Wordymology

Hold on to your hats

Just who was Fedora? And can you fit 10 gallons into a 10-gallon hat?

A baker's dozen of dessert words.

Snail noodles for everyone!

The Etymologies of Entomology.

They include rooster roaches and hairy cats.

A bouquet of 15 flower words.

Teeth, turbans, and taxonomists—the surprising seeds of some of your favorite flowers' names.

Know nonsense. And 6 of its best synonyms.

There are many excellent synonyms for nonsense. Here are the six with the most absurdly interesting etymologies.

Here’s how every month got its name

Why are the months’ names what they are? What do they mean? And why do so many of them not make sense?

The Etymology of Dance

You might know the steps, but do you know where these classic dances got their names?

How gossip got its name

The scuttlebutt on snooping, schmoozing, and eavesdropping.

The oboe-the-top origins of musical instrument names

12 note-able etymologies hiding behind the music.

Secrets of the Sauce: 8 condiment names explained

You may have a lot of passionate preferences about which condiments you use—and don’t use. But do you know the ingredients of their etymologies?

The loco delicioso origins of Mexican food names

Donkeys, daisies, and explosives. Let's dig in to some crazy delicious etymologies.

Down in History: 11 names remembered for all the wrong reasons

Here's how 11 eponymous personages had their names become forever associated with things negative.

Femalexicon: 9 women immortalized in the English language

Meet nine women whose names and creations live on in our words.

5 words straight outta hip hop

Rap slang has entered the popular lexicon. How many of these words do you use?

The naked truth about exercise words

Trying to keep your New Year’s resolution to get in shape? Hit the etymologym with these fitness-related etymologies. (It counts as a gym day.)

6 food words you didn’t know were filled with salt

Watching your salt intake? You may want to avoid these salt-heavy etymologies.

The strange coinages of money words

Did Juno? The word “money” comes from a goddess.

Unwrap some Halloween word candy

Treat yourself to the tricky etymologies of these essential Halloween words.

How every day of the week got its name

A throwback to when it was called Thor’s Day.

Pants are named after a clown named after a saint

And other undressed word histories.

The far-out etymologies of celestial bodies

Axe-wielders, wanderers, and long-haired stars. When it comes to their names, the cast of characters in the nighttime sky is much stranger than you might think.

The weird word origins of your favorite colors

Goblins, magic spells, and crushed-up bugs. You won't believe how some colors got their names.

Why is it called soccer?

Even if you call it "football," you might be surprised where the name "soccer" came from.

How 9 different fruits came to be named after the apple

F for creativity, fruit namers.