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The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones
If you like Mashed Radish, then you’ll love Paul Anthony Jones’ latest book, The Accidental Dictionary: The Remarkable Twists and Turns of English Words (Elliott & Thompson, 2016, £12.99...
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Pepsi, Gibraltar, and other names in the news
From soda ads to ancient military strongholds, this week featured many newsworthy names. Let’s have a look at a few—and, as always, their origins. The Rock of Gibraltar (Pixabay) Pepsi Soda giant...
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Taking a hit of etymology for 4/20
It’s April 20, or as many marijuana enthusiasts know it well, 4/20. Today, especially when the clocks strike 4:20pm, many people will light a joint or smoke a bowl in celebration of the herb. Contrary...
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Channeling the roots of “channel”
The word channel may have a secret back channel to a Semitic or Arabic root. When it comes to Russia, Trump just can’t change the channel. The Washington Post reported last Friday that Jared Kushner,...
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It’s time for another Friday etymological news roundup
We had a lot of interesting words in the news this week (some more polite than others). Here’s a news review with—what else?—an etymological twist. Anthony Scaramucci spewed quite the obscenities this...
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Lions, chameleons, and shih-tzus, oh my!: 12 “lion” etymologies
Liger is much older than you think. Tigon is even older. Earlier this week, I let the etymological cat out of the bag for International Cat Day. Today, I keep with the feline theme for World Lion Day....
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Safari: Etymology of the day
Safari was borrowed in the 1850s from the Swahili safari, meaning “journey” or “expedition,” in turn from the Arabic safar, “journey” or “tour.” (Pixabay) m ∫ r ∫ Filed under: Etymology of the Day...
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Reams of “ream”
Sexual assault scandals, mass shootings, military coups, tax cuts for the rich, trophy elephants, the impending devastation of climate change, the looming threat of nuclear war—there are reams and...
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The 2017 “Etymology of the Year”: The Fake Origins of “Covfefe”
While some casual observers speculated if covfefe would win Word of the Year, lexicographers duly noted that the presidential typo for coverage, if creating a curious cultural moment, lacked any...
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If it weren’t for trade, there’d be no “tariff”
The word tariff goes all the way back to Arabic. Economists, businesspersons, and politicians of all stripes are pushing back against Donald Trump’s plan to impose stiff, new aluminum and steel...
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