Purchase my upcoming book and invite book banners across the world to challenge the truths within. The English language is where words go to be tortured and mutilated into unrecognizable shadows of their former selves. It’s where Latin, Greek, and Germanic roots are shredded apart and stitched unceremoniously back together with misunderstood snippets of languages… Continue reading A Devilish Etymology Book Igniting This Halloween: WORDS FROM HELL
Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Words from Hell: Unearthing the darkest secrets of English etymology (Chambers, 2023). The word "sabotage" is derived from the French word saboter, which originally meant “to clumsily bungle something,” but carried the literal meaning “to walk noisily.” The base word sabot arose in the 13th century… Continue reading Footwear & Insubordination: The Etymology of “Sabotage”
Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Words from Hell: Unearthing the darkest secrets of English etymology (Chambers, 2023). As the title says, the word "assassin" literally means “hashish-user”—but it also doesn't “Hashishin,” the “Order of Assassins,” and “Assassins” alone are Western European names for the Nizari Isma'ili state, a sect of Shia… Continue reading Killer Etymology: “Assassin” Literally Means “Hashish-User” (Well… Sort Of)
Useless Etymology 