But the most fascinating etymologies he unearths – like his hero, the great etymologist Walter W Skeat, who “broke many a spear defending the simplest etymology” – are those of everyday ...
It's funny because: Colloquially, "meanest" means best, so at first you think that the man is disagreeing with the shop's claim abouts its grilled cheese. But "mean" also means average, so, he's ...
Etymologist and broadcaster Susie Dent investigates the art of word blending, otherwise known as 'portmanteau' and shines a light on some impressive and very relevant examples from across the ...
Lexicographer, etymologist and broadcaster Susie Dent activates the f-bomb and takes us on a journey through time. Animation by Adrian Hartrick and Dominika Ozynska A facility near the Icelandic ...
Susie Dent, a lexicographer and etymologist who is best known for her work on Countdown, first tweeted about teleophobia in 2015. “Teleophobia is a fanciful term for the fear of definite plans ...
Though etymologist John Ayto, fancies bara in Old Norse, the word for wave. Poetically, then, the wash of monotony we endure matches a tidal bore, sweeping its way upstream. Across the channel ...
Words cannot quite articulate the collective loathing humankind has for mosquitoes, and rightfully so! These parasite peddling, blood sucking little critters are responsible for a great deal of ...