Mocha comes from Mokha, a Yemeni port once central to the coffee trade. The drink name began with coffee, not chocolate.

“Above board” likely grew from card playing, where keeping hands visible above the table suggested fairness and no hidden tricks.

Canon means a rule, standard, or accepted body of work. Cannon means a large gun. Here is how to choose the right word.

Spoonerism comes from Reverend William Spooner, a man famous for accidental sound swaps like “queer old dean.”

“Down in the dumps” has meant feeling low since the 1700s. The key is an older meaning of “dumps”: gloom or melancholy.