This word first described men—especially Northeasterners—with a penchant for fashion, worldliness, and foreign fare. It also boasts a curious connection to “macaronic language.” Hey dud…| Useless Etymology
A 12-year-old girl named Gloria Lockerman is the reason you learned the word “antidisestablishmentarianism” when you were a kid. Remember how you and your friends would toss it around, …| Useless Etymology
Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Words from Hell: Unearthing the darkest secrets of English etymology (Chambers, 2023). In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, …| Useless Etymology