We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the words we toss around every single day without a second thought, it’s wild ...

Etymology is the study of the origins of words and how their usage has changed over time. It's every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be — except when it's not. As it turns ...

A lot of books and blogs on etymology target odd words, many that you’ve never heard of, nor ever will again. These can be provocative. But for Word Odyssey, I prefer common, everyday words, words we ...