John Kelly
@mashedradish.bsky.social
Your "rigorous af" word guy. Formerly, head of content at Dictionary.com, contributor to Merriam-Webster and Oxford Dictionaries, emoji lexicographer for Emojipedia, and educator. I (still) blog about etymology at mashedradish.com.
This is just unspeakable.
Super Bowl viewers Sunday speculated that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared in the halftime show. In fact, he has been in hiding with his family.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
“He can’t sleep well at night. He wakes up three or four times a night screaming, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Liam's father Adrian Conejo Arias, said.
‘He’s not the same’: Father of Liam Conejo Ramos says 5-year-old continues to suffer
Some people thought they say the 5-year-old during the Super Bowl halftime show. But Liam is still in hiding with his family, after he and his father were detained and then released from a Texas deten...
www.mprnews.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:15 AM
This is just unspeakable.
One thing that is surreal is having to use a product of the company that laid my dictionary peeps and me all off.
February 9, 2026 at 11:13 PM
One thing that is surreal is having to use a product of the company that laid my dictionary peeps and me all off.
One of my 8th graders today sped into class at 7:30am to find her best friend & rave about Bad Bunny’s halftime. She’s Latina, 1st language is Spanish, kept saying how “touching” it was, how happy she was for Bad Bunny. Was moved by his litany of Latin American countries & left this at dismissal:
February 9, 2026 at 10:27 PM
One of my 8th graders today sped into class at 7:30am to find her best friend & rave about Bad Bunny’s halftime. She’s Latina, 1st language is Spanish, kept saying how “touching” it was, how happy she was for Bad Bunny. Was moved by his litany of Latin American countries & left this at dismissal:
Reposted by John Kelly
Winter Olympics word of the week: Stoat. (ht @mashedradish.bsky.social)
fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
Word of the week: Stoat
A weasel word goes to the Winter Olympics.
fritinancy.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Winter Olympics word of the week: Stoat. (ht @mashedradish.bsky.social)
fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
I will say, Matthew McConaughey, that “gridiron” is really just a variant of “griddle.”
February 9, 2026 at 12:45 AM
I will say, Matthew McConaughey, that “gridiron” is really just a variant of “griddle.”
The English word for HAWK used to be ...
HAFOC.
Hafoc. Hafoc!
That medial consonant certainly flew the nest.
HAFOC.
Hafoc. Hafoc!
That medial consonant certainly flew the nest.
There's other big sports stuff happening today.
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
February 8, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The English word for HAWK used to be ...
HAFOC.
Hafoc. Hafoc!
That medial consonant certainly flew the nest.
HAFOC.
Hafoc. Hafoc!
That medial consonant certainly flew the nest.
There's other big sports stuff happening today.
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
February 8, 2026 at 5:16 PM
There's other big sports stuff happening today.
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
Like, you know, the Seahakws rematching the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Which prompted me to refresh my 2015 post after the two teams last faced off.
Play back the tape on the etymology of HAWK vs. PATRIOT: mashedradish.com/2026/02/08/h...
English used to pronounce the name of MILAN with the stress on the first syllable.
This is preserved in the spelling of MILLINER.
This is preserved in the spelling of MILLINER.
The Winter Olympics also sent me down the rabbit hole of MILLINER. 👒
Originally referring to a NATIVE OF MILAN, MILLINER became associated with Milanese merchants who sold fine wares and women's apparel—including women's hats.
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
Originally referring to a NATIVE OF MILAN, MILLINER became associated with Milanese merchants who sold fine wares and women's apparel—including women's hats.
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
“Milliner”: it’s literally from Milan
A fancy word for fancy hats owing to Milanese merchants selling fancy wares. Fancy that!
mashedradish.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:12 PM
English used to pronounce the name of MILAN with the stress on the first syllable.
This is preserved in the spelling of MILLINER.
This is preserved in the spelling of MILLINER.
FIGURE SKATING originally involved cutting patterns and shapes—FIGURES—onto the actual surface of the ice.
Let's have an Olympian carve out ABOLISH ICE in a routine. It would be true to the history of the sport!
Let's have an Olympian carve out ABOLISH ICE in a routine. It would be true to the history of the sport!
In Part I of Winter Olympics sport names, I cover the etymologies of:
- SKATE, including why FIGURE skating
- SKI, including SLALOM and MOGUL
- LUGE
⛸️ ⛷️
mashedradish.com/2014/02/07/w...
- SKATE, including why FIGURE skating
- SKI, including SLALOM and MOGUL
- LUGE
⛸️ ⛷️
mashedradish.com/2014/02/07/w...
Winter Olympics sport word origins, Part I: skate, ski, slalom, mogul, luge
The etymological bones of “skate” may also be literal ones.
mashedradish.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:11 PM
FIGURE SKATING originally involved cutting patterns and shapes—FIGURES—onto the actual surface of the ice.
Let's have an Olympian carve out ABOLISH ICE in a routine. It would be true to the history of the sport!
Let's have an Olympian carve out ABOLISH ICE in a routine. It would be true to the history of the sport!
Watching the Winter Olympics?
I refreshed some posts in my archives on the origins of the broad names of major winter sport disciplines.
👇👇👇
I refreshed some posts in my archives on the origins of the broad names of major winter sport disciplines.
👇👇👇
February 8, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Watching the Winter Olympics?
I refreshed some posts in my archives on the origins of the broad names of major winter sport disciplines.
👇👇👇
I refreshed some posts in my archives on the origins of the broad names of major winter sport disciplines.
👇👇👇
I can't stop thinking about how there is a Cézanne print in George's private, accessible bathroom in 'Seinfeld.'
February 8, 2026 at 2:46 PM
I can't stop thinking about how there is a Cézanne print in George's private, accessible bathroom in 'Seinfeld.'
Apparently the official motto of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is: IT's your vibe.
OK, then.
www.olympics.com/ioc/news/mil...
OK, then.
www.olympics.com/ioc/news/mil...
Milano Cortina 2026 unveils official motto: “IT's Your Vibe”
The Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 today revealed a vibrant and inclusive new motto, “IT's Your Vibe”, which places people at the heart of the Gam...
www.olympics.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Apparently the official motto of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is: IT's your vibe.
OK, then.
www.olympics.com/ioc/news/mil...
OK, then.
www.olympics.com/ioc/news/mil...
Speaking of Milan, a "milliner," as in a person who makes or sells women's hats, originally referred to someone from Milan.
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
“Milliner”: it’s literally from Milan
A fancy word for fancy hats owing to Milanese merchants selling fancy wares. Fancy that!
mashedradish.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Speaking of Milan, a "milliner," as in a person who makes or sells women's hats, originally referred to someone from Milan.
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
mashedradish.com/2026/02/07/m...
Sandy Hook was a defining moment in US society.
We saw the needless, preventable massacre of children—and did nothing about it.
The Epstein Files are another. We are witnessing—real time—people in power trying to justify pedophilia.
There is no moral ambiguity here. Will we fail again?
We saw the needless, preventable massacre of children—and did nothing about it.
The Epstein Files are another. We are witnessing—real time—people in power trying to justify pedophilia.
There is no moral ambiguity here. Will we fail again?
February 7, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Sandy Hook was a defining moment in US society.
We saw the needless, preventable massacre of children—and did nothing about it.
The Epstein Files are another. We are witnessing—real time—people in power trying to justify pedophilia.
There is no moral ambiguity here. Will we fail again?
We saw the needless, preventable massacre of children—and did nothing about it.
The Epstein Files are another. We are witnessing—real time—people in power trying to justify pedophilia.
There is no moral ambiguity here. Will we fail again?
Reposted by John Kelly
I am become slang: “W Mr. Kelly[,] chat.”
February 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
I am become slang: “W Mr. Kelly[,] chat.”
What is education for? I look at these 11-, 12-, 13-year-olds. They still want to run and play. They still want to read books and tell stories. Yes, of course, they want to play on computers and phones, but we've already condemned their lives to them. School could be a sanctuary from them.
AI impoverishes learning. It cheats our students.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
What principals at 'richer' schools ask me in interviews:
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
February 7, 2026 at 3:45 PM
What is education for? I look at these 11-, 12-, 13-year-olds. They still want to run and play. They still want to read books and tell stories. Yes, of course, they want to play on computers and phones, but we've already condemned their lives to them. School could be a sanctuary from them.
AI impoverishes learning. It cheats our students.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
What principals at 'richer' schools ask me in interviews:
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
February 7, 2026 at 3:35 PM
AI impoverishes learning. It cheats our students.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
And the insidious and unimaginative integration of technology into every moment of instruction?
It prepares students to be 'knowledge workers' for an economy increasingly outsourcing those jobs to AI.
What principals at 'richer' schools ask me in interviews:
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
February 7, 2026 at 3:33 PM
What principals at 'richer' schools ask me in interviews:
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
- How do you use technology?
- How will you integrate AI?
What principals at 'poorer' schools ask me:
- How do motivate learners?
- How do you manage diversity of needs?
- What other passions do you bring?
Defiance through compassion. Civic gospel. It’s also, you know, the Gospel.
February 6, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Defiance through compassion. Civic gospel. It’s also, you know, the Gospel.
Reposted by John Kelly
I can't lie when an educator believes in you, it's life changing.
February 6, 2026 at 9:58 PM
I can't lie when an educator believes in you, it's life changing.
I am become slang: “W Mr. Kelly[,] chat.”
February 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
I am become slang: “W Mr. Kelly[,] chat.”
Working in a K-8 school means sometimes you have to pop into a third grade classroom where the kids swarm you, asking if they can give you a hug and say hi to their big siblings you teach in grades 7-8.
There is so much good yet in this world.
There is so much good yet in this world.
February 5, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Working in a K-8 school means sometimes you have to pop into a third grade classroom where the kids swarm you, asking if they can give you a hug and say hi to their big siblings you teach in grades 7-8.
There is so much good yet in this world.
There is so much good yet in this world.
Late to this. What the hell does it even mean for a groundhog to "see" its shadow, anyways?
February 3, 2026 at 11:33 PM
Late to this. What the hell does it even mean for a groundhog to "see" its shadow, anyways?
A short field report about youth slang in the K-8 school where I teach:
- CITY BOY is on the rise as a brain-rot expression
- W (short for "win") has currency as a term for "excellent, high quality, cool"
- AI is variously used to call out something as fake or too good to be true
1/3
- CITY BOY is on the rise as a brain-rot expression
- W (short for "win") has currency as a term for "excellent, high quality, cool"
- AI is variously used to call out something as fake or too good to be true
1/3
February 3, 2026 at 7:28 PM
A short field report about youth slang in the K-8 school where I teach:
- CITY BOY is on the rise as a brain-rot expression
- W (short for "win") has currency as a term for "excellent, high quality, cool"
- AI is variously used to call out something as fake or too good to be true
1/3
- CITY BOY is on the rise as a brain-rot expression
- W (short for "win") has currency as a term for "excellent, high quality, cool"
- AI is variously used to call out something as fake or too good to be true
1/3
Ah, the internet. I finally learn your given game.
Content Corpse
United States, Census, 1880
United States, Census, 1880
February 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Ah, the internet. I finally learn your given game.