Origin stories of everything
The words you say and the things you use every day — short, surprising, and verified against a real source.
Words →
10 storiesWhere everyday words really come from.
Things →
10 storiesThe unexpected origins of everyday objects.
Ketchup
Original ketchup had no tomatoes. It was fermented fish sauce.
Treadmill
Your gym treadmill began as a Victorian prison punishment.
High Heels
High heels were invented for men — soldiers, actually.
Coca-Cola
The original Coca-Cola really did contain cocaine.
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap failed as wallpaper before it conquered packaging.
Velcro
Velcro exists because a dog got covered in burrs.
Play-Doh
Play-Doh started life as wallpaper cleaner.
Microwave
A melted chocolate bar in someone's pocket gave us the microwave.
Tea Bag
The tea bag was invented by accident — and by a complaint.
Assassin
Assassins were named after hashish? Historians aren't so sure.
Salary
You've heard Romans were 'paid in salt'. That's only half true.
Panic
There's a Greek god hiding in the word 'panic'.
Companion
A 'companion' is, by definition, someone you share bread with.
Vaccine
The word 'vaccine' literally means 'from a cow'.
Mortgage
Your mortgage is a 'death pledge'. The French weren't subtle.
Clue
Why do we 'follow' a clue? Blame a Greek monster.
Nightmare
The 'mare' in nightmare isn't a horse. It's a demon that sits on your chest.
Quarantine
You've said this word a thousand times. It literally means '40 days'.
Slinky
The Slinky was a spring that fell off a shelf and 'walked away'.
Disaster
Every disaster is, literally, a 'bad star'.