Why Do They Call It That?

Why is someone with shameless audacity said to have chutzpah ? Balls, cheek, nerve, brass — all synonyms for this wonderfully phlegmy...

Why is marijuana sometimes called pot? Pot is most likely a shortening of the Mexican Spanish word potiguaya , "marijuana leaves....

Alcohol  comes from the Arabic word al-kuhl , meaning "the kohl." Kohl (antimony sulfide) is a black powder that was widely used ...

Yes, technically adultery is committed by adults , but the connection between these two words ends there. Adultery comes from the Latin...

Why is someone who has taken a bad fall said to have beefed ? Especially common in skater vernacular, the term beef —meaning a bad fall o...

Where did such phrases as "to have a beef with someone" or "what's your beef?" ever arise? This one remains a min...

Why is an overly emotional, frantic person sometimes called a basket case ? The term basket case originated in the U.S. military to deno...

This slim-fitting skirt is named for its pencil-straight appearance. The designer Christian Dior originally used the term "H-line...