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 dude! Ever wonder about the origin of the word “dude”? This word is first recorded in the late 1800s as a word for a man who is foppish and fastidious, meaning… Continue reading The Etymology of “Dude”
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, touting it as one of the longest words—if not the longest—in the English language? There are of course many longer words, many of them scientific or… Continue reading How 12-year-old Gloria Lockerman taught us the word “disestablishmentarianism”
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 nightmare was ælfadl, “elf-sickness,” and a hiccup was an ælfsogoða, "elf-cough, elf-heartburn." In Beowulf, elves (ylfe) are in a list of monstrous… Continue reading A Brief, Etymological History of Christmas Elves
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 monstrosities claws its way from the darkest recesses of human imagination. And it's nerdy as fuck. Meet Words from Hell by Jess Zafarris. (That's me, your guardian… Continue reading ‘Words From Hell’ Emerges from the UnderWord, Exposing Etymology Horrors for All to See
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 laser (or L.A.S.E.R.) is an acronym of "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." It was coined around 1960 and modeled after the slightly ealier term maser… Continue reading The Shocking Etymology of “Taser,” and the Racism Hidden Behind It
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, let's explore the origins of a few piratey terms—albeit fictional ones, in many cases. Many of the terms and phrases we associate with pirates were not recorded… Continue reading Avast! 6 Swashbuckling Word Origins for International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Eggcorns and malapropisms: These are both terms for vocabulary faux pas — essentially an incorrect word that sounds similar to the intended word. But each of these terms involves a distinguishing factor that sets it apart. Malapropisms With malapropisms, the mistaken word is blatantly incorrect, it doesn't sense in context, and it’s funny or absurd… Continue reading Not Quite What You Meant: The Difference Between Eggcorns and Malapropisms
Have you ever wondered why unmarried women over a certain age have historically been called spinsters? Originally a word for a woman who spins thread for a living, “spinster” is structured in the same way as words like “trickster” or “gangster”—it’s the word “spin” with an agent noun ending. But the latter two words are… Continue reading The Etymology of “Spinster” and Its Gendered Ending
Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Words from Hell: Unearthing the darkest secrets of English etymology (Chambers, 2023). Want to know something outrageous? The word “outrage” isn’t etymologically related to the words “out” or “rage.” It has completely different roots. It technically does not even contain the words “out” or “rage.” In fact, it’s… Continue reading The Word “Outrage” Technically Doesn’t Include “Out” or “Rage”
Useless Etymology 