Wordplay

Word History

Was 'nervous Nellie' a Real Person?

Sort of!

Words with Lost Meanings

Some words just don't mean what they used to...

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different

Including the secret history of 'secretary'

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Words With Remarkable Origins, Vol. 2

The Hairy History of 'Sideburns'

Lousy general. Amazing hair.

Eavesdrop, Fiasco, and 8 More Words with Surprising Origins

Including some trivia on ‘trivia’

What does it mean to 'endorse' a presidential candidate?

It's kind of like "endorsing" a check

Funner, Stupider, and Other Words That Are in Fact Real

Don't argue with the dictionary

The Curious History of 'Filibuster'

The Curious History of "Filibuster"

'Dord': How a Non-Word Made it into the Dictionary

It once haunted our books.

Is Being Called Tenacious a Good Thing?

The Definition of "Tenacious"

Egregious: Meaning and History

From Remarkably Good to Shockingly Bad

How the Turkey Got Its Name

The strange global travels of America's favorite Thanksgiving meal

Etymologies for Every Day of the Week

The sun, the moon, four gods, and a goddess.

Spam. A Lot of Spam.

How Spam Became Something On Your Phone, Not On Your Plate

Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from?

No cats were harmed in the making of this idiom

Why do we call it a 'pipe dream'?

Hint: 19th century drug use

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Why do we say 'get out of Dodge'?

It refers to a real place

Why do we say 'make a beeline'?

Yes, it does involve bees

How long is a jiffy?

It depends who you ask

When do we paint the town red?

It may have begun with a literal paint job (but probably didn’t)

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?

And should we beware?
1 of 6