Kurt Kaletka
@trueorbetter.bsky.social
Linguist, writer, amateur historian, etymologist, podcaster, polyglot, terrible poet.
To plead the Fifth refers to the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution, which gives everyone in the US the right to a fair trial and the right to remain silent. In popular speech, people often say they'll plead the Fifth if they don't want to comment on something, even if it's not a legal matter.
September 9, 2025 at 9:30 PM
To plead the Fifth refers to the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution, which gives everyone in the US the right to a fair trial and the right to remain silent. In popular speech, people often say they'll plead the Fifth if they don't want to comment on something, even if it's not a legal matter.
Dog is a word that entered the English language around the 16th century. Its meaning has never changed. Before that, English used the word hound. Strangely, this word is not related to any other. No one knows where the word came from. You might as well ask a dog. They like it when you talk to them.
September 5, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Dog is a word that entered the English language around the 16th century. Its meaning has never changed. Before that, English used the word hound. Strangely, this word is not related to any other. No one knows where the word came from. You might as well ask a dog. They like it when you talk to them.
Grawlix is the word for symbols used in cartoons to show swearing, like "!!#&*!". Grawlixes first appeared in a 1901 cartoon, but the term dates from 1980, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. Walker's book The Lexicon of Comicana is a tongue-in-cheek taxonomy of comic strip drawing conventions.
September 4, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Grawlix is the word for symbols used in cartoons to show swearing, like "!!#&*!". Grawlixes first appeared in a 1901 cartoon, but the term dates from 1980, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. Walker's book The Lexicon of Comicana is a tongue-in-cheek taxonomy of comic strip drawing conventions.
Goon means "hired thug" and entered the language in the 1930s. The Goons are a race of strong hominids that Popeye encounters in his Thimble Theater comic strip. Alice the Goon is hired by the evil Sea Hag, but Goons are not fundamentally evil. Anyway, the word originated in Thimble Theater.
September 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Goon means "hired thug" and entered the language in the 1930s. The Goons are a race of strong hominids that Popeye encounters in his Thimble Theater comic strip. Alice the Goon is hired by the evil Sea Hag, but Goons are not fundamentally evil. Anyway, the word originated in Thimble Theater.
Alcohol is of Arabic origin. It originally meant a powder that comes from distilling liquids, and referred to makeup. Today it refers to intoxicating spirits, which can also help make someone look better.
September 2, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Alcohol is of Arabic origin. It originally meant a powder that comes from distilling liquids, and referred to makeup. Today it refers to intoxicating spirits, which can also help make someone look better.
I remember 1980s video arcades fondly. But you can never go home again. Arcades are someone else's home now.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/back-to-th...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/back-to-th...
Back to the Arcade
They used to take pocket change. But they've changed.
trueorbetter.substack.com
September 1, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I remember 1980s video arcades fondly. But you can never go home again. Arcades are someone else's home now.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/back-to-th...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/back-to-th...
BC means Before Christ, as in before Jesus is said to have existed. After 1 BC is 1 AD. There is no year zero. The Romans, who created this system, didn't have the concept of zero. BCE--Before Common Era--is the preferred term today, since not everyone who uses our calendar system is a Christian.
September 1, 2025 at 1:42 PM
BC means Before Christ, as in before Jesus is said to have existed. After 1 BC is 1 AD. There is no year zero. The Romans, who created this system, didn't have the concept of zero. BCE--Before Common Era--is the preferred term today, since not everyone who uses our calendar system is a Christian.
AD stands for Anno Domini, Latin for "Year of our Lord". AD 1 is the first year, since that's the year Jesus is said to have been born. (No known birth certificate exists.) CE stands for Common Era. This is more considerate and accessible because everyone who uses this system is not a Christian.
August 29, 2025 at 2:59 PM
AD stands for Anno Domini, Latin for "Year of our Lord". AD 1 is the first year, since that's the year Jesus is said to have been born. (No known birth certificate exists.) CE stands for Common Era. This is more considerate and accessible because everyone who uses this system is not a Christian.
The word "rice" came to English from French--and to French from Spanish--and to Spanish from Arabic. We never changed couscous around, though.
August 28, 2025 at 7:13 PM
The word "rice" came to English from French--and to French from Spanish--and to Spanish from Arabic. We never changed couscous around, though.
We didn't eat poultry much in the house I grew up in. There were reasons.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-legend...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-legend...
The Legend of Blue-Blue
"History is a set of lies agreed upon."--Napoleon Bonaparte
trueorbetter.substack.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
We didn't eat poultry much in the house I grew up in. There were reasons.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-legend...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-legend...
The word jungle entered the English language via Hindi, first recorded in 1776. The Hindi word jangal refers to arid places with little vegetation and few trees. By 1849 the word could also include places of lush, overgrown vegetation. The original definition is rare these days.
August 27, 2025 at 9:42 PM
The word jungle entered the English language via Hindi, first recorded in 1776. The Hindi word jangal refers to arid places with little vegetation and few trees. By 1849 the word could also include places of lush, overgrown vegetation. The original definition is rare these days.
The Napoleon Complex is attributed to short men who are aggressive, presumably to compensate for their height. In fact its namesake, Napoleon Buonaparte, was 5'7" (163 cm) tall--about average for a man of his time. The height myth was the creation of British cartoonists. It did get under his skin.
August 26, 2025 at 8:22 PM
The Napoleon Complex is attributed to short men who are aggressive, presumably to compensate for their height. In fact its namesake, Napoleon Buonaparte, was 5'7" (163 cm) tall--about average for a man of his time. The height myth was the creation of British cartoonists. It did get under his skin.
I'd love to see the internal documents about the Cracker Barrel logo redesign. I bet it's got nothing on Pepsi's 2009 documents!
substack.com/profile/2750...
substack.com/profile/2750...
Kurt Kaletka (@trueorbetter)
I always figured that more goes into corporate logos than we ever see. But jeez, I never imagined that it would go on like this!
substack.com
August 26, 2025 at 3:24 PM
I'd love to see the internal documents about the Cracker Barrel logo redesign. I bet it's got nothing on Pepsi's 2009 documents!
substack.com/profile/2750...
substack.com/profile/2750...
Ever wonder why the US wanted to annex Cuba so bad? They made a number of attempts in the 19th century. They had their reasons. They weren't good reasons, but they were reasons. Find out more on episode 3 of True or Better: Extra Stars: Cuba!
soundcloud.com/wcatvpodcast...
soundcloud.com/wcatvpodcast...
True or Better | Episode 3 | Cuba
Since the early days of the republic, the United States has had its eye on the large island to
the south. The United States has sent its own troops--and it’s sent other troops--to Cuba more
times than
soundcloud.com
August 26, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Ever wonder why the US wanted to annex Cuba so bad? They made a number of attempts in the 19th century. They had their reasons. They weren't good reasons, but they were reasons. Find out more on episode 3 of True or Better: Extra Stars: Cuba!
soundcloud.com/wcatvpodcast...
soundcloud.com/wcatvpodcast...
I'll tell you, Proust had nothing on my memory of a bad sugar trip from over forty years ago.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-pain-o...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-pain-o...
The Pain of Crazy Cow Cereal
The persistent bowlful of sugary agony
trueorbetter.substack.com
August 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I'll tell you, Proust had nothing on my memory of a bad sugar trip from over forty years ago.
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-pain-o...
trueorbetter.substack.com/p/the-pain-o...
"Are we having fun yet?" is a quip written by Bill Griffith, creator of the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip. It suggests cultural fatigue, when someone is telling you you should be having fun, but you just can't tell. Griffith made the mistake of never trademarking this line. Otherwise he'd be loaded.
August 25, 2025 at 7:17 PM
"Are we having fun yet?" is a quip written by Bill Griffith, creator of the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip. It suggests cultural fatigue, when someone is telling you you should be having fun, but you just can't tell. Griffith made the mistake of never trademarking this line. Otherwise he'd be loaded.
Filibuster comes from an 18th century word for pirate. Today it means to refuse to vote on a bill in a legislature. It's not seen as the same thing as piracy. It's a legitimate tactic, sure as piracy is illegal. It's like a crime, but legal.
August 22, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Filibuster comes from an 18th century word for pirate. Today it means to refuse to vote on a bill in a legislature. It's not seen as the same thing as piracy. It's a legitimate tactic, sure as piracy is illegal. It's like a crime, but legal.
Handschuhschneeballwerfer is German for "glove-wearing snowball thrower". The term is used to describe someone who hurls insults under the guise of a false persona. If you've ever spent much time interacting on line, you probably know the type.
August 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Handschuhschneeballwerfer is German for "glove-wearing snowball thrower". The term is used to describe someone who hurls insults under the guise of a false persona. If you've ever spent much time interacting on line, you probably know the type.
Scotch tape is a trademark. It got its name when its inventor at 3M put adhesive only on the tape's edges so it wouldn't stick too strongly. A tester griped, "Tell your Scotch bosses they shouldn't be so cheap with the adhesive and put it on all the way!" So the trademark comes from an ethnic slur.
August 20, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Scotch tape is a trademark. It got its name when its inventor at 3M put adhesive only on the tape's edges so it wouldn't stick too strongly. A tester griped, "Tell your Scotch bosses they shouldn't be so cheap with the adhesive and put it on all the way!" So the trademark comes from an ethnic slur.
I'm experiencing some technical difficulties right now, so the next two episodes of the True or Better podcast, while ready to drop, are stuck. They're coming soon, though! Meanwhile, there are three episodes you can visit or revisit. trueorbetter.com#podcasts
True or Better
True or Better: Extra Stars: the podcast about US states that didn't make it
trueorbetter.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I'm experiencing some technical difficulties right now, so the next two episodes of the True or Better podcast, while ready to drop, are stuck. They're coming soon, though! Meanwhile, there are three episodes you can visit or revisit. trueorbetter.com#podcasts
Boycott. Charles Boycott was an agent for a large landowner in Ireland. In 1880, it was Boycott's job to collect rent from tenant farmers after a bad harvest. The farmers organized a rent strike, ostracizing Mr. Boycott completely. He claimed he wasn't bitter about his name entering the language.
August 19, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Boycott. Charles Boycott was an agent for a large landowner in Ireland. In 1880, it was Boycott's job to collect rent from tenant farmers after a bad harvest. The farmers organized a rent strike, ostracizing Mr. Boycott completely. He claimed he wasn't bitter about his name entering the language.
Cat language by Kliban.
August 19, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Cat language by Kliban.
Canary Islands. No, they’re not named after those little yellow birds. Pliny the Elder named them after all the dogs he saw on the islands (which were really monk seals, but hey, they both bark). Latin for “dogs” is “canariæ”, thus the name. The yellow birds are named after the islands.
August 18, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Canary Islands. No, they’re not named after those little yellow birds. Pliny the Elder named them after all the dogs he saw on the islands (which were really monk seals, but hey, they both bark). Latin for “dogs” is “canariæ”, thus the name. The yellow birds are named after the islands.
Remember when we had the INS--Immigration and Naturalization Services? At least it sounded immigrant-friendly. Then the George W. Bush administration changed it to ICE--Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to make foreigners sound like a threat. Then, as now, it's still "la Migra" in Spanish.
August 7, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Remember when we had the INS--Immigration and Naturalization Services? At least it sounded immigrant-friendly. Then the George W. Bush administration changed it to ICE--Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to make foreigners sound like a threat. Then, as now, it's still "la Migra" in Spanish.