“Eat humble pie” began with “umble pie,” a dish made from animal offal. Over time, the phrase came to mean admitting you were wrong.

This expression began in boxing, where a hat tossed into the ring signaled a challenge. Today it means entering a contest or race.

Cc and Bcc began in the age of typed letters. Email kept the terms, even though carbon paper is no longer part of daily office life.

Adverse means harmful or unfavorable. Averse means opposed or unwilling. Here is how to choose the right word with confidence.