Sean ONeill

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Sean O’Neill is an illustrator and cartoonist living in Chicago. Creator of the graphic novel Rocket Robinson and the Pharaoh’s Fortune, he really can draw that fast. Seriously.

Negative Words That Turned Into Positive Words

Historically, the words "sick," "wicked," "ill," and "bad" have had negative connotations, but can now mean just the opposite. You may be surprised to know some other common words were once used completely differently than how we use them today... READ ON

The Story of American Sign Language

The story of American Sign Language goes back hundreds of years, to a time before America was even a nation.... READ ON

Horrible Jargon We've Totally Gotten Used To

Everybody hates management-speak and corporate jargon, but here are some terms that people used to think of as horrible jargon that we all got used to. Maybe one day we'll all be leveraging deliverables without a second thought.... READ ON

The Story of the Umlaut

We know the umlaut as that heavy metal pair of scary looking Gothic-Viking-Teutonic dots, but it is so much more. Here is the story of the umlaut.... READ ON

French Phrases Hidden in English Words

Even if you speak French you may never have noticed them.... READ ON

Why Do Animals Make Different Sounds in Different Languages?

A rooster sounds like a rooster wherever it lives. A cow sounds like a cow in every country. So shouldn't we all use the same words for animal sounds no matter what our language?... READ ON

Why Do We Say 'Merry' Just for Christmas?

We say happy for every other occasion. Why merry just for Christmas?... READ ON

Word Origins Hiding in Plain Sight

Sometimes the etymology of a word is right in front of us, and we don't even see it.... READ ON

Why Does Germany Have So Many Different Names?

Germany. Deutschland, Allemagne, Niemcy, Saksa, Vokietija...... READ ON

Fancier Words for the Shapes in Your World

Square, circle, triangle—how boring!... READ ON

How Did Language Begin?

Here's what we know about the origin of language.... READ ON

Where Do the Days of the Week Get Their Names?

What does Sunday have to do with the sun? What's a Satur or Tues?... READ ON

Why Does 'Terrible' Mean Bad and 'Terrific' Mean Good?

They both used to mean terror-inducing. How did they end up meaning such different things?... READ ON

What's the Real Origin of OK?

There are many stories of its origin, but here's the one that's lexicographer-approved.... READ ON

The Evolution of 'Dude'

Dudes have been around since the 1880s, but they've changed a lot since then.... READ ON

Why Is Y Sometimes a Vowel?

A E I O U...and sometimes Y. Why only sometimes?... READ ON

These Words Aren't the Words You Think They Are

It's possible you never wondered about these tricky words from common expressions. That's because they aren't the words you think they are.... READ ON

Why Is English Spelling So Weird?

English spelling might seem crazy and unfair, but there are reasons for how it got to be that way.... READ ON

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