Why Is It ‘Cancelled’ in the UK, But ‘Canceled’ in America?
19 October 2018 Is it true that extraneous letters were dropped from certain words in American English because newspapers charged by the letter for advertising?
Language
The very tool we use to communicate urban legends to each other — language — is itself a source of folklore. A number of the words and phrases in use today have interesting origins that have almost become obscured in the mists of time. Equally, our sense of romance leads us to invent unusual origins for commonplace words rather than be satisfied with their mundane beginnings.
Etymology of ‘Tag’
19 July 2018 How factual is the claim that the name of the children's game 'tag' originated as the acronym of 'touch and go'?
Did the Phrase ‘a Shot of Whiskey’ Originate in the Old West?
14 October 2017 Anecdotal reports say the expression "a shot of whiskey" came into being when cowboys traded bullets for liquor in Old West saloons.
Etymology of ‘News’
26 April 2001 The English word 'news' does not derive from an acronym formed from the words 'north,' east,' 'west,' and 'south.'
Is ‘Covfefe’ a Word in Arabic? Yiddish? ‘Antediluvian’?
2 June 2017 After President Donald Trump mistyped (then deleted) a tweet, some hurried to ascribe meanings to the mistyped word "covfefe."
The Origins of 420
14 September 2002 The story of how the code '420' entered drug parlance as a term signifying the time to light up a joint.
Origins of the Guillotine
4 September 2011 Dr. Joseph Guillotin neither invented the guillotine nor was executed with one of those machines.
Etymology of Sirloin
20 May 2001 The cut of steak known as "sirloin" is not so named because an English king once knighted a piece of beef.
The Definition of ‘Trumpery’
15 February 2017 Spoiler alert: The dictionary definition of the word 'trumpery' employs such expressions as 'deceit,' 'fraud,' and 'showy but worthless.'
The History of the Middle Finger
25 September 1999 The 'middle finger salute' did not derive from the defiant gestures of English archers whose fingers had been severed at the Battle of Agincourt.
Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride
10 May 2013 Common usage of the phrase "Always a bridesmaid but never a bride" originated with an advertising campaign for Listerine brand mouthwash.
Does the Word ‘Guacamole’ Mean ‘Testicle Sauce’?
9 February 2016 Both "avocado" and "guacamole" derive from the Nahuatl word for the fruit, which only secondarily carries the slang meaning of "testicle."
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