Category Archives: Language

Origin of the Name of the Sport Cricket

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 from the Middle Dutch “kricke”, meaning “stick” or “staff”.  The latter Middle Dutch derivation from “kricke” is generally considered more likely due to the strong medieval trade connections […]

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The Fear of Being Buried Alive is Called ‘Taphophobia’

Dog Buries Cat Alive

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 “taphos” meaning “grave”. Today, this would be considered a somewhat irrational fear.  However, it wasn’t too long ago that this wasn’t irrational at all.  Taphophobia hit […]

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The Difference Between “Faze” and “Phase”

Don't Phase Me, Bro!

Today I found out the difference between “faze” and “phase”.  These two words are often misused, even by professional writers, particularly in regards to the phrase “phased out”, which is more often than not incorrectly written as “fazed out”, due to the two being homophones. Specifically, “faze” means: “to disturb, disconcert, or daunt; caused to show discomposure”.   On the other […]

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