Words

The origins of phrases aren’t always very clear, but this one is—and it all started with carnival barkers.

Being called a 'guest' of a retail business is not really grammatically correct.

Step into a Target or Walgreens and you might be labeled a 'guest.' The practice probably started for a very Goofy reason.

Are you from the Land of Queen Henrietta Maria or mountainous Montana?

‘Idaho’ is often said to mean "gem of the mountains," but the guy who suggested it might’ve just made it up.

True tea comes from leaves of the 'Camellia sinensis' plant. All other beverages commonly labeled 'tea' are technically tisane.

D.C. judges have strong feelings about typefaces.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has a vendetta against Garamond, which is purportedly too small to read and allows lawyers to skirt filing rules.

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

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

This metaphor doesn't mean what you think it means.

Anyone exceeding established boundaries of business, art, or safety is said to be 'pushing the envelope.' Why?

'Bridgerton' fans can create their own scandalous gossip column with these customizable Lady Whistledown's Society Papers on Etsy.

“Cut to the chase” is a slightly friendlier way of telling someone to get to the point, but old Hollywood filmmakers meant it literally.

Empathy’s definition originally described the relationship between humans and objects. Now, it’s much less straightforward.

The viral 'if I had four eggs' riddle may seem like a straightforward problem, but you'll need more than math skills to solve it.

Sometimes the dreadful things we must suffer can seem a little less grim when they have the sweet ring, nay—the dulcet tones of euphonious polysyllabic Latin appellations.

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

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

While you’re trying to spot ‘love’ in this Valentine’s Day word search, keep an eye out for ‘loo,’ ‘vole,’ and ‘LOL.’

After reading this list, you will never mix up regent and regnant again.

From 'abdication' to 'sovereign grant,' these are terms every fan of the British royal family should have memorized.

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Sure, you might know a few palindrome words on your own. But what about palindromic Petrarchan sonnets or recipes for ragù?

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

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

Screaming out "gimme!" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

American football is home to a lot of nonsensical terminology, but 'hut' has a fairly clear origin.

"Would you be so kind as to pencil me in for a polka?"

The Victorian era gave rise to puffy gowns, dance cards, and a fun new phrase for getting out of a date.

This man does not appear to be occupying a wagon.

'Fall off the wagon,' which is typically used to describe someone who has begun drinking alcohol after a period of abstinence, does not actually involve anyone tumbling off a horse-drawn carriage.