Words born from epic mistakes and typos
Words named after real, quirky people
Food words with bizarre backstories
Nature and animal word secrets
schopenhauer Match wacky words to their origins to discover the myths behind our biggest egos.
Tiny mice: The word 'muscle' comes from the Latin word 'musculus,' which literally translates to 'little mouse' because flexing biceps look like running mice.
schopenhauer The word clue was originally a ball of thread used to escape a mythological maze.
A widely distributed weed of the daisy family, with yellow flower heads and deeply notched leaves. Its name originates from a fifteenth-century French phrase comparing its jagged leaves to a lion's teeth.
In Greek mythology, who used a ball of thread (a 'clew') to escape the Minotaur's labyrinth, giving us the word 'clue'?
What was the spelling of 'clue' in Middle English when it still referred only to a ball of thread?
The name 'dandelion' comes from the French phrase 'dent de lion', which refers to what part of the plant?
The word 'muscle' comes from the Latin word 'musculus', which translates to what animal?
In Greek mythology, what happened to Narcissus after he fell in love with his own reflection?
Which animal's virus did Edward Jenner use in 1796 to create the very first vaccine?
What does the Latin word 'vacca', the root of 'vaccine', translate to in English?