Everybody has a nickname, and there’s usually a story to go with it. Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind them. Speaking of nicknames, the word nickname has an interesting etymology. It’s an example of a...
It’s the Moby Dick of etymology: Where do we get the phrase “the whole nine yards”? A pediatrician in North Carolina wonders if it derives from a World War II phrase involving “nine yards” of ammunition. Grant and...
A Princeton University student wonders if his school can lay claim to being the first to apply the Latin word campus to the grounds of an institution of higher learning. This is part of a complete episode.
A New York City schoolteacher asks, “Why do we call our little finger a pinkie?” and relates his invented etymology. This is part of a complete episode.
Greetings earthlings! In our latest podcast, Martha muses about the "love dimple." You know, that little dent in your upper lip? It's called a "philtrum." The erotic origins of this word prove once again that etymology is...
What’s the name for that little dent in your upper lip? It’s called a “philtrum.” Martha reveals the erotic origins of this word, and proves once again that etymology is nothing if not sexy.