take me to your leader 6 February 2026 The phrase take me to your leader is a science fiction cliché, so much so that in the 2007 “Voyage of the Damned” Christmas episode of Doctor Who the time-traveling, title character said, “Take me to your leader! I’ve always wanted to say that!” (Another phrase
poutine 4 February 2026 Poutine is a contender for the Canadian national dish, although whether or not it can unseat Kraft Dinner (i.e., Kraft macaroni and cheese) in overall popularity is questionable. But the origins of both the dish and its name are shrouded in mystery, and its pedigree is
franchise / enfranchise / disenfranchise 2 February 2026 The English franchise is a borrowing of an Anglo-Norman word, which could mean freedom in various contexts. It could mean freedom as opposed to serfdom; a special right, privilege, or exemption; a corporate body, such as a town or guild; citizenship or membership in a corporate body;
Tommy / Tommy Atkins 30 January 2026 The great joy of running this website is that now and again I uncover an origin that simultaneously connects with great historical figures and events and reveals how language, the most human of inventions, works. The British slang term for a soldier, Tommy, is just such a
graduand 28 January 2026 Graduand is a rare but useful word. It refers to a student who has completed all the requirements for a degree but has yet to graduate. It is from the Medieval Latin graduandus, the gerundive form of the verb graduare, meaning to be graduated. It has its
stochastic terrorism Words in the News is a weekly, paid-subscriber feature of Wordorigins.org. If you’d like to see more, please subscribe at a paid level. My goal is to simply break even and have subscriptions and ads pay for my out-of-pocket expenses in keeping this site up and running. So
cardigan, raglan, & balaclava 26 January 2026 The Crimean War (1853–56), fought between the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Russia, gave rise to the names of three types of clothing still commonly worn today, the cardigan sweater, the balaclava helmet, and the raglan sleeve. Two are named for generals who were perhaps better
raccoon / trash panda 23 January 2026 Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are medium-sized (11–57 lbs / 5–26 kg), North American mammals with dexterous paws, a facial mask, and ringed tail. They are originally native to deciduous forests, but have adapted extremely well to urban areas, living in close proximity to humans, where they are
domestic terrorism/terrorist Words in the News is a weekly, paid-subscriber feature of Wordorigins.org. If you’d like to see more, please subscribe at a paid level. My goal is to simply break even and have subscriptions and ads pay for my out-of-pocket expenses in keeping this site up and running. So
livelong 21 January 2026 Livelong is not a common adjective. Its use, for the most part, is restricted to one expression, all the livelong day, although as late as the nineteenth century the livelong night was also common. In these expressions the word is simply an intensified version of the adjective
bootleg 19 January 2026 Bootleg marks a product that is either inferior or illicitly produced. But why bootleg and when did the term come into being? Literal use of bootleg to refer to the part of a boot that covers the lower leg dates to the sixteenth century. And it is
enthusiasm / enthuse 16 January 2026 The meanings of words change over time. Sometimes words become more specialized; the Old English deor was used to refer to any kind of wild beast, but by the end of the thirteenth century had started to be used specifically to refer to the creature we now
