List of common false etymologies of English words (English Wikipedia)

Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "List of common false etymologies of English words" in English language version.

refsWebsite

Global rank English rank

23etymonline.com

287^th place

321^st place

12snopes.com

944^th place

678^th place

8web.archive.org

1^st place

6merriam-webster.com

209^th place

191^st place

4yahoo.com

38^th place

40^th place

3worldwidewords.org

4,329^th place

2,847^th place

2oed.com

360^th place

231^st place

2ahdictionary.com

2,334^th place

1,403^rd place

2books.google.com

3^rd place

2worldcat.org

5^th place

2doi.org

2^nd place

2oxforddictionaries.com

710^th place

648^th place

1ancestry.com

858^th place

569^th place

1yourdictionary.com

4,339^th place

3,590^th place

1wbur.org

2,911^th place

1,596^th place

1wvpublic.org

low place

1slate.com

259^th place

188^th place

1wordorigins.org

low place

1defense.gov

1,038^th place

668^th place

1collinsdictionary.com

1,053^rd place

701^st place

1anu.edu.au

942^nd place

597^th place

1navy.mil

237^th place

170^th place

1bearcat1.com

low place

1onecle.com

low place

1radiolabs.com

low place

1yougetinfo.com

low place

1huffingtonpost.com

109^th place

87^th place

1telegraph.co.uk

30^th place

24^th place

1wordhistories.net

low place

1bbc.co.uk

8^th place

10^th place

1birmingham.ac.uk

low place

7,843^rd place

1britannica.com

40^th place

58^th place

1theguardian.com

12^th place

11^th place

1about.com

216^th place

186^th place

1acm.org

1,185^th place

840^th place

1snopes2.com

low place

1wa.gov

2,121^st place

1,217^th place

1springer.com

274^th place

309^th place

1handle.net

102^nd place

76^th place

1semanticscholar.org

11^th place

8^th place

about.com

german.about.com

"German Myth 3 – Thomas Nast and the word 'nasty'". Retrieved 21 January 2017.

acm.org

dl.acm.org

Needham, Roger M.; Schroeder, Michael D. (1978-12-01). "Using encryption for authentication in large networks of computers". Communications of the ACM. 21 (12): 993–999. doi:10.1145/359657.359659. ISSN 0001-0782.

ahdictionary.com

"Spic". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001.
"The American Heritage Dictionary entry: butterfly". ahdictionary.com. Retrieved 16 October 2017.

ancestry.com

"Cropper". Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. 2003. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

anu.edu.au

slll.cass.anu.edu.au

"Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms - P". slll.cass.anu.edu.au. Australian National University, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics. Retrieved 1 September 2024.

bbc.co.uk

"Why is 'chav' still controversial?". BBC News. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2019.

bearcat1.com

"Radio Codes & Signals – California". National Communications Magazine. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

birmingham.ac.uk

Bennett, Dr Joe (19 April 2012). "Everything you ever wanted to know about the word 'chav'". Birmingham University. Retrieved 18 December 2019.

books.google.com

Wilton, David (2008). Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199740833.
Cresswell, Julia, ed. (2010). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. Oxford University Press. p. 338. ISBN 978-0199547937.

britannica.com

"What's the Difference Between Emoji and Emoticons? | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.

collinsdictionary.com

"Coma Definition". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Retrieved 16 January 2015.

defense.gov

Lange, Katie (August 10, 2024). "'Military Brat:' Do You Know Where The Term Comes From?". www.defense.gov. US Department of Defense. Retrieved 1 September 2024.

doi.org

Needham, Roger M.; Schroeder, Michael D. (1978-12-01). "Using encryption for authentication in large networks of computers". Communications of the ACM. 21 (12): 993–999. doi:10.1145/359657.359659. ISSN 0001-0782.
Rauer, Christine (January 2017). "Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study" (PDF). Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181., translation from this CC-BY 4.0 source

etymonline.com

Douglas Harper (2010). "Crap". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Ingenious Trifling". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Fuck". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Shit". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Cracker (2)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"wog - Origin and meaning of wog by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Brat". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
Douglas Harper (2010). "News". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Rap". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Tip". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"thumb - Origin and meaning of thumb by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"Origin and meaning of butterfly by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
"emoji (n.)". etymonline.com.
"faggot - Origin and meaning of faggot by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"niggle - Origin and meaning of niggle by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"niggard - Origin and meaning of niggard by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"nigger - Origin and meaning of nigger by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
Douglas Harper (2010). "Picnic". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
"till - Origin and meaning of till by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"until - Origin and meaning of until by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com.
"Yankee | Etymology of the name Yankee by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2024-08-29.

handle.net

hdl.handle.net

Rauer, Christine (January 2017). "Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study" (PDF). Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181., translation from this CC-BY 4.0 source

huffingtonpost.com

"What 420 Means: The True Story Behind Stoners' Favorite Number". HuffPost. 2014-01-30. Archived from the original on 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2021-07-24.

merriam-webster.com

"Fuck". Merriam–Webster. Merriam–Webster, Inc. 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Shit". Merriam–Webster. Merriam–Webster, Inc. 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Redneck". merriam-webster.com.
"Golf". Merriam–Webster. Merriam–Webster, Inc. 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Handicap". Merriam–Webster. Merriam–Webster, Inc. 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Island". Merriam–Webster. Merriam–Webster, Inc. 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

navy.mil

history.navy.mil

"Brass Monkey". www.history.navy.mil. Naval Heritage and History Command - US Navy. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2024.

oed.com

"redneck, n. and adj". oed.com.
"Oxford English Dictionary". Retrieved January 13, 2013.

onecle.com

law.onecle.com

"California Penal Code Section 420". January 15, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

oxforddictionaries.com

en.oxforddictionaries.com

"Definition of butterfly in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2017.

oxforddictionaries.com

"What is the origin of the word 'snob'?". Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2014.

radiolabs.com

"Police 10/11 and Penal Codes". RadioLabs. RadioLabs International Inc. 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

semanticscholar.org

api.semanticscholar.org

Rauer, Christine (January 2017). "Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study" (PDF). Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181., translation from this CC-BY 4.0 source

slate.com

"Where Does the Term Redneck Come From? A recent trend of attributing it to a 1920s union uprising in Appalachia misses a more complex—and less sunny—history". slate.com. 11 December 2019.

snopes.com

"Thomas Crapper". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (July 8, 2007). "What the Fuck?". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (July 9, 2007). "Pluck Yew". Snopes.com¨. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (July 8, 2007). "Shit Faced". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (October 10, 2006). "Golf Carte". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Etymology of Swag". snopes.com. 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
Barbara Mikkelson (May 30, 2010). "Tip Sheet". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (June 13, 2008). "420". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Passing the Buck". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. July 12, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Crowbar". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. July 12, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (June 16, 2011). "Handicaprice". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Barbara Mikkelson (March 18, 2008). "Picnic Pique". Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

snopes2.com

"snopes2.com". snopes2.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.

springer.com

link.springer.com

Rauer, Christine (January 2017). "Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study" (PDF). Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181., translation from this CC-BY 4.0 source

telegraph.co.uk

Howse, Christopher (17 July 2008). "Calling people chavs is criminal". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 December 2019.

theguardian.com

Hern, Alex (2015-02-06). "Don't know the difference between emoji and emoticons? Let me explain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.

wa.gov

watech.wa.gov

"WiFi definition and meaning | Washington Technology Solutions". watech.wa.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-27.

wbur.org

"'Rednecks For Black Lives' Urges Southerners To Fight For Racial Justice". amp.wbur.org.

web.archive.org

"Crap". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on October 21, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
Dave Wilton (24 February 2007). "Wog". WordOrigins.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
"Golf". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"What 420 Means: The True Story Behind Stoners' Favorite Number". HuffPost. 2014-01-30. Archived from the original on 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
"Definition of butterfly in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
"Handicap". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on October 13, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Island". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"What is the origin of the word 'snob'?". Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2014.

wordhistories.net

Tréguer, Pascal (3 October 2017). "The Romani origin of the British 'chav'". Word Histories. Retrieved 18 December 2019.

wordorigins.org

Dave Wilton (24 February 2007). "Wog". WordOrigins.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2014.

worldcat.org

search.worldcat.org

Hern, Alex (2015-02-06). "Don't know the difference between emoji and emoticons? Let me explain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
Needham, Roger M.; Schroeder, Michael D. (1978-12-01). "Using encryption for authentication in large networks of computers". Communications of the ACM. 21 (12): 993–999. doi:10.1145/359657.359659. ISSN 0001-0782.

worldwidewords.org

Michael Quinion (2011). "Crap". World Wide Words. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"World Wide Words: Rule of thumb". Quinion.com. 1999-11-13.
"World Wide Words: Marmalade". World Wide Words. Retrieved 2016-07-13.

wvpublic.org

"Do You Know Where the Word "Redneck" Comes From? Mine Wars Museum Opens, Revives Lost Labor History". .wvpublic.org. 18 May 2015.

yahoo.com

education.yahoo.com

"Crap". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on October 21, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Golf". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Handicap". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on October 13, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
"Island". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2001. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

yougetinfo.com

Alfred F. Matthews, Jr. (2009). "Police Scanner 10 Codes..." You Get Info. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

yourdictionary.com

"Fuck". Webster's New World College Dictionary. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved June 17, 2011.