Origins

‘Insect’, from Latin, literally means “cut into”, referring to the divided bodies of ants, beetles, bees, and so on. But this list…

There are many commonly used phrases in the English language that originated with sailors—some of which are rather obvious. For instance, “run…

Food is perhaps one of the most important things in our lives. While some look at it as just a means with…

Everyday we interact with others – often with symbols or phrases whose origins are now long forgotten. This list explores some of…

For decades, people have traveled from all around the world to kiss the Blarney stone and visit Grafton Street. And one of…

Language is a fascinating thing. The words we use today are drawn from, and have evolved for, today’s usage from a wide…

This is a list of words or popular sayings used by us all from time to time. Most of them have strange…

Question: what do the Nobel Prize, ASPCA, Planned Parenthood and Batman all have in common? The answer is their shockingly dark origin…

The world of Harry Potter has captured the imagination of fans for a variety of reasons, not least the incredibly diverse number…

If words and grammar represent the main ingredients of a language, then idioms are surely the secret recipe of herbs and spices…