This week, Butter No Parsnips welcomes back etymological powerhouse @jesszafarris.bsky.social (Words from Hell, Words Unravelled), whose latest book USELESS ETYMOLOGY proves that it is anything but! Listen now! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6zId... YouTube: youtu.be/tEzEk5S0vJ0?...

I gave myself whiplash this morning by writing an article about the Gen A slang term "get sendy," and then one on the difference between probiotics and prebiotics.

The crew over at @butternoparsnips.bsky.social invited me to reprise my first appearance on their show, which is WONDERFUL in every sense of the term. Highly recommend subscribing. (And look, they even included my funny hand-book cutout in the thumbnail!) youtu.be/tEzEk5S0vJ0?...

Mind if I play too?

I made a little cutout of myself holding a copy of Useless Etymology, and now I'm having too much fun creating images of all the unhinged ways I could convince people to buy it.

The Shadow Glass (2022) by @joshwinning.bsky.social is the best book I’ve read this year. It’s a wildly underrated, emotionally grounded adventure story for anyone who grew up loving Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, or any Jim Henson-type media, but it also introduces its own wonderful lore and characters.

Not going to harvest this puffball, but look at the size of it!

Finally watching the latest Superman movie, and because of the larger ✨ discourse ✨ it ignited, I managed to remain entirely unaware of the abundant and delightful Dr. Horrible references until now.

@jesszafarris.bsky.social's new book “Useless etymology: Offbeat word origins for curious minds” hits shelves on October 7! #etymology #linguistics #language #history #words

Get you a man who makes grilled cheese like this

I’m part of TikTok’s Education Creator program. They sent me a goodie pack including a ring light, Bluetooth lav mics, and a power pack. My favorite part, though, is the shitty English translation of the presumably Chinese copywriting on the ring light box.

The following details heavily suggest that the organization is currently being run by the ghosts of its former researchers.

I write my own books (and have one coming out shortly), but contributing to the works of people I greatly admire is also one of the most professionally validating things I've ever done. These are three books I've contributed to that have come out just in the past four months. Details below.

The word "ornery" is an American dialectical variation of the word "ordinary." The logic was ordinary = commonplace ➡️ low quality ➡️ coarse ➡️ ugly ➡️ crass/ill-behaved Similar logic as the evolution of "villain" (rustic commoner to evildoer) or even the way "basic" is used in modern slang.

I feel like I should have realized this already, but TIL "cultivar" is short for "cultivated variety."

Sure, things are falling apart, the falcon cannot hear the falconer & the best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity. BUT STILL! Take 45 min to enjoy something as different to all that as apples & oysters: W.U. w/ @robwords.bsky.social & @jesszafarris.bsky.social

my spouse, who told me he plans to use epoxy to patch holes in a bookshelf he thrifted for me: the trouble with caulk is once it’s on you just can’t get it off even standing there for hours working at it me: 😐😐🙂 him: goddammit

Dinner!

In 60+ million years, if the Earth has gone through another major die-off and is once again occupied by a different but similarly developed species, our fossil era is going to be so fucking funny to dig up.

Got this a few days ago, but haven't started it yet.

Just a few more weeks till Useless Etymology's book birthday! uselessetymology.com/2025/09/10/u...

His elegance, his majesty, his grace. Wolfgang Amadeus Meowzart.

Recent fungal observations: 👒 Clustered bonnet (Mycena inclinata) 🐇 Hare's foot inkcap (Coprinopsis lagopus) 🍯 Ringless honey mushroom (Desarmillaria caespitosa)

I like “scrofulous” as an all-purpose pejorative (e.g., “scrofulous shitweasel”) implying “diseased.” Scrofula or the king’s evil were names for mycobacterial cervical lymphadenitis, known for the masses that grow on the neck. Scrofulæ means “little pigs,” perhaps a nod to the round pink masses.

Hey it's us, your favorite word dorks! CC: @robwords.bsky.social

We often don't get to choose our nicknames, but, for the record, "nickname" didn't get to choose what IT'S called either. Let's talk about the weird etymology of 'nickname'. It starts with the Vikings.

and definitely don’t say ASS RING

Yesterday I met a person and her dog and I remembered BOTH of their names, not just the dog’s. Please clap.

Guess who crossed a whole ocean to visit me this week?

Words Unraveled: Titles & Power | with @jesszafarris.bsky.social & @robwords.bsky.social "..the etymologies of eminent titles. They discuss the origins of words like "lord", "emperor", "queen" and a whole host of others.." www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrsq...

Obsessed with New England Brewing Co.’s festbier called Schnitzengiggles, which features a photo of Augustus Gloop and a version of the Oompa Loompa song about how it is both in a can and can be enjoyed on the can.

Glistening golden treasure on the forest floor!

On the evening of Oct. 8, I'm doing a stock book signing of USELESS ETYMOLOGY at Barnes & Noble 5th Ave in NYC, and I'm looking for a casual, spacious bar near Bryant Park to post up after the signing so I can invite friends (or anyone else) to show up after work for a quick toast. Any suggestions?

Today’s critter observations.

Etymology is the ultimate educational skeleton key. To learn about astronomy, chemistry, taxonomy, enology, cybersecurity, etc., poke around in the vocabulary and jargon surrounding that topic for an automatic primer in its history and the major players, works, and conditions that shaped it.

Ranger is such a good salt-and-pepper batboy 🖤 🤍 🖤

Along the same lines: I'm very privileged in this regard, but it's worrying that many people don't walk away from their education with the ability/gumption/curiosity to identify quality sources and evaluate their credibility. Conversational querying tools are absolutely exacerbating the problem.

I missed the exact moment because I was editing a manuscript, but we did it, and Rob owes me an extra sleeve of Hobnobs. He’ll also get some Levain cookies… possibly in person and very soon! 😉 Thank you, friends!

This is one of my absolute favorite YouTube Channels these days. These two absolutely delightful word nerds

*Palpatine Voice* DO IT! 👇

My 1st experience with a feeling like religious awe was at the Peabody in New Haven on 1st grade field trip; I stood pie-faced in front of the triceratops skull for 20 minutes like that creepy kid from EQUUS. So this Words Unravelled ep. w/ @robwords.bsky.social & @jesszafarris.bsky.social is a gem!

We’re 33 subscribers away from 100K on YouTube, and if I screenshot it first, Rob will buy me Hobnobs. (He is also probably asleep right now.) Granted, if he screenshots it first, I will make him Levain bakery copycat cookies. Either way, if you like the show but aren’t subbed, help a girl out.

I've been looking back through pictures of my recently departed dog Ladybird (❤️‍🩹), and I will forever crack up at this one of my cat, Wolf, whom I caught in the act of definitely not trying to smother her.

we know they're only just barely prehistoric, but shoutout to the french naturalist-zoologist Georges Cuvier for looking at a fossilised jawbone in 1817 and saying (presumably in french) "wow, those teeth sure do look like tits!" and naming the animal Mastodon

Sauropods, Theropods, and Ceratopsians, oh my! Our new 🦕 dinosaur-themed 🦖 episode of Words Unravelled is a roaring good time. Btw, how long did it take YOU to figure out that the triceratops from Land Before Time is named Cera, not Sarah? www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Bv...

Highly deserved for this excellent show

As of last week, Words Unravelled was BOTH a finalist for Best New Podcast in the British Podcast Awards AND ranked among the Top 10 for Listeners' Choice! Big thanks to everyone who voted, and if you haven't, @robwords.bsky.social, @martynmnw.bsky.social and I would be mighty grateful if you did.

It always feels weird and inaccurate when someone calls me an "etymologist," so I'm trying on alternate titles for size: Nouncromancer Semantic spelunker Suffix smuggler Root whisperer Prefix plumber Diction didact

Sometimes the historical dictionary offers solace through the existence of an obsolete word that is sorely needed now. One of them is ‘respair’, recorded just once, in the 15th century. It means fresh hope, and a recovery from despair.

We've said goodbye to our sweet girl Ladybird. She went from a starved, anxious, desperate rescue to a beautiful, complicated, and beloved family member. This little hound stole our hearts, and she has left a chasm in our lives where her licky, cuddly silliness used to be. Rest well, my love. 💙