Arunachal Pradesh is a state in the far northeast corner of India. It shares a border with Burma, Bhutan, and China. In the state there’s a district called East Kameng, a community of villages that have had few interactions with the outside world. And in that community, there are several thousand people who speak a language called Aka. Within the community of Aka speakers, however, …
Every so often, a headline or breaking news story warns of the dangers of “toxic sludge.” Recently, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board warned of a toxic sludge threatening San Diego County and composed of “storm water, sewage, and garbage.” In 2018, toxic green sludge “gushed” onto a Detroit highway, endangering nearby municipal water supplies. In 2010, a tragic event occurred in Hungary, …
What language do these words come from: ouch-cay, appy-hay, and ender-tay? If you guessed Pig Latin, you’re correct. What is Pig Latin? Pig Latin is not actually a language but a language game that children (and some adults) use to speak “in code.” Pig Latin words are formed by altering words in English. Here’s how it works: First, pick any English word. We’ll use dictionary. …
Whether you start your morning with coffee or tea—it’s part of who you are, but how much do you know about either caffeinated beverage? Where did tea come from? Tea comes from the Chinese d’a, and transformed into tea or ch’a depending on where the drink migrated. All tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and the six basic varieties are white, yellow, …
Recently, the Detroit Lions’ Jahvid Best was forced out of a football game due to turf toe — Grade 2 turf toe, to be exact. It’s a funky name for what can become an significant injury for professional athletes. First of all, turf toe gets its name because athletes who play on artificial turf face the highest risk of suffering from it. This means football players, rugby …
A bigot is “a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.” OK, but where does this strong and negative word originate? Here’s the interesting part. Some etymologists believe the Old French version of bigot, which means “sanctimonious,” was used by the French to mock the Normans, a people who lived in France and invaded Britain in 1066. Allegedly, the Normans …
There’s a fresh UFO hullabaloo, and that provides the perfect opportunity to encounter the origin of “flying saucer” and “UFO.” There are no alien autopsies, abductions or crop circles in these stories, but there is no shortage of weirdness. First, here’s the latest extraterrestrial extravaganza. A group of retired Air Force members and UFO researchers held a press conference claiming that aliens not only monitor, …
According to the British tabloid the Daily Mirror, a quick-thinking Montana woman fended off a bear attack with a 14-inch courgette. Is this some sort of ax, shovel, or broom? No. Here’s a hint: a courgette is perfect sautéed in garlic and butter. If you are of British extraction, you may recognize the weapon of necessity as the humble yet
Chapter 11 is often used synonymously with bankruptcy, but Chapter 11 and bankruptcy aren’t exactly the same. What is Chapter 11? Chapter 11 is a specific section of the US Bankruptcy Code. It permits the reorganization of assets and debts, under court supervision, of an insolvent corporation. Individuals can also seek relief through chapter 11. Chapter 11 also establishes a schedule of payment for debts owed. …
Most of us take our keyboards for granted. If we’re touch typists, we automatically position our fingers above the same eight keys and our muscle memory takes over. We just type! What does QWERTY mean? But our keyboards have an interesting history. Most English language keyboards have a QWERTY layout. And QWERTY isn’t an acronym or neologism. The name is simply the first six characters in …
As you read about the Pope in the latest news, you may begin to wonder about his name. After all, what does pope actually mean? And how does a pope get his name after he assumes the papacy? The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and thereby the world leader of the Catholic Church. The word comes from the Latin pāpa, which means “father.” He is …
New York City goes by many names, such as the “City that Never Sleeps” and the less humble “Center of the Universe.” But the Big Apple is the most kenspeckled. There are many rumors about the history of the nickname. Did the city used to be filled with apple orchards? Does the name originate with a brothel madam named Eve? Actually, the widespread use of …
