Why Do We Even Say That?

Okay, real talk—have you ever stopped mid-sentence and thought, Wait... why do we even say that? Like, why do we “spill the beans” instead of just “telling the secret”? Why is a ladder called a ladder and not, I don’t know, a “climb-stick” or “step thingy”? And why do we “bite the bullet” instead of just, you know... not doing that?

I think we all just go along with words and phrases because we’ve heard them a million times. But when you actually stop and question them, it feels like language is just playing an elaborate prank on us.

This book is about uncovering the weird, funny, and sometimes downright ridiculous origins of words and phrases we use every single day. Some of them have historical roots that make total sense. Others? Complete nonsense. But that’s what makes them so fun.

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have all kinds of random facts to annoy your friends with. Like, “Hey, did you know ‘butterfly’ used to be called ‘flutterby’?” Or, “You know why we call money ‘bucks’? Because people literally used to trade deer skins like some medieval flea market.” See? Useless but fun.