30 Totally Bonkers Facts We’ve Learned In 2026 So Far That Feel Completely Made Up

As I have said since time immemorial, Merriam-Webster X account One of the best follow-ups from the god-forsaken platform. I kept saying, “Wait… what?” They leave fun facts that make you say: Because we all need a little more wisdom in our lives, here are 30 of the most mind-blowing facts they’ve shared so far in 2026.

1. Who is the “Caesar” of “Caesar Salad” fame:

2. The fact that “J” is the baby of the alphabet:

3. The word “oy” means small ball:

4. Why is it called a t-shirt:

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5. Who is the “Luke” of “luke”:

6. The word “hello” is much younger than you think:

7. “Hey” is actually the first of the bunch:

8. Medieval origin of the word “freelance”:

9. Where does “cancel” come from:

10. Why do we say “love” in tennis and why it’s a bit of a mystery:

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11. The word “umbrella” literally means “shadow”:

12. Why “cleaver” is the most confusing word in the English language:

13. This “hooligan” is a real person:

14. “This is not a ‘struggle’, it is a ‘struggle'”:

15. Burpees, like the exercise, are named after an actual person:

16. A group of emu is called a “mafia”:

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17. What is a “retronym”:

18. Here are a few more “retronyms” that you definitely use every day:

19. The fatal origin of the word “whom he destroys”:

20. “Clock” is actually a short way of saying three specific words:

21. When to use “You and I” and “You and I”:

22. Why “St. Paddy’s Day” is more accurate than “St. Patty’s Day”:

23. German chocolate cake is actually…not German:

24. All of these:

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25. The word “gaslight” comes from a play and movie:

26. History of “taxi” and “taxi”:

27. The word “no matter what” is much older than you think, and it’s time to accept it:

28. $#!% All meanings of words:

29. Where does “hi” come from:

30. And finally, the British actually said “football” first:

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