The Surprising Origins of 15 Commonly-Used Words in the English Language

The word for our favorite liquor can actually be traced back to the Gaelic word uisge beatha, which literally means "water of life." It's definitely ironic for anyone who might have overindulged in a little too much whiskey and maybe felt like they were dying the morning after.

In French, the word mort means “dead” and gage means “pledge” — so yes, mortgage basically means “death pledge.” But fear not: It was actually called this because the debt ends — or becomes “dead” — when the pledge is fulfilled or the property is taken through foreclosure, not because taking out a mortgage is actually a death pledge (thank goodness for that).

Ever thought about how weird the word “sandwich” actually is? Well, the sandwich got its name after John Montgau, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. As the story goes, he asked for his food to be served between two pieces of bread so he could eat with his hands and not have to leave his gambling table.

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If you’ve ever felt hurt by a sarcastic remark made by someone, now you know why: the word “sarcasm” actually comes from the Greek verb sarkazein, which literally means “to tear flesh like dogs.” Eventually, it also came to mean “to gnash the teeth” and “to speak bitterly.”

This one might have the coolest backstory yet — the word “clue” actually comes from the Greek mythology story of Theseus, who entered the Labyrinth to kill the Minotaur, a mythical bull-headed creature. According to the myth, Theseus unraveled a “clew” — a ball of string or thread — behind him so that he could find his way back out of the maze, much in the same way we might follow a string of “clues” to guide us in a mystery.

The word "avocado" comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl. What does that translate to, you ask? Well, "testicles." It’s likely that the Aztecs who discovered this fruit back in 500 B.C. named it this because they were inspired by the texture and shape of the fruit and by the fact that it was considered an aphrodisiac — not to mention that avocados also grow in pairs.

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This one was (literally) written in the stars: “disaster” is derived from Latin and Greek, with dis meaning “bad” and astron meaning “star.” The word got its name because the Greeks often blamed unfavorable and terrible conditions on the stars and the movement of planets. Talk about Mercury being in retrograde!

The word “tragedy” originates from the Greek word tragoidia, which literally means “goat song.” There are many theories that explain this strange origin — with one being that ancient Greeks often dressed in goatskins to represent satyrs when acting in plays, and still another theory pointing out that goats were often given out as prizes or even sacrificed to the gods at Athenian play competitions.

Strangely enough, the word “muscle” comes from the Latin word musculus, which translates to “little mouse.” Apparently, people thought that the movement and shape of many muscles looked like mice running underneath our skin!

Next time you’re tiptoeing through the tulips, think about this: These pretty flowers got their name from the Turkish word tülbent and Persian word dulband. Both of these words mean “turban” — apparently named this because the tulip’s shape was thought to resemble a turban.

RELATED: Everyone Has a Birth Flower, and Each One Has a Secret Meaning

The word “nightmare” derives from the Middle English word mare, which referred to not a cute horse but actually a goblin creature or evil spirit that was believed to afflict sleepers with the feeling of suffocation as they sat on their chests. Sounds pleasant, right?

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This fun word describing something “very large” was actually popularized by a 19th-century African elephant in the London Zoo named — you guessed it — Jumbo. Jumbo the elephant was quite large (he weighed over six tons, in fact!) and was showcased in circuses for his impressive size, so it makes sense that his name still lives on today to honor all things gigantic.

We use “sinister” to mean something threatening or evil — so it’s bizarre that the word actually has its roots from the Latin word meaning “left” or “of the left,” right? Well, sorry, lefties of the world — the ancient Romans actually considered left-handed people as abnormal, which is why they came to believe that the left side was unlucky or untrustworthy.

RELATED: 20 Fascinating Facts About Left-Handed People

“Fiasco” comes from the Italian word fiasco, which actually refers to a “glass bottle” or “to make a bottle.” According to one theory, when Venetian glassmakers realized that a piece they were making had flaws, they’d set aside the imperfect glass and turn it into an ordinary bottle called a “fiasco” — which explains why this word has come to mean “a complete failure.”

Strangely enough, the word “nice” didn’t always refer to something nice. In fact, it actually began as a negative term derived from the Latin nescius, meaning “ignorant” or “unaware” — and, for almost a century, was used to refer to a stupid or foolish person. Over time, though, “nice” shifted meanings and came to refer to something “pleasant and agreeable” — quite different from its original meaning, no?