Category: Feature
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A simple “yes” or “no”? Nope. Not etymologically.
The origins of the words “yes” and “no” are knotty—and “naughty.”
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My bad French makes for good etymology: the origin of “oui”
What begins as a Latin demonstrative pronoun becomes an expression of Frenchness.
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Newsy etymology, animals edition: frog, bunny, squirrel, blue jay
“Bunny” was originally “squirrel,” and “squirrel” was originally … “shadow tail”?!
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The bemusing etymological muse of “calliope”
The calliope makes a music perhaps out of tune with its literal roots.
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2025 Punctuation Mark of the Year
The em dash (—) straddles clauses—and urgent conversations about humanity and technology in 2025.
Mashed Radish 