The English words nobody can explain
Some of the most ordinary words in English have origins that no one can explain. Among them: "dog", "big", "bird", "donkey", "boy", "girl" and "puzzle".
Time words don’t mean what you think
What is a second the "second" of? What time should noon actually be? And how can "hour" and "year" mean the same thing (because they do!)?
Why Is It Called A Spelling “Bee”?
where lots of people gather socially to do a lot of work.
History Extra podcast: Sex and sensationalism: a history of the tabloids
Tabloid journalists often get a bad press. From publishing libellous headlines to hacking celebrities’ phones, recent years have not exactly done much to enhance Fleet Street’s reputation. But where did…
The etymology of “earthling”
and its interesting ending via Jess Zafarris
Things we tend to get wrong about language
everyone has an accent
“blah, blah, blah…”
“Blah, blah, blah” and “yada, yada, yada” have had plenty written about them. But there’s a longtime cousin of these phrases that’s much less understood. We use it all the…
Jesus H. Christ
Where does the 'H' come from and what does it stand for?
A Girl Defines Herself
No one knows for sure where we came from; no one can say where we’re going. We are, in the linguistic sense, mysteries. Secrets. In some ways, threats.