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19 weirdly-specific everyday things that you didn't know had names

That pleasing smell after a heavy rain is called "petrichor"

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Most people have no idea these extremely specific everyday objects actually have names.

Some concepts just can't be captured by a single word. They're too specific, too intangible, or just too weird to possibly be summed by a single string of letters with a meaning we all universally agree on. Or, at least, that's what I thought.

I recently learned this about something I had believed to be almost indescribable. The pleasant smell after a summer rain — you know, that pleasing, warm, earthy smell of wet soil and steamy pavement — actually has a name. It's called "petrichor". Turns out, scientists have studied the aroma and why humans are seemingly so sensitive and drawn to it.

It got me thinking about if there were other unspoken phenomena, or strangely-specific objects or concepts that actually have names. It turns out, there are a ton! Some of them are a little antiquated, others won't be found in most traditional dictionaries, but the names exist nonetheless.

Here are 19 of the most interesting things you didn't know had names. Learn these and you'll never be at a loss for words ever again:


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang Petrichor is the smell of wet soil and pavement after a rain. Photo by frame harirak on Unsplash

1. The space between your eyebrows is the "glabella"

A common theme in my research is that your body has tons of parts you never realized have scientific names. Who would have ever thought the small patch of skin between your eyebrows would need its own medical term?

2. The day after tomorrow is called "overmorrow"

Why haven't we been using this one the whole time? This is an older, outdated word, but it makes complete sense. Many languages other than English have a word for the day after tomorrow, and it turns out, we have one, too.

3. A question mark and exclamation mark used together is called an "interrobang"

This specific punctuation combo is used heavily in text messages and emails, or in written dialogue to denote an excitedly or angrily-asked question.

4. Handwriting that's sloppy and hard to read is "griffonage"

Griffonage doesn't necessarily refer to someone who has bad handwriting, but moreso to scribbles and scrawls that were done hastily. Have you ever quickly made yourself a note with very little care for neat writing, then had trouble reading it later? That's griffonage.

5. The stringy things that come off when you peel a banana are "Phloem bundles"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang The stringy bits of banana peel are called Phloem bundles. Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

No one tell my kids about Phloem bundles. They already throw bananas away at the sight of the tiniest brown spot; they'll never recover if they learn about this pretty gross-sounding term.

6. When you've misheard the lyrics of a song, you've created a "mondegreen"

Usually a mondegreen creates a new meaning; it's when you misheard or couldn't quite make out the words to a song or poem and do your best to fill in the gaps with something that kind of makes sense. A famous one is how many people thought the famous Jimi Hendrix song went "Excuse me while I kiss this guy."

7. A worn-down area in the grass where walkers have diverted from the sidewalk is called a "desire path"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang Human-made paths in the grass or dirt are desire paths. Gordon Joly & wetwebwork/Flickr

These are everywhere! Turns out people don't like following the sidewalk around 90 degree corners and will often cut across the grass, instead, wearing a path into the dirt. Desire paths are well-studied by city planners.

8. The cardboard sleeve that goes around a hot coffee cup is called a "zarf"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang The cardboard sleeve around hot coffee is called a zarf. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

A zarf is any cylindrical sleeve that goes around a hot cup to protect your hands, but these days it's most commonly used (if it's used at all) to describe those little paper things they give out at Starbucks.

9. The little dot over a lowercase i or j is called a "tittle"

I always just assumed that the dot was part of the letter, which it is, but apparently it's important enough to get its very own name!

10. Those heavenly rays of sunshine slicing through the clouds are called "crepuscular rays"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang Sun beams through clouds are called crepuscular rays. Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash

Truly one of the most beautiful sights to behold on the planet, I never knew there was such an official name for these beams of sunlight. The word "crepuscular" refers to something that resembles or relates to twilight.

11. The puffy edge of a pizza crust is technically called the "cornicione"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang The edge of the pizza crust is the cornicione. Photo by Getúlio Moraes on Unsplash

This is a fun one, because if we're being technical, the entire doughy bread layer of a pizza is the crust. The little puffy, crescent-shaped bit at the end that we feed our dogs is its own unique entity — formally known as the cornicione. It's an Italian word meaning "edge or rim."

12. The little metal thing that attaches an eraser to a wooden pencil is called a "ferrule"

If you're like me, so much as glancing at a ferrule transports you straight back to elementary school. I can practically smell the rubber of the eraser and feel the ridges of the little metal ring — and now I know what it's called.

13. That feeling of really really really not wanting to get out of bed is called "dysania"

There can be a lot of causes of not wanting to get out of bed, but dysania usually refers to mornings when you should have gotten plenty of sleep. Whether it's feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead, still sleepy from sleep inertia, or dealing with fatigue from an underlying medical condition — I think we've all been there before for one reason or another.

14. Squeezing your eyes shut and seeing weird lights and shapes? Those are called "phosphenes"

I used to love doing this as a kid. I'd see stars, geometric shapes and patterns, and blasts of laser-like light all dancing in front of my eyes - and I never knew other people had the same experience until I was much older. Phosphenes refers to the visual perception of light without any actual light being present or entering the eyes. When you shut your eyes tight or rub them, the visual pressure on the eye stimulates it and creates these almost-hallucinations.

15. The metal cage that holds the cork on a bottle of champagne is called an "agraffe"


english language, words, english, idioms, words and phrases, weird, everyday objects, funny, humor, language, slang The metal cork cage is called an agraffe. Photo by DaYsO on Unsplash

It's funny, opening a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine is usually a sign of celebration. The bottle and liquid inside help mark the occasion, and the cork might be saved as a keepsake. But the poor little metal cage? That always gets forgotten and thrown away. The least we could do is refer to it by its given name: the agraffe.

16. The hole you put your arm through in a shirt is called an "armscye"

You've heard of shirts, you've heard of sleeves, but most people don't know that the hole where they meet actually has its own term in the tailoring world.

17. That unreachable spot between your shoulder blades is called the "acnestis"

Throughout human history, so many people have experienced an itch in this impossible-to-scratch area that we finally had to break down and give it a name sometime in the 1700s.

18. Words that mean one thing forward and another backward are called "semordnilaps"

A palindrome is a word that reads the same in both directions, like racecar, or noon. A semordnilaps is a word that means two different things backwards and forwards, which is a highly unique but very cool scenario. Some examples of semordnilaps are stressed/dessert, mood/doom, devil/lived, or straw/warts.

19. A bunch of symbols stuffed together in place of profanity is called "grawlix"

About &@*($&$# time we got to this one! Commonly seen in comic books alongside another one of my favorite words, onomatopoeia (sound words like bam, pow, hiss, boo), we're all so naturally attuned to grawlix that we can almost read it like regular English.

Gen Alpha vs Millennial slang amusing rapid fire round

Slang is different depending on which generation you grew up in, of course there will always be some crossover but mostly it's not the same. Gen Z had a different slang than Millennials, just as Millennials had different popular terms than Gen X. The list goes on and on.

Nobody says groovy unironically anymore and haven't for quite some time but generally the new term on the block was pretty easy to decipher. That doesn't always seem to be the case when it comes to the slang Gen Alpha uses. That's the generation currently still being born with the oldest of the cohort just barely middle school age. Their phrases are so unique that even the generation right above them is having a hard time understanding what they're talking about.

Angie Bacuyani and her Gen Alpha son decided to give the internet a crash course in the new slang words by playing a word association lighting round. The mom would say a Millennial slang word and her son would immediately say a Gen Alpha word that means the same thing.


It was a fun interaction if you aren't from Ohio. If you are from Ohio, surely Gen Alpha means no harm by saying it's the alternative word for crazy. Saying something is "lame" would now be known as "selling" while the word "cool" has been replaced with "sigma." Thanks to their video parents will finally know that "skibidi" just means "bad" and isn't some sort of disease or something to be concerned about, although "Skibidi Toilet" the character responsible for the gibberish word is a little weird.

Aside from the word skibidi, Gen Alpha and Gen Z seem to be the main source being credited for today's slang, most of the words are derived from AAVE or African American Vernacular English, formally known as Ebonics. Many of the popular terms used today can be traced back to things people have said for years, but thanks to social media, they've made their way into the mainstream lexicon on younger adults and children. A few commenters pointed out this historical information while others felt amusingly confused.

"I’m gen Z and I feel like I’m getting left behind," one person cries.

"My teen says “fax / no printer” for facts / true / truth," another mom shares so parents can add it to their mental rolodex of terms to keep up with.

"I thought I was caught up until my daughter and her friend started walking about saying 'that’s giving,'" someone says.

An Ohio resident had a question to ask Gen Alpha, "as an Ohioan I’m offended because how are we the word for crazy…what happened to Florida?!"


"I don’t understand why everyone acts like children are “coming up with” new slang (or style for that matter) almost everything we say that’s considered trendy throughout recent history originates from the black community but we’re always acting like Kyle in 3rd period is making all this shit up on the fly," a commenter shares for additional context.

It's important to give credit to the originators of trends and terms but most children are simply repeating what they hear. Since the terms are so wide spread, this fun video serves as a quick dictionary for confused parents trying to sort out what their children are saying, no cap.

Joy

Middle school teacher shares Gen Alpha slang parents should know as kids go back to school

"Skibidi" and "sigma" are alive and well, but what do they mean?

Mr. Lindsay translates Gen Alpha slang for the rest of us.

Every young generation invents its own slang, much to the befuddlement of older folks who quickly tire of trying to keep up with constantly changing terminology. Remember Gen X's "bogus" or "gnarly" or "grody to the max"? How about millennials with "basic" and "extra" and "clapback"? Gen Z is still going strong with "giving" and "eating" and "mid," but even the older teens and young adults of Gen Z are beginning to feel their cool factor waning as Gen Alpha steps up to the plate.

Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024, has arrived with a whole new vocabulary that parents of school-aged kids are scrambling to adjust to. Does anyone beyond high school age know what "skibidi" means? How about "sigma" or "gyat" or "Ohio"?

One group of people who have their fingers on the pulse of young folks' language is teachers. When you're immersed in tween and teen culture all day, you pick up some things, which is why Mr. Lindsay, a middle school teacher, shared a little Gen Alpha slang primer for the beginning of the school year.


"Mr. Lindsay here to remind you of some of the words that are coming to a classroom near you this fall," he began. "Word number one—GYAT. Still going strong, okay? It does not mean, 'Go You Athletic Teens,' it does not mean 'Get Your Act Together,' it is a reference to a big butt, and when they say this they are referencing a big butt."

"Next we have 'skibidi,' it's alive and well," Lindsay continued. "Are we any closer to a consensus on the definition of this word? Absolutely not. Some say it means something good, some say it means something bad. Most of them just use it as a filler word whenever they have the impulse to say it. Skibidi."

How about "sigma"? Or "what the sigma"? Watch Mr. Lindsay explain:

The line between Gen Alpha and Gen Z can be blurry, and right now the cuspers between those two generations are in middle and high school—prime time for slang usage. Mr. Lindsay made another video demonstrating how a millennial teacher might try to relate to those students on the first day of school and it's a masterclass in cringe cross-generational slang usage that somehow manages to slay.

Watch:

Others who work with young people confirmed that these terms are, indeed, alive and well among the tween set.

"These are now sliding down to the elementary grades as well. Teaching 3rd-5th grade vacation bible school this week and I’ve heard multiple skibidi and what the sigma references."

"I took my soon to be first grader to a baseball camp this week. It was for 1st to 6th but it was mostly the younger kids. I laughed so hard when one of them yelled, “what the sigma?!”

"My 12 year old overheard me listening, ran in and said- you can’t listen to our stuff!!!! And tried to steal the phone. 🤣🤣🤣. I said what the sigma, Bro. He hates me."

Parents are deeply appreciative of both Lindsay's vocab lesson as well as demonstration of terminology they've heard from their kids and are reluctantly fluent in:

"This lowkey kinda ate and I hate that I understood it 😂😂😂"

"Saying using your phone in class is giving pick me is the MOST effective way to stop it. Lol"

"My Gen Alpha kid overheard this and was like 'BET.'"

"If everyone does this we can unalive this slang, no cap."

"Why do I understand all of this?! 😂🤣😭 Parent problems I guess."

Millennials using Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang is endlessly funny. Social media creator Elle Cordova wrote a "first gen alpha poet laureate" poem using Gen Alpha slang in a poem written in the year 2060, and it's perfection. ("Ohio" means weird/boring/bad, by the way.)

There ya go, parents. At least now you know what your kids are saying, sort of. And if you really want to impress and horrify your children, make these words a regular part of your own vocabulary and see how long they keep using them.

A teacher banned 32 words form being said in their classroom.

A teacher has sparked a passionate debate on X after a letter they wrote banning 32 words from being spoken in the classroom was made public. The discussion is centered around whether a teacher has the right to control how their students talk in class.

The letter has been seen nearly 44 million times on X.

“The gibberish some of you choose to use is improper English,” the teacher declared. “There are many ways to articulate what you need to say without using slang. Please know that using slang in an academic setting can diminish your capability to become a successful writer. More often than not the way you speak is the way you will write.”

“This is an academic institution, and you will carry yourself as scholars in my classroom,” the teacher added.


According to the letter, if students are caught using any of the 32 banned words in their classroom, they will be assigned to write a short essay explaining why they chose “to use these words in an academic setting.”

Words on the list include bruh, standing on business, on my momma, big motion, gyat, gang gang, on hood and rizz (short for charisma). The teacher also banned the use of the n-word.

Given that much of the slang on the list derives from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), many believed that the word ban was racially motivated. However, the teacher's race has never been disclosed.

The list caused a lively debate on X, and many people joked in the comments that they didn’t think they would last a day in the teacher’s class.

Many people supported the teacher and believed slang is inappropriate in an academic setting, especially in an English class. They appreciated the teacher challenging them to change their word choice based on the setting.

The list also bothered many people who thought the teacher should be able to distinguish between the student’s speech and the work they do in class. For most people, there is a big difference between how they casually speak with peers and how they write in an academic or professional setting.

Many also thought the teacher was overstepping their bounds by trying to control how the students spoke.

One person had a practical solution the teacher could use instead of banning certain words. Instead, they could teach them to dig deeper into their meaning and find words and phrases that have a similar meaning.

Pritay Washington, an expert on childhood education at the Education Development Center, told Newsweek that she believes the students should be allowed to use slang in the classroom because it has an essential function: it helps them feel like they belong in school.

"So much happens in middle and high school beyond the learning of classroom content. Students are developing cognitively, mentally, socially, emotionally and physically," she told Newsweek. "They are honing their critical thinking skills and learning how to navigate the world around them. The importance of student engagement is critical, and this includes representation. Students' sense of belonging matters."