by Jennifer Porter | Aug 16, 2026 | News
R&R? (Episode #026) August 2026 Ever feel like you need a vacation to recover from your vacation? In honor of National Relaxation Day this month, we’re exploring the history—and, more importantly, the future history—of the word rest. Terrestrial etymologists...
by Jennifer Porter | Jul 12, 2026 | News
Give Me Listening, Or Give Me… (Episode 025) July 2026 In honor of World Listening Day (July 18), we are exploring the true roots of the word listen. The dictionary will tell you it traces back to Old English hlysnan, kin to hlyst — “hearing” — which is,...
by Jennifer Porter | May 29, 2026 | News
No Questions (Episode 024) May-June 2026 Fathom comes from Old English fæthm, meaning “outstretched arms.” The theory being that sailors measured depth by using a rope representative of how far they could reach. They were describing the wrong kind of...
by Jennifer Porter | Apr 12, 2026 | News
*Nudge* (Episode 023) April 2026 Etymologists will tell you nudge arrived in English sometime around the 17th century, probably from a Scandinavian root meaning “to push gently.” Probably. What they mean is they have no idea, because the beings responsible never...
by Jennifer Porter | Mar 14, 2026 | News
Triggered (Episode 022) March 2026 In this episode: Lost in Metaversal Translation Truth for March Get The Frozen for FREE True Story Tech The Status of Making Things Up Featured Book Deals Free & Bargain Book Sales Rate this Issue Ever feel like...
by Jennifer Porter | Feb 14, 2026 | News
Subscribe to continue reading Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content. Type your email… Subscribe Already a...
