Word on the Street

ou say “deadline” at work. You hear a rumour “through the grapevine.” You might tell someone that their “name is mud.” But have you ever stopped to wonder how these expressions entered our everyday lives?

Welcome to Word on the Street, the weekly column that investigates the surprising histories hiding inside ordinary language.

Each instalment takes a familiar word, slang expression, idiom or everyday phrase and follows its trail through time. We'll explore forgotten meanings, historical coincidences, cultural influences, linguistic twists and the wonderfully strange ways language evolves.

Some words have traceable origins. Others have travelled through several languages and centuries. And some of the most entertaining explanations turn out to be myths that have been repeated for so long that they sound like facts.

We'll investigate the evidence, look for the earliest recorded uses, compare competing explanations and tell you honestly when the origin remains uncertain.

Our mission is simple: to make you curious about the words you use without thinking.

Because once you discover the story behind a word, an ordinary conversation can become a little more extraordinary.