'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris
'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris  
Podcast: Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.
Published On: Thu Mar 12 2026
Description: 1167. In this bonus segment that originally ran for Grammarpaloozians last October, we look at the surprising true origins of words that often fool people. We explore why "miniature" originally referred to a red color and not a size; the true, non-factual meaning of "factoid"; and how "hello" only became a common greeting because of the telephone. We also examine the indirect eponym behind the word "gasoline."Find Jess Zafarris online: Useless Etymology, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript.🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.