Words born from epic mistakes and typos
Words named after real, quirky people
Food words with bizarre backstories
Nature and animal word secrets
In which century did Spanish explorers first encounter the Aztec fruit 'ahuacatl' and rename it 'aguacate'?
The word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl', which translates to which body part?
schopenhauer Pumpernickel
Farting goblin, farting goblin! Yeah, that's what pumpernickel means!
schopenhauer Ketchup originated as a 17th-century fermented Chinese fish sauce with no tomatoes.
What was the primary ingredient in the 17th-century Chinese sauce 'kê-tsiap' before it evolved into ketchup?
Which language group gave us the original phrase 'uisce beatha' for distilled spirits?
Ketchup history: The word 'ketchup' comes from a 17th-century Chinese fish sauce called 'kê-tsiap' which contained absolutely no tomatoes.
schopenhauer The word whiskey is a translation of a Gaelic term meaning water of life.
What ingredient did ancient Romans mix with mustard seeds to create 'mustum ardens'?
An item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between them. In 1762, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, requested this meal to eat during card games.
The Gaelic phrase 'uisce beatha', which became the word 'whiskey', literally translates to what?
schopenhauer Match fiery Roman clues to discover the wacky origins of our everyday words.
Who is credited with creating the first tomato-based ketchup recipe in America in 1812?