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Origin of the Name of the Sport Cricket
Today I found out the origin of the name of the sport Cricket. The name is originally thought to either have been derived from the Old French “criquet”, meaning “goal, post, or stick” or
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Why the Toilet is Sometimes Called a “John”
Today I found out why the toilet is sometimes called a “John”. The term is thought to derive from Sir John Harrington or, at the least, to have been popularized due to Harrington. (There
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The Fear of Being Buried Alive is Called ‘Taphophobia’
Today I found out that the medical term for the irrational fear of being buried alive is called Taphophobia, also occasionally spelled Tephephobia, which means the same thing. Taphophobia derives from the Greek
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Origin of the Term “Booze”
Today I found out the origin of the term “booze”. The first references to the word “booze” meaning “alcoholic drink” in English appear around the 14th century, though it was originally spelled “bouse”. The
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The Biblical Expression “40 Days and 40 Nights” Just Means a “Really Long Time”
Today I found out the biblical expression “40 days and 40 nights” just means a really long time. At the time among the Jews, the number forty wasn’t generally used to signify a specific
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‘Peruse’ Doesn’t Mean What Many People Think
Today I found out ‘peruse’ doesn’t mean what many people think it means. It turns out, “peruse” does not mean “to skim” or “to glance through” or “read quickly” or the like, as it
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Origin of the Term “Smart Alec”
Today I found out the origin of the term “Smart Alec”. It was once thought this term was simply generic and that Alec wasn’t actually a real person. Research done by Professor Gerald Cohen
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How Deaf People Think
Today I found out how deaf people think in terms of their “inner voice”. It turns out, this varies somewhat from deaf person to deaf person, depending on their level of deafness and vocal
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It’s “Just Deserts” Not “Just Desserts”
Today I found out that the idiom used for the notion of someone “getting what’s coming to them”, whether good or bad, is actually “just deserts”, not “just desserts”. The misconception primarily stems from
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Why the Adam’s Apple is Called the Adam’s Apple
Today I found out why the Adam’s Apple is called the Adam’s Apple. The origins of this term go all the way back to the Biblical event where Eve gave Adam a forbidden fruit,
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