Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
Word History is a weekly 15 minute etymology podcast by Etymoleon, dedicated to uncovering the history behind words and names. Each episode unveils the journey of words and their connections to various languages such as Old English, Ancient Greek, Latin, Old French, Proto-Germanic and many more. Episodes also highlight historical events related to the topic and terms explored.
Earlier episodes were just the beginning, start with later episodes for the best takes on word, name and historical origins.
New episodes every Sunday.
If you like etymology try Derivety, a daily word game by Etymoleon. Can you guess the word from the meaning of its origin? Play now at https://derivety.com.
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Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
92. Assumptions
This episode looks at terms connected to making assumptions, starting with the often-cited origin of the phrase "when you assume, you make an ass out of u/you and me". The word bias originally referred to a diagonal line, while projection comes from roots meaning to throw forward. Occam’s Razor is a principle that favours the simplest explanation, and Simpson’s Paradox highlights how data can be misleading. The episode also examines how mistaken assumptions about animals gave rise to expressions like 'seeing red' and 'wise as an owl'.