ETYMOLOGY

Decades after the footprints that popped up in northern California, they were alleged to be a hoax.

The Hoax That Led to the Word ‘Bigfoot’

When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.

‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire’ by Russell Patterson.

1920s Slang: 35 Hotsy-Totsy Terms We Should Bring Back

From ‘alarm clock’ to ‘zozzled,’ these delightful 1920s terms will transport you back in time.

This person is literally feeling their oats—but is that where the phrase came from?

Where Does the Phrase ‘Feeling One’s Oats’ Come From?

The idiom has little to do with playing with our food and more to do with equine diets.

In Gen X parlance, this dude totally rocks.

11 Words Gen Xers Made Popular

From yuppie to headbanger, we have Generation X to thank for these terms that became popular in the 1980s and ’90s.

Why go by the jellyfish’s English name when you could go with its more delightful French moniker instead?

15 Delightfully Descriptive French Animal Names

En français, the name for ‘jellyfish’ comes from a famous figure in Greek mythology—can you guess which one?

Why Don’t We Want to ‘Open a Can of Worms’?

Opening a can of worms, metaphorically speaking, is trying to solve a problem and ending up in more trouble. And the idiom really does refer to actual worms.

Disc vs. Disk: What’s the Difference?

Deciding to write 'disc' or 'disk' depends on what kind of disc it is. Sometimes.

Let’s dive into the delicious history of the dumpling.

An International History of Dumplings

Dumplings are a delicious staple that transcends borders, but how did these doughy delights rise to international fame?

What did Scrooge mean when he said “Bah! Humbug!” anyway?

What Does “Bah, Humbug!” Actually Mean?

The meaning of ‘Bah, humbug!’ is a little more layered than what people normally attribute to Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

Where the ‘nog’ came from is a bit of a mystery.

How Did Eggnog Get Its Name?

The ‘egg’ part of ‘eggnog’ is obvious. The ‘nog’ is a little more mysterious—possibly involving noggins and/or grog.

10 Old-Timey Ways to Say You’re Hungover

Here are 10 colorful phrases of yore to use the day after you partied a tad too passionately.

There’s no doubt about it—rotting food is gross.

How Did ‘Gross’ Become a Term of Disgust?

The word ‘gross,’ which came to English from French, took on a variety of senses in English related to size. But the ‘gross of today is different from the ‘gross’ of the past thanks to teens.

Why Is an Informant Called a ‘Stool Pigeon‘?

Pigeons aren’t known to be particularly talkative birds.

‘The Nightmare’ by Henry Fuseli, circa 1871. Frame has been added.

13 Names for the Sleep Paralysis Demon from Around the World

Take a look at these 13 names from across the world that describe sleep paralysis and the demon once believed to cause it.

Use of the word ‘placebo’ in a medical context is more recent than you might think.

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.

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.

The OED features 600,000 words over a thousand years of the English language.

13 Fascinating Facts About the Oxford English Dictionary

It took more than 70 years and tons of volunteer labor to create “the definitive record of the English language”—including an assist from a murderer. Get to know the Oxford English Dictionary better.

The Surprisingly Long History of the Word ‘Yo’

The word ‘yo’ was around long before Rocky movies and rap songs.

Koalas Aren’t Bears, So Why Do People Call Them “Koala Bears”?

If you were an 18th-century settler in Australia with no knowledge of marsupials, you just might decide to call a koala a ‘bear,’ right?

Why Are Unidentified People Called John or Jane Doe?

From the courts to the morgue, if the government doesn't know someone's name or wants to withhold it, they give them one of these as a placeholder. Why?

Know the origins of the names of your favorite Fall foods.

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.

‘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.

The origins and history of the word ‘cakewalk’ may make you want to reconsider using it.

The Racist Origins of 7 Common Phrases

From ‘cakewalk’ to ‘no can do,’ the origins of these common idioms and sayings are surprisingly dark.

Technically this exact phrasing wasn't in play until the 20th century.

The Origins of 6 Classic Curse Words

Many bad words come and go, but these six have withstood the tests of time. Here’s how they came to be.

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