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© BeforeWords
Description
Join us as we take a dive into words with unique etymologies.
15 Episodes
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When we describe someone as sinister we think of them as evil, manipulative, and sociopathic; all descriptions of a troubled mental state. However, through most of our recorded history the term was used to characterize our suspicion of left-handedness.
Attending a wedding beckons us to put on attire that might be described as ‘nice’. But would you be truer to the origin of the word if you showed up to a fast food restaurant in a tuxedo?
Was the term 'dunce' and the ensuing corporal punishment—the dunce cap—created for classroom dummies, or does it derive from the name of a great Scottish thinker?
Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night, frightened by some dark and scary imagery conjured up by our very own subconscious minds. But with each ‘nightmare’ comes a storied history involving demons, suffocation, and peony-seed wine.
Signing a mortgage can bring long-term joy to your life, giving you a place to live and raise a family. However, in a twisted sense of irony, you may also be signing a death pledge.
Do robots make our lives easier, or do they steal our jobs? Regardless of where we may stand on robots, we have a Czech playwright and a popular science fiction writer to thank for this word.
The word 'tragedy' generally doesn't evoke happy thoughts. But its Greek origin is oddly amusing, stemming from music...and goats.
During the middle ages, a group of people living in the mountains of northern Iran gave birth to the worlds coolest profession, the assassin. Curiously, they may have carried out their murders while high.
Your typical espresso drink gets its name from its ingredients or the way it’s made. But one well-known beverage isn’t so typical…
Getting some exercise with a jog can be a relaxing experience. But to fulfill the historical meaning of this word, hit the pavement with a group of friends and gossip as you watch each other's bodies shake up and down.
If we find ourselves on the right side of a loophole, we thank our lucky stars. But perhaps we should be thanking the architects of medieval English castles...
You might think a geek as a socially awkward outcast who knows too much about computers. But there's a surprising and disturbing origin to this word—and an equally bizarre connection to a legendary rock star!
At this point, we're probably all tired of this word—but its origins on the banks of the Adriatic Sea might make us appreciate why we've all been stuck inside for months now.
Was the sandwich created as a tasty snack or just a vessel to win more money.
Were the ancient Aztecs onto something with their human to fruit comparisons. Or were they just horny?
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