I know it originates from "head shrinking", but it doesn't help me a lot to understand the etymology. Why are psychiatrists called that? Is it like "my head is swollen [from anguish, …

Aug 13, 2018 · Why does English use "No." as an abbreviation for "Number"? It's a preserved scribal abbreviation like the ampersand & (formed by eliding the letters of et to mean and). The …

Dec 21, 2010 · Why is the word "pants" plural? Ask Question Asked 14 years, 11 months ago Modified 4 years, 1 month ago

As to why ounce/uncia is "1/12th", that is related to the Roman system of measurement. Duodecimal systems were not infrequently used around the Mediterranean, but the exact …

As Jimi Oke points out, it doesn't matter what letter the word starts with, but what sound it starts with. Since "usual" starts with a 'y' sound, it should take 'a' instead of 'an'. Also, If you say …

It seems as if a shift occurred and the descriptive "Oriental" was replaced by "Asian" as the accepted term in polite society — what caused this shift?

Apr 6, 2014 · Why did the English and Americans freely adopt "old" to describe Satan and not God? Were the nicknames Old Nick, Old Bogey, Old Scratch etc. meant to be jocular, fearful …

Why do we call our lovers "baby"? Ask Question Asked 14 years, 9 months ago Modified 12 years, 1 month ago

Sep 26, 2018 · As to why someone would avoid the use of Daddy, other than family culture (my parents were always Mom and Dad; I have no idea why), well, yes, there could be some …

Mar 14, 2015 · Why do people say 'buck' for a dollar? Ask Question Asked 10 years, 9 months ago Modified 7 years, 2 months ago