The word “piebald” usually describes animals (of a variety of species) whose coats have irregular patches of white and other darker colors and patterns such as black or brindle. We have two interes…| Useless Etymology
The following is excerpted and abbreviated from the book Words from Hell: Unearthing the Darkest Secrets of English Etymology. English is a great language for verbal evisceration, a practice predic…| Useless Etymology
The word “electric” zapped its way into English in the 1600s from the Modern Latin electricus, meaning “resembling amber” (Greek ēlektron, “amber”). But what does electricity—and what do elec…| Useless Etymology
The word “nostalgia” first described homesickness and likely PTSD symptoms experienced by Swiss soldiers and mercenaries who fought abroad in the 1700s. Nostalgia has a surprisingly tra…| Useless Etymology
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
In Old English, your average elf (or ælf or ylfe) belonged on the naughty list: They were malicious, imp-like creatures, blamed for mischief, mayhem and evil. At the time, another word for a nightm…| Useless Etymology
Plus, 5 haunting etymology facts to celebrate the book’s Halloween release. Something wicked—and wordy—this way comes. Today, Oct. 31, 2023, a book brimming with festering filth and malicious…| Useless Etymology
Note: This is an extended excerpt from my forthcoming book Words from Hell: Unearthing the darkest secrets of English etymology (Chambers, Oct. 31, 2023). It may be common knowledge that …| 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
