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Etymology of the Day: Litmus
Litmus, as in litmus test, is just one of those words that looks like it’s from Latin. For one, it ends in -us, a signature case ending in the language. For another, many of us first encounter the word in chemistry class, and science, we know, brims with Latin derivatives. So, why don’t we put Read more.
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The dark and troubled past of “sleazy”
The earliest record of sleazy likens the human brain to beer left out in the sun. On Capitol Hill yesterday, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his agency is probing Russian interference in the 2016 US election. During his hearing, Denny Heck, a Democratic representative for Washington, commented on the state of the investigation: “We’re Read more.
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10 words with surprising Irish roots
From bother and trousers to slogan and slew, the English language has Irish etymology galore. We’re all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, as we like to say, but so too are many of our words – and not just the more obvious ones like leprechaun or shamrock. There are many other everyday words whose Irish origins Read more.
Mashed Radish 