BeforeWords BeforeWords

When we describe someone as sinister we think of them as evil, manipulative, and sociopathic; all descriptions of a troubled mental state. However, through most of our recorded history the term was used to characterize our suspicion of left-handedness. 

Attending a wedding beckons us to put on attire that might be described as ‘nice’. But would you be truer to the origin of the word if you showed up to a fast food restaurant in a tuxedo?

Was the term 'dunce' and the ensuing corporal punishment—the dunce cap—created for classroom dummies, or does it derive from the name of a great Scottish thinker?

Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night, frightened by some dark and scary imagery conjured up by our very own subconscious minds. But with each ‘nightmare’ comes a storied history involving demons, suffocation, and peony-seed wine.

Signing a mortgage can bring long-term joy to your life, giving you a place to live and raise a family. However, in a twisted sense of irony, you may also be signing a death pledge. 

Do robots make our lives easier, or do they steal our jobs? Regardless of where we may stand on robots, we have a Czech playwright and a popular science fiction writer to thank for this word.