The literal meanings of world foods

The origins of common sayings

The literal meanings of city names

American English vs. British English

Slurs and taboo words explained

What was 'Pepsi' originally called?

What is the 'nihil' in nihilism?

Words for sex down the ages

Why don't we have words for these things?

Could tensions 'escalate' before the escalator was invented?

How cities got their names

What does 'espionage' actually mean?

The ancient origins of Sci-fi and tech words

What was the original 'ambulance'?

What did 'dragon' originally mean?

Why do we say 'bury the hatchet'?

Vulgar language and criminal slang

Is English really a Germanic language?

The strangest quirks of the English language

Which was the original 'football'? | SPORTS WORDS

Where do first names come from?

Are pets called 'pets' because we pet them?

What did North, South, East & West originally mean?

100 Quick-fire Word Facts

Who was the first to 'spill the beans'? | SAYINGS EXPLAINED

Why are we saying 'Caesar' wrong? | TITLES & POWER

What does 'dinosaur' literally mean? | DINOSAURS

What is the 'Eng' in 'England'? | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS

Why do news anchors all sound the same? | NEWS WORDS

How could one man write a dictionary? | SAMUEL JOHNSON

Why is it called a 'cockpit'? | AVIATION WORDS

How did currencies get their names? | MONEY WORD ORIGINS

Does English use the wrong word for clouds? | WEATHER WORDS

Exposing grammar myths and mistakes with Grammar Girl

Why is English full of French words?

Precisely how long is a 'moment'? | TIME WORDS

What was the original "blockbuster"? | MOVIE WORDS

Why is there a cat in "caterpillar"? | BUG WORDS

Why is the Pope "the daddy"?

Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS

Why is there an N in "passenger"?

Why do we say "as mad as a hatter"? | IDIOM ORIGINS

Is it a restroom or a loo?

Did Shakespeare write all his plays?

How do you pronounce lieutenant? | MILITARY WORDS

Why do we mind our Ps and Qs? | PRINTING TERMS

Where do swear words come from?

Which flower makes you wet the bed? | FLOWER NAME ORIGINS

Is this a rhetorical question? | RHETORIC & LITERARY DEVICES

How did our naughty bits get their names? | BODY ETYMOLOGY

What's the difference between a violin and a fiddle? | MUSIC WORDS

Who invented zero? | MATH & NUMBERS

Who was the original "goodfella"? | CRIME WORDS

Who was the first to "paint the town red"? | IDIOM ORIGINS

Is he Santa Claus or Father Christmas? | FESTIVE WORD ORIGINS

What did a "sin-eater" do? | JOB ETYMOLOGY

Is it a 'full stop' or a 'period'? | PUNCTUATION

Is corporate jargon "a value add"? | JARGON ETYMOLOGY

Who is the Jack in a deck of cards? | GAME WORDS

Which cocktail means "moist little thing"? | BOOZY WORDS