The Why of Words

#37: Nostalgia — A Homesickness So Severe Doctors Said It Could Kill You

Explore the surprisingly dark history of 'nostalgia' — a word that originated in 1688 as a medical diagnosis for severe homesickness. Discover how this term evolved from describing a debilitating disease to the bittersweet longing we experience today. --- More from Sticky Note Podcasts: Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking [https://requireddrinking.com] (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips) stickynotepodcasts.com [https://stickynotepodcasts.com]

#36: Panic — A Half-Goat Greek God Who Terrorized Travelers

Discover the surprising mythological roots of the word 'panic.' Rather than being a modern psychological term, panic traces back to Pan, the half-man, half-goat Greek god of fear. Explore how an ancient deity ended up giving us the word we use daily for sudden, intense terror. --- More from Sticky Note Podcasts: Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking [https://requireddrinking.com] (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips) stickynotepodcasts.com [https://stickynotepodcasts.com]

#35: Loot — British Colonizers Stole This Word Along With Everything Else

Explore the brutal origins of 'loot' beyond video games. This episode traces the word back to 18th-century India and the British conquest, revealing how a Hindi word 'lut' became a term for plunder that reflects a darker history of military conquest and colonial violence. --- More from Sticky Note Podcasts: Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking [https://requireddrinking.com] (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips) stickynotepodcasts.com [https://stickynotepodcasts.com]

#34: Zombie — Haitian Folklore's Fate Worse Than Death

Discover the surprising true origin of the word 'zombie' — not from Hollywood horror films, but from Haiti. Trace how the Haitian Creole word 'zonbi' traveled from West African languages through the diaspora, ultimately reshaping how we understand the undead. --- More from Sticky Note Podcasts: Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking [https://requireddrinking.com] (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips) stickynotepodcasts.com [https://stickynotepodcasts.com]

#33: Kiosk — Your Airport Snack Stand Was Once an Ottoman Palace

Discover how the word 'kiosk' traveled from Ottoman palaces to modern airports. This episode traces the nomadic journey of a seemingly simple English word back to its Turkish roots—köşk—originally meaning a pavilion or garden house. --- More from Sticky Note Podcasts: Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking [https://requireddrinking.com] (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips) stickynotepodcasts.com [https://stickynotepodcasts.com]