Clue began as clew, a ball of thread. Learn how a practical word from myth and everyday life came to mean a hint or guide.

Tittynope is an old English word for a very small leftover amount, especially the last sip or tiny bit of food left behind.

Nice once meant foolish or ignorant, not pleasant. Here is how the word shifted over time, with examples that show the contrast.

“By and large” started as a sailing expression for handling different wind conditions. Today it usually means “generally.”

Ultimate means last, but English also names the second, third, and fourth positions from the end: penultimate, antepenultimate, and preantepenultimate.