Tag: etymology

The word “pickle” is as multi-use as the food it describes; just know that a lot of the uses of the word aren’t food-related.

The “jet” in “jet black” refers to a gem. One that’s really, really black.

Happy Earth Day.  Our planet is the only one in our solar system not named for a Greek or Roman god. At the risk of sounding flip, the name Earth comes from… earth.

Cuetlaxochitl, flor de Noche Buena, poinsettia, estrella federal… here’s the story of a plant with a lot of names.

Today in 1957, Sputnik because the world’s first artificial satellite. This changed the world around us in countless ways, including one that doesn’t get a lot of attention: it gave the English language a brand new word. 

Yes, today is a day in the month of May, but that's not where the international distress call "Mayday" comes from. We'll fill you in on the actual backstory.

Today in 1832, the birthday of Charles Boycott, whose name has been used for over a century anytime people decide to deliberately take their business away from a group or a company.

Today is World Hello Day, so we explain how and when English speakers started using the word "hello" to say hello.

Today in 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state in the Union. It’s one of just a handful of states whose names sound different than they’re spelled. And if you’re wondering why it’s pronounced Arkan-saw instead of Ar-kansas, well, that’s what we’re here to explain. 

It's the first Wednesday of the new year. How come many of us don’t pronounce it “WED-ns-day”?

Today in 1919, one of the strangest moments in the history of baseball: a pitcher won a game in which he was struck by lightning!

This daily podcast is like a study group for trivia players. So today we're going to give you some trivia about the word trivia!