Mashed Radish

Mashed Radish

Etymology at the intersection of news, life, and everyday language.

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  • Where do the male (♂) and female (♀) symbols come from?

    With roots in ancient astrology and alchemy, the male (♂) and female (♀) symbols may ultimately derive from ancient Greek abbreviations for the names of gods. Read more.

    John Kelly
    February 24, 2017
    Uncategorized

  • A few quick updates

    First, a big thanks to everyone who has taken the Mashed Radish reader survey so far. I’ve received some incredibly valuable feedback so far. If you haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, please take just 5 minutes to do so. Your responses make a difference and mean a lot to me. You can… Read more.

    John Kelly
    February 22, 2017
    media, Updates

  • How the word, and title, “president” took its seat

    In Latin, president literally means “the one who sits before.” Presidents’ Day, officially called Washington’s Birthday, has been a US federal holiday since 1879, honoring the country’s first president – and subsequent ones – around his date of birth, February 22. But where does the word president come from, and why, exactly, did the US… Read more.

    John Kelly
    February 20, 2017
    Uncategorized

  • Book review: What the Dickens?! by Bryan Kozlowksi

    Last year, as you may recall, I read the complete works of William Shakespeare. It was an immensely rewarding project, to be sure, but I can’t lie: When I finished, I was really excited to read something else for a change. I immediately jumped for Bryan Kozlowksi’s What the Dickens?!: Distinctly Dickensian Words and How… Read more.

    John Kelly
    February 19, 2017
    Uncategorized

  • From dinner to disarray: the origin of “mess”

    Originally, we didn’t make messes. We ate them.  In his presser yesterday, Trump claimed: “To be honest, I inherited a mess. It’s a mess. At home, and abroad — a mess.” Clearly, he was describing his own news conference, which was a hot one, because the facts just don’t back him up. But Trump does… Read more.

    John Kelly
    February 17, 2017
    Uncategorized

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Mashed Radish

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