The Origin of the Phrase ‘Live, Laugh, Love’
A 1904 essay contest may be indirectly responsible for what's happened to your grandmother's dining room.
A 1904 essay contest may be indirectly responsible for what's happened to your grandmother's dining room.
The phrase dates back to the 1960s, and has more than one meaning.
From ghosts that eat tofu to an angry Buddha and beyond.
This weed slang originated in the 1960s and yep, you can thank Humphrey Bogart for it, but not for reasons you might expect.
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Just as juicy as summer’s many berries, stone fruits, and melons are the far-flung, surprising, and often obscure origins of their names.
Here's everything you need to know about the difference between acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms.
From Bumpass to Bugtussle, America's small towns have a flair for humor.
Here’s the story of how the Ivy League got its name—and a list of all the schools that belong to it (including the informal “Ivy Plus” schools).
Here’s everything you ever wondered about ‘stat’: its meaning, its origins, and whether ER doctors really shout it all the time.
American slang terms can vary from state to state—these in particular are known to cause confusion.
Spoiler alert: Despite what you might have heard, it’s not ‘antidisestablishmentarianism.’
This list of linguistics terms will teach you how to tell your spoonerisms from your mondegreens.
Contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare wasn’t the one who invented this common idiom. But trying to unravel its origins will land you in a bit of a tricky situation.
Some food names are less than forthcoming about what they really are. (We’re looking at you, Grape-Nuts.)
If you think 'Wi-Fi' stands for 'wireless fidelity,' you should read this.
The phrase has evolved somewhat since its first uses—and its origin is something of a mystery.
Asking a police officer “do you drink?” in the 1970s had nothing to do with grabbing a beer at a nearby bar.
The origins of the phrase 'missionary position' involve Alfred Kinsey, some shoddy research, and zero actual missionaries.
Legend has it that a heroic American commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill implored his men to hold their fire until their enemies were under their noses. But did the event actually happen?
Before the word was used to describe hit movies, ‘blockbusters’ was a nickname for a highly destructive bomb.
Learn a fun fact about each of the most popular languages in the world.
We have many games to while away long days, but where do words like 'poker' and 'hopscotch' come from? Here are the etymological origins of 11 popular games.
Now’s your chance to create your own NYT crossword puzzle.