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folk etymology
21 Word Origins the Internet Got Completely Wrong
Written by:
Shannon Sanford
Jan. 24, 2024
As it turns out, people have a propensity to make false claims about word origins.
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Word Origins the Internet Got Completely Wrong
Written by:
Shannon Sanford
Jan. 16, 2024
Word origins (etymology) is every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be ...
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Was the Word 'Hangover' Derived from Drunken Sailors Sleeping on Ropes?
Written by:
Alex Kasprak
Dec. 23, 2022
The word has been in circulation since 1894.
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No, the Phrase 'Knocked Up' Didn't Originate with Slavery
Written by:
Izz Scott LaMagdeleine
Feb. 11, 2023
The earliest known usage of the term comes from a diary entry about a widow.
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Did the Phrase 'a Shot of Whiskey' Originate in the Old West?
Written by:
Kim LaCapria
David Emery
Oct. 14, 2017
Anecdotal reports say the expression "a shot of whiskey" came into being when cowboys traded bul ...
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Etymology of 'Cold Turkey'
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
David Mikkelson
March 25, 2014
Did the slang phrase for kicking a habit all at once originate with a literal reference to a plu ...
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Is the Word 'Posh' a Shortening of 'Port Out, Starboard Home'?
Written by:
Snopes Staff
Barbara Mikkelson
April 14, 2010
"Posh" is a word now best understood as a descriptor of something elegant or stylishly luxurious.
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Etymology of 'Phat'
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
David Mikkelson
Jan. 17, 2010
Does "phat" come from an acronym formed from "Pretty Hot And Tempting"?
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Etymology of 86
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
March 9, 2009
Did the term '86' (to get rid of someone or something) enter the English language as part of a r ...
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Etymology of 'Holy Smoke'
Written by:
Snopes Staff
Barbara Mikkelson
April 19, 2005
Does the exclamation "holy smoke" derive from the burning of the ballots used to elect a Pope?
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Etymology of Strawberry
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
Oct. 4, 2003
Are strawberries so named because they are bedded in straw?
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The Origins of Tipping
Written by:
Snopes Staff
Barbara Mikkelson
Jan. 16, 2003
Does the word "tip" derive from the acronymic form of the phrase "To Insure Promptness" or "To I ...
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Etymology of Son of a Gun
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
Sept. 6, 2002
The disputed etymology of 'son of a gun.'
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The Etymology of 'Shit'
Written by:
Snopes Staff
Barbara Mikkelson
Aug. 13, 2002
Was the word "shit" formed from an acronym of 'Ship High in Transit'?
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What Does Pumpernickel Mean?
Written by:
David Mikkelson
May 19, 2001
Is pumpernickel bread named after a horse? Does it translate to 'devil's fart'? So many breadcru ...
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Etymology of 'News'
Written by:
David Mikkelson
April 26, 2001
The English word 'news' is said to derive from an acronym formed from the words 'north,' east,' ...
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Etymology of the F-Word?
Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
David Mikkelson
July 12, 1999
Did the word "fuck" originate as an acronym of the phrase "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"?
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