invented, borrowed, and accumulated over the centuries to describe almost every color and shade imaginable.

Scuba is just one of the words that's actually an acronym.

25 Words That Are Actually Acronyms

Here are the stories and meanings behind 25 words, names, and titles that you might not have realized actually stand for something.

Never forget the last names of Henry VIII's wives or the order of the planets with these mnemonic sentences.

13 Mnemonic Sentences To Boost Your General Knowledge

“A Big Secret Conceals Her Past” will help you remember the names (and order) of Henry VIII's wives.

25 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do

You can flout these rules, but you can't flaunt them.

Flip through the dictionary and you'll find all sorts of words hiding their bodily origins.

10 Body Parts Hiding in the Dictionary

Some of our favorite words come from body parts. Scratch your 'caput' over the origins of these anatomically derived terms.