Useless Etymology
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Overview
Skip to content Useless Etymology is a collection of editorialized word histories released in no particular order by Jess Zafarris. It’s possible you’ve seen my videos on TikTok, or on Twitter @UselessEty or @jesszafarris.
News
The Forgettable Etymology of Oblivion
The following is a passage from my book, Useless Etymology, which will soon get paperback and audiobook editions. You know, I used know the origin of the word oblivion, but I seem to have forgotten it. Oh yeah-it comes from the Latin oblivio, meaning "for
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Rebracketing: Words We Broke in the Wrong Places
The following is adapted from a book I recently coauthored with Shannon Miller: A Miscellany of Weird & Wonderful Facts for Curious Humans Who Have Nothing Better to Do Than Read (You Know Who You Are). Grab a copy if that dizzying title applies to you. W
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Word aversions, or logomisia: Why do some words give us the willies?
What's one of those words that you just can't stand, that sends a chill up your spine and activates your inner sense of ick? Many people will immediately think of the word "moist," which grosses out 10-20% of the English speaking population. The phenomeno
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The Etymology of Trivia: A Place Where Three Roads Meet
The lessons I share here are often classifiable as trivia: little bits of information that are of little consequence outside of being curiosities. You might call them "trivialities"-even though I, and most of you, agree that words and their origins are no
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Puzzling Out the Etymology of Conundrum
The following is a modified excerpt from the book Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds. The word "conundrum' first appears in English in the late 16th century, supposedly at Oxford University, where it was used as an insult for an ove
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