Wordplay

Word History (page 3)

'Shutdown': An Essential History

We're open for word business

‘Stay in Your Lane’: A History

Focusing in on what we do best

What Does It Mean to 'Pull Out All the Stops'?

We hold back nothing in this article.

This History of 'Up to Snuff' is Up to Snuff

What is 'snuff' and how high up is it?

What Does Your 'Gut' Tell You?

And should you listen to it?

The 'Oops' and 'Whoops' In 'Upsy-daisy'

Mistakes (and variant spellings) happen.

Putting the Eff in 'Ineffable'

There are no words.

How English Grew Its 'Mustache'

A common word, but only by a whisker

A Pram Through the Nabe: Words Formed by Shortening and Alteration

New words that came from bigger words

On 'Caravan' and Words for People in Movement

A cavalcade of words for travel

The Unsettling History of 'Off-putting'

A word for the repellent

'Janitor': A Word History

The One Who Holds All the Keys

The Strangeness of 'Going Bump In The Night'

The origins of a spooky phrase

'Ditto': A History

The same, but different

Living by the Sword: On ‘Forte’ and ‘Foible’

Etymology on the cutting edge.

The Surprisingly Physical History of 'Feisty'

A look at its gassy origins

The History of 'Squirrel'

From "shadow" + "tail"

It's a 'Travesty'

A genuine word for a cheap imitation

'Decadent': Luxury or Decay?

That dessert might kill you

Hunting 'Snark' (and 'Snarky')

A not-so-sarcastic history

What Exactly Is 'Normal'?

The history of a regular word

What Does It Mean to ‘Thwart’ a Plan?

If it weren’t for you meddling kids...

Spinning the Tale of 'Spin Doctor'

It's all how you work the angles

'Banana Republic': A History

Way more than just clothes

The Many Different Faces of ‘Franchise’

How one word got so many meanings.

Is It 'Ornery' Cuss or 'Ordinary' Cuss?

Their history isn't that difficult

Kicking It with 'Kick the Can Down the Road'

We couldn't put it off any longer.

The History of 'Aplomb'

Perfectly balanced and composed

A Conspectus On 'Witch Hunt'

Pointing fingers at the term's history

Hackneyed Phrases of Yore

They're obsolete now, but were overused then

An Explanation of Why We (Sometimes) Truncate Definitions

Why 'invitation' is "the act of inviting"

'Flight': A Great Way To Try New Things

A sampler pack full of word history

'Vaccine': The Word's History Ain't Pretty

Don't say we didn't warn you.

'Brainwashing': A History

It was only sometimes literal.

'Tender' and Its Not-So-Delicate History

A soft word, firmly planted.

'Creep': A Skin-Crawling History

Where it's from and where it's going

If the Shoe Fits

10 words for types of shoes

'Franchise': Profit from Freedom

From freedom to voting to fast food

An Undiluted History Of 'Shandy'

Crisp and refreshing

What is a 'Firebrand'?

It comes from 'fire' + 'brand'

'Bellwether': The Original Trend Watch

Following the Leader Like Sheep

The Strange Story of 'Lumber'

More than its raw materials

The Declassified History of 'Security Blanket'

It's older than 'Peanuts'

'Ostracize': Making That One Person Go Away

When the tribe has spoken.

Spelling Out the History of 'Spell'

Spelling is magical! And smart.

The Noisy History of 'Saber-rattling'

Not just a bunch of bluster.

A Matter-of-Fact Look at 'Deadpan'

Surely we can be serious.

Putting the History of 'Limelight' Center Stage

It's, ahem, an illuminating story.

'Tiddleywink': A Game, A Bar, And A Drink

A silly word with a sordid past

The 'Infortunate' Dictionary Scam

The story of a little-known swindle

A ‘Taxicab’ Confession

Can never find one when you need one.

How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

'Punchable': A Story of Money, Sex, and Violence

Nothing but the hits

The History of 'Doctor'

Just who qualifies as a doctor anyway?

Faster Than a 'New York Minute'

It's older than just a flash

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

A Brief History of 'Potshot'

Duck, or you might be dinner

What time Is 'noon'?

It used to be later in the day.

The History of 'Laundry List'

Yes, it's from the laundry industry.

Get Looped In on 'Feedback'

It's more than just noise.

Puppies, Puppets, and Pupils: A Little History

Who can say 'no' to puppies?

When a Recipe Was a ‘Receipt’

A usage passed down generations

How Basketball Upsets Became 'Cinderellas'

A term that came from outta nowhere.

The History of 'Hot Mess'

It's older than you'd think

10 Word Histories from the U.S. Congress

Whips, beans, hoppers, and more

Does 'Implicit' Mean "Wholehearted" or "Implied"?

Yes.

'Pillory': A Public Display of Word History

From physical punishment to scornful words

The Must-Read, Smash Hit Story of 'Blurb'

Word history you can't put down

The Not-Very-Dangerous History of 'Liaison'

Period dramas notwithstanding

The 411 on Words Meaning "Information"

Get the inside scoop on spilling the beans.

Let's Organize the History of 'Cabinet'

Taking word meanings off the shelf

'Exaggerate': An Accumulation of Meaning

From "pile up" to "overstate"

Why 'Iterate' and 'Reiterate' Mean the Same Thing

We tell you again and again.

The Fault (and Words) in Your Stars

Words that were written in the cosmos

'Momently' Once Meant 'Momentarily'

A word that had its moment

Those Were the Days: On 'Nostalgia'

When missing home was a disease

What is a 'sea change?'

It's something rich and strange.

The Tired History of 'Fatigue'

If you're not too weary

What Is 'Treason,' Anyway?

Clarification on a complicated word

A Stroll Down the History of 'Boulevard'

From fortification to four lanes

The Strange Route from 'Cadet' to 'Cad'

It's not as simple as dropping the -et.

A Brief History of 'Complicit'

It literally means 'folded together'

Calling 'Dibs': It's A Child's Game

Before calling them, people threw them.

'Misdemeanor': Not Always a Crime

It was once "bad behavior"

The Languid Story of 'Lackadaisical'

From "expression of woe" to "why bother?"

The Sleepy History of 'Litter'

From a royal vehicle to a public nuisance

The Appetizing Origins of 'Slush Fund'

There's always money in the bacon fat.

'Kitty-corner': A History

The feline implications are new.

A Retrospect Of Words From 1918

A centennial celebration

'Bonanza' and Other Words from Mining and Prospecting

There's words in them hills

Distilling the Essence of 'Quintessence'

It's just heavenly.

The Story of 'Ravenous' and 'Ravishing'

Hungry for beauty?

How 'Muckraker' Got the Dirt

At first it didn't refer to muck or rakes.

A Note On The History of 'Anthem'

From religious hymns to national pride

Why Were Shoemakers 'Snobs'?

The word wasn't always so hifalutin.

How Come People Say 'How Come'?

And is there anything wrong with it?

The Modern Goings-On of 'Bespoke'

And can you afford them?

The Strange Path of 'Unbeknownst'

From country dialect to standard English

The Secret History of 'Bonfire'

A good fire made of bones

The History of 'Restaurant'

Yes, the French are involved.

'Dis': From Early Rap to Academic Journals

The word has quickly taken center stage

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

In the past, you could invent fruit.

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

From the front hallways to the back rooms

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

Noah Webster first entered the term in 1840

The History of 'Third Rail'

From the subway to politics

'Unicorn': Nothing Is What It Seems

They didn’t always look like that.

'Wholistic': A Natural Evolution Of 'Holistic'

The 'w' brings the meaning full circle.

We're Just 'Spitballing' Here...

It's not just about pranks anymore.
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