Otherwords (2021) : Popular Word Origins That Are Totally WRONG
Sometimes misunderstandings and made-up origins get popular enough to stick around... we call these "folk etymologies"!
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1 - 1The Unexpected Origins of the Word ‘Monster’ March 24, 2021 -
1 - 2What's the Longest Word? April 14, 2021 -
1 - 3Can Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It? May 05, 2021 -
1 - 4What People Get Wrong About African-American English June 16, 2021 -
1 - 5Popular Words Invented by Authors July 28, 2021
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1 - 660 Euphemisms for Death! September 20, 2021
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1 - 7Is Swearing Good for Your Brain? January 20, 2022
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1 - 8How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes? February 24, 2022
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1 - 9The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling March 24, 2022
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1 - 10Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot April 21, 2022
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1 - 11Is Gossip... Good? May 26, 2022
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1 - 12Foreign Words We Need in English June 23, 2022
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1 - 13Is Bilingualism a Superpower? July 28, 2022 -
1 - 14The Stories Behind Food Names August 25, 2022
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1 - 15Literally No One Likes a Grammar Cop September 22, 2022 -
1 - 16Why Sign Language Was Banned in America October 27, 2022 -
1 - 17How Brands Ruin Slang January 26, 2023 -
1 - 18Is "R" a Vowel? February 23, 2023
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1 - 19Where Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names March 23, 2023
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1 - 20How English Took Over the World April 20, 2023
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1 - 21The Weird History of Invented Languages May 25, 2023
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1 - 22How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages June 22, 2023
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1 - 23What Brain Damage Reveals About Language July 27, 2023
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1 - 24Why Does Texting Feel Different from Talking? August 24, 2023
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1 - 25How the Colors Got Their Names September 21, 2023
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1 - 26The Most Extreme Place Names October 19, 2023
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1 - 27How Language Nerds Solve Crimes January 25, 2024
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1 - 28Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much? February 22, 2024
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1 - 29Is the Southern Accent Disappearing? March 21, 2024
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1 - 30Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones? April 26, 2024
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1 - 31Why Do Baby Names Fall Out of Fashion? May 30, 2024
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1 - 32How Cults Use Language to Control June 20, 2024 -
1 - 33What Is Your Body Telling People? July 25, 2024 -
1 - 34Why Is English Awash in Sailors' Jargon? August 22, 2024 -
1 - 35You Were Probably Taught to Read Wrong September 19, 2024
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1 - 36Is English a Creole? October 31, 2024 -
1 - 37Can TV Change the Way We Speak? November 21, 2024 -
1 - 38The Ancient Origins of Body Words January 30, 2025 -
1 - 39How Languages Die February 27, 2025 -
1 - 40Why A.I. Struggles with Negative Words April 03, 2025 -
1 - 41Inside the Fiercest Debate in Linguistics April 24, 2025 -
1 - 42Where Did Cringey Corporate Jargon Come From? May 22, 2025 -
1 - 43These Magic Words Are REAL! June 26, 2025 -
1 - 44Will Algorithmic Self-Censorship Unalive Language? July 24, 2025 -
1 - 45Popular Word Origins That Are Totally WRONG August 21, 2025 -
1 - 46The 2,000 Year Evolution of Punctuation September 23, 2025