Since the bird we know as the turkey originated in North America, it may seem strange that it has the same name as a country that straddles Europe and Asia. But there is a connection between the words. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary and other sources, the word “turkey” as applied to birds dates to [more...]
If you’ve ever heard a song on the radio or an album and thought the words said something other than what they really were, you’ve experienced a mondegreen. Although “mondegreen” usually refers to misunderstood song lyrics, it can also refer to any poetry or even statement that’s misunderstood because of words or phrases that sound [more...]
Bilberries grow wild in Europe. Blueberries look similar but bigger, and are native to North America. That’s the short answer, but the longer truth is that there are quite a few different varieties – all cousins related to one another. It’s usual to call dark blue members of the European branch of the family bilberries, [more...]
Many Christians throughout the world observe Maundy Thursday (sometimes called Holy Thursday) three days before Easter, which falls on a Sunday. The observance typically includes Holy Communion, sometimes called the Eucharist, in which worshipers partake of bread and wine (or, in some churches, grape juice) in commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that [more...]
Typhoons and hurricanes are the same type of weather phenomenon — the only difference is where they form. Typhoons are strong tropical cyclones that form in the western Pacific Ocean, while hurricanes are tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea (or sometimes in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean). The reason [more...]
Geane or Gene was once the English name for Genoa, Italy, which was known for producing a particular kind of cloth. Similar everyday fabric woven in 16th century England was named after it; at first called ‘Gene fustian’, but soon known simply as geanes or jean. (Spelling was still very variable!) In 19th century America jean [more...]
According to various authorities, including West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, the term “kangaroo court” came from the American frontier of the 19th century. In those days it was common for judges to go from town to town to hold trials, and they gained a reputation of being biased, as their pay sometimes depended on how [more...]
Although there have been significant changes, the calendar as we know it dates to the Roman times. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many of the names of the months have names similar to what the Romans used. January is named after Janus. Appropriately for the first month of the year, Janus was Roman god of [more...]
“Buffalo wings” are named not for the massive mammal of the American Plains but for the city in which they were first made, Buffalo, N.Y., according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. Buffalo wings were first made at the Anchor Bar in that city. According to the bar, the first ones were made on a Friday night [more...]
Travel to Yellowstone National Park or the Black Hills of South Dakota, and chances are that you’ll run across a herd of hefty mammals known as buffalo — or are they bison? In American English they’re the same species, although some language purists would insist that you refer to the animals as bison alone. Here’s the [more...]
New York City never has been known for its apple orchards, so why it is called the Big Apple? Although numerous explanations have been given over the years, the name appears to have come from the horse-racing days of the 1920s. But its widespread popularity as a term for the city didn’t occur until about [more...]