English, the universal lingua franca, is full of historical peculiarities and idiosyncrasies that can confuse even the most seasoned language learner. American English, particularly, is swimming with ...

You know it has nothing to do with poultry, but what's the real origin of the phrase cold turkey, and what does it have to do ...

If you have a bee in your bonnet about having bee-stung lips, you might make a bee-line to the plastic surgeon. And if someone asked whether you had work done, you might well them that it’s none of ...

Ever wondered why a cat was in a bag to begin with? Here’s the origin story.