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Science

The 15 funniest winners from the 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Which one do you think is the funniest?

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography

Two winners from the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

Once again, Upworthy is proud to share the winners of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, honoring the funniest in wildlife photography from around the globe. This year saw the largest number of entrants in the contest's 10-year history. Over 9,000 images were entered from professional and amateur photographers vying for the top prize. This year's winner is a hilarious shot of a red squirrel stuck in a tree trunk taken by Milko Marchetti of Italy.

“I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels in various situations over the years in Italy, but this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position. It captured the exact moment when the squirrel was detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide. Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explodes with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!” Marchetti said in a statement.

As the overall winner, Marchetti wins a once-in-a-lifetime safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Milko Marchetti's outstanding achievement in the Nikon Comedy Photography Awards 2024. His image, 'Stuck Squirrel,' brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting," Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager of Marketing at Nikon Europe, said in a statement. "This year's competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion. We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards."

The photo competition was started in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, professional photographers who wanted to promote the importance of conservation while enjoying some laughs at the same time.

Here are the big winners of this year's contest.

1. Overall Winner: "Stuck Squirrel" (red squirrel) by Milko Marchetti, Italy

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography That's one stuck squirrel.© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"The photo was taken on April 23, 2022, in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo – Ravenna – Italy. It is a park open to the public and schools, but from October to March, it is closed to visitors, and I am allowed (in exchange for photographs for educational and promotional purposes) to use a fixed photographic hide to photograph passerines, woodpeckers, hawks, and even 3-4 squirrels that come to visit the photographic set consisting of a small lake, and the surrounding vegetation.Generally, in Italy, especially in the area where I live, in the Po Delta Regional Park, it is very difficult to see and photograph squirrels (they are very rare) but here in the park they are quite confident.

A few meters from the hide, an old cut tree has a hole (an old woodpecker's nest), and here the squirrels (2 years ago there were 4 specimens) sometimes come out of curiousity to check out the old hollow tree. have taken several photos of squirrels in many situations, but the shot I choose to participate in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife immediately struck me for the strange position assumed by the squirrel that seems to be stuck halfway in the hole in the tree, but in reality it is the moment in which it is detaching the support on its hind legs and enters the hole.

This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot in the moment that I clicked the button, and during my evenings of slideshows and nature videos that I often hold at photography clubs and theaters, the audience always explodes in energetic laughter when I show this photo. I knew I had to enter it into the competition." — Milko Marchetti

2. Insect Category Winner: "Mantis Flamenca" (mantis mediterranea) by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina, Spain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography A dancing mantis.© Jose Miguel Gallego Molina/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend, the Flemish Mantis, for the first time. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand." — Jose Miguel Gallego Molina

3. Reptile Category Winner: "Frog in a Balloon" (frog) by Eberhard Ehmke, Germany

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography A frog stuck in a bubble of his own design.© Eberhard Ehmke/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell." — Eberhard Ehmke

4. Aquatic Animals Category Winner: "Unexpected Role Swap" (bald eagle and bream) by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, Poland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography A blad eagle appears to be chased by a fish.© Przemyslaw Jakubczyk/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle." — Przemyslaw Jakubczyk

5. Bird Category Winner: "Whiskered Tern Crash on Landing" (whiskered tern) by Damyan Petkov, Bulgaria

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography A whiskered tern has a crash landing.© Damyan Petkov/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"Whiskered tern head hit the rock when try to land." — Damyan Petkov

6. Nikon 16 and Under Junior Category Winner: "Smooching Owlets" (spotted owlets) by Sarthak Ranganadhan, India

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography Owlettes sharing a smooch.© Sarthak Ranganadhan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"Our parents always find a way toembarrass us, I guess that's also true in the case of spotted owlets. It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin and shut eyes." — Sarthak Ranganadhan

7. Nikon Junior 25 and Under Category Winner: "Awkward Smiley Frog" (frog) by Kingston Tam, Australia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography © Kingston Tam/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"I’ve always been interested in photography since I was about 10. And I started out just taking snapshots of little things like flowers, pretty skies on my cousin’s point and shoot, just like any other 10 year old would. When I was about 16, I got super interested in star trail photography and started doing it on the Nikon p900 since it has a star trail mode for dummies. Slowly, it evolved to proper wide angle landscape and astrophotography (Milky Way and deep sky) and that’s when I invested in a bit of gear and really dived into learning about the technical and creative side of photography, trying to do better every time I go out shooting. I also decided to pick up photography for my high school art class and dabbled in some street photography. In 2022 I moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study wildlife science and my friends got me into ‘herping’ (looking for reptiles and amphibians in the wild) and through that, I met a bunch of amazing photographers who specialise in taking photos of these critters and I started doing it as well. And that’s how I ended up photographing critters. My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and that’s been my motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.This award is by far my biggest photography achievement yet. I never thought an accomplishment this scale would be achievable but I’m grateful that this photograph has been recognised by the judges and many others. This award would be a reminder to me that I should keep my passion up because someone out there appreciates my work and hopefully it can encourage people to show some love to not just the fluffy animals but also the slimy and scaly friends." — Kingston Tam

8. People's Choice Category Winner: "Shake Ruffle Rattle and Roll" (white-tailed eagle) by Tapani Linnanmäki, Finland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography That's a very fluffy eagle.© Tapani Linnanmäki/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9's autocapture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series." — Tapani Linnanmäki

9. Portfolio Category Winner: "Dancing To The Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting" (squirrel) by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, Britain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography A rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

Highly Commended Winners

"Hide and Seek" (cheetah and topi) by Leslie McLeod, Kenya

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography That topi is in for the shock of a lifetime.© Leslie McLeod/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"Alright Mate Back Off, This is My Bird" (king penguin) by Andy Rouse, South Georgia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography "Back off, man!"© Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

"You're Not My Mother" (screech owlet and red-bellied woodpecker) by Randy Herman, U.S.A.

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography "Please don't peck my head."© Randy Herman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

For a full list of winners, visit Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

From Your Site Articles

comedy wildlife awards

Visit Sweden

Wellness

Feeling burnt out? Doctors are prescribing trips to Sweden

Get ready for the best "sick days" you'll ever have.

Visit Sweden

True

It’s no secret that modern life is stressful. Burnout is an epidemic. The World Health Organization boldly stated its dedicated efforts to help people improve their health and well-being through nature.

And thanks to a new initiative, Sweden is stepping up to offer a new holistic remedy: a physician-prescribed visit to Sweden, aka “The Swedish Prescription”.

“We have made great strides in making nature/social/culture prescription a more integral part of public health in the United States– but there is still so much more to be done,” said Dr. Stacy Stryer, Associate Medical Director for Park RxAmerica.“I welcome Sweden’s initiative and hope it will help break down institutional and organizational barriers, ultimately benefiting all patients.”

Patients can escape to Sweden’s pristine environment for true respite. Backed by scientific data and research from Yvonne Forsell, Senior Professor at Karolinska Institutet, healthcare professionals can prescribe Sweden as a destination where patients engage in non-medical treatments and outdoor activities to ease their ailments and offer a fresh reset.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Restore body and mind with the Swedish ritual of alternating ice baths and saunas. Swim, hike or forage through silent forests, lakes, parks and nature reserves – or simply sit in the stillness. Witness the Northern Lights dancing across winter skies, or soak up the calm of the summer midnight sun. In Stockholm, Europe’s clean-air capital, take a deep breath and feel the difference.

Or skip the great outdoors and spend time embracing Sweden’s unique cultural practices. “Our cozy fika tradition [Sweden’s daily pause for coffee and conversation], our “lagom”-balanced lifestyle [the idea of “not too much, not too little”] and our easily accessible nature are a soothing balm for body and mind,” says Susanne Andersson, CEO at Visit Sweden.

Sit back in front of a masterpiece in one of Sweden’s many art museums, or head out to a live music event after browsing concert options on Swedish-founded Spotify. You might catch chart-topping hits from producer Max Martin or discover the country’s thriving metal scene. Call it an early – or late – night, and enjoy restorative sleep in Sweden’s cool night air.

Sweden is the therapeutic destination your health has been craving. Learn more about “The Swedish Prescription” and its benefits for your mental and physical health here.

Popular

14 comfort meals from the 1970s that are still delicious and affordable

Break out the casserole dish.

Image courtesy of Reddit/Slow-moving-sloth

Foods like casseroles were popular during the 1970s.

All things old are new again—and the same goes for classic recipes.

For those who grew up during the 1970s (that's Baby Boomers and Generation Jones), staple dishes that were served at the dinner table are being rediscovered on Reddit by newer generations looking for filling, comforting, and affordable meals.

According to JSTOR, actress Liza Minelli first coined "comfort food" back in 1970. Minelli told food columnist Johna Blinn, "Comfort food is anything you just yum, yum, yum."

Meals from the 1970s are nostalgic and also budget friendly. Try making one of these comforting recipes from Redditors that will fill you up and not break the bank.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Tuna casserole

"I LITERALLY made a tuna casserole last night & had the leftovers for lunch today." - Disastrous-Soup-5413, RogerClyneIsAGod2

Turkey (or chicken) tetrazzini

"Tetrazzini is a creamy pasta dish with turkey (or chicken) chicken, mushrooms, and cheese." - Disastrous-Soup-5413

Liver and onions

"Liver and onions, mashed potatoes and a green salad made with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes cut in wedges, cucumber slices .. peeled and miracle whip salad dressing." - Kaktusblute

Quiche Lorraine

"A family favorite quiche recipe from the 1970’s. The secret? Half a cup of mayonnaise and an unreasonable quantity of cheese. My mom uses sweet onion instead of green onion, but otherwise made as written:

1/2 c. real mayonnaise
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 1/2 c. cubed cooked ham
1 1/2 c. (about 1/2 pound) chopped Swiss cheese
1/3 c. sliced green onion
Dash pepper
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

Mix together real mayonnaise, milk, eggs and corn starch until smooth. Stir in ham, cheese, onion and pepper. Turn into pastry shell. Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top and knife inserted comes out clean." - banoctopus

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Cheese fondue

"For fondue, you can go in a few different directions. Cubed crusty bread is one of the classic ways to dip into cheese fondue, but you could use fruits, vegetables, chunks of cooked or cured sausages, so long as they will keep their structural integrity." - Bluecat72

Meatloaf and baked potatoes

"A basic meatloaf is ground beef, minced onions, bread crumbs, an egg and a squirt of ketchup for moisture, salt, pepper, garlic powder.. whatever you like. Get your hands in there and squish it all together until thoroughly mixed. Form into a vague loaf shape on a pan and bake at 350 for an hour. Poke a couple potatoes with a fork and cook them in the microwave for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy a meatloaf sandwich with mustard for lunch the next day 😋." - yblame

Pork chops with rice and cream of mushroom soup

"Brown the chops, take them out of the pan, pour in rice, soup and water, stir to combine. Put the pork chops on top. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Tossed green salad: iceberg lettuce, chopped scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, Wishbone Italian Dressing." - hicjacket

Salmon croquettes

"Salmon croquettes were a staple of my childhood. Canned salmon, saltine crackers, and an egg. We called them croquettes but naw, they were shaped into salmon patties." - DazzlingBullfrog9, throwawaytodaycat

Mexican casserole

"Brown ground beef, stir in a can of tomato sauce and 1 sliced green onion. Mix together a cup of sour cream, a cup of cottage cheese and a can of chopped green chilies. In a 9x13 pan, layer crushed tortilla chips, meat, cream mixture and grated Colby-jack or Colby cheese. Repeat layers. Bake until hot and bubbly." - Open-Gazelle1767

Hamburger Stroganoff

"One pound ground beef, 1 package Lipton onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup, sour cream. Brown the ground beef, stir in the can of soup and soup mix. Stir in the sour cream until it looks right...I think it's a half pint, but maybe a whole pint. Serve over rice for the 2 kids who eat rice and egg noodles for the one kid who doesn't." - Open-Gazelle1767

Shake 'N Bake Chicken

"Shake’n Bake chicken or pork chops. 'And I helped!' Preheat oven to 400F. Moisten chicken with water. Place breasts in Shake-n-Bake shaker bag. Shake the bag vigorously to coat the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes if boneless, 45 minutes if it does have bones." - Karin58

@allrecipes
Where are all the Shake n Bake girlies? 🍗 Today @nicolesperfectbite is showing you how to make this classic bread coating at home—and dare we say better than the original? 👀 #instafood #food #foodie #shakenbake #bake #chicken #breadcrumbs #paprika #garlic #onion #powder #meat #breading #bread #easy #easyrecipe #recipe #quickandeasy #weeknightdinner

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

"Still my favorite thing to eat, but now I make my own tomato bisque, my own bread, and use Gouda or cheddar. Back then Mom made this for Friday lunch: Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk) and the grilled cheese was two slices of five-loaves-for-a-dollar white bread with Velveeta, grilled with Miami Maid margarine in the Revere Ware skillet." - Mindless_Pop_632, mulberryred

Pork sausage and rice

"I grew up in the 70s and my mother made this sausage and rice dish at least once a month. The recipe is from Peg Bracken's I Hate To Cook Book. Crumble 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pork sausage (hamburger will do, but pork is better) into a skillet and brown it. Pour off the fat. Add:

1 green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
2 c. chicken consommé or bouillon
1 c. raw rice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Put on the lid and let it simmer at lowest possible heat for 1 hour." - officerbirb

Sloppy Joes

"Classic Sloppy Joes. My family had these regularly in the ‘70s." - ThatPtarmiganAgain

From Your Site Articles

1970s comfort food

Pop Culture

24 English words that mean the complete opposite of what they originally meant

There was a time when we'd want this story to be egregious and hopefully not awesome.

Photo credit: Canva

Fizzle used to mean fart?

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at someone using “literally” to mean “figuratively,” you’re not alone. Every generation has its linguistic hills to die on. Words that, to some ears, have drifted too far from their “real” meaning.

But here’s the thing: words have been evolving for as long as there have been humans to speak them. Language moves the way people move, shifting through time, place, and culture. And along the way, it reinvents itself in some pretty fascinating ways.

Think about how “awful” once meant “awe-inspiring,” how “nice” used to mean “foolish,” or how “girl” once referred to any young person, not just a female one. The English we speak today is like a living history book, rewritten every time we open our mouths.

Here are a few more terrific examples (and by that we mean in the modern sense of “excellent,” not “terrifying”) that show just how dramatically English has changed. And how, in the end, everything turns out just fine.

Artificial

This one still mostly means what it has always meant, in that it refers to something not naturally made. However, it originally implied some kind of artfully or skillfully made object. Now when we say something is artificial, we are almost certainly not praising it.

Awful & Awesome

“Awe” comes from either the old Norse word “agi” or the old Middle English word “ege.” Both meant terror or fear. Therefore, both “awesome” and “awful” once meant more or less the same thing: something that inspires a fearful reverence. Dread mixed with deep admiration, that kind of thing. Something awe-SOME had a little less oomph than some aw-FUL, but otherwise they carried the same meaning.

In that sense, today’s version of “awful,” i.e. something that utterly dreadful, is truer to its original iteration than “awesome,” usually denoting something generally positive.

words, etymology, language, history, cool history, word nerds, english, english language, interesting Awesome gif media1.giphy.com

Bemused

Its old meaning was "to confuse, or to stupefy,” as if you hit someone with some kind of magic spell. Merriam-Webster still defines “bemuse” this way, but colloquially we use it to convey amused pondering.

And you know what? Considering there are plenty of synonyms for "confused, we can afford to let this one go.

Bully

Crazy to think that a word originally meaning “sweetheart” now takes on a nearly opposite meaning…unless your sweetheart likes to throw you in lockers and give you swirlies. One theory is that it became associated with “ruffian” because a bully may have been a “protector of a prostitute.” Still, those that still say “bully for you!” know that it can still take on a positive context.

Condescending

In the 18th century, it was seen as a kind, generous, humble gesture when an upper class person was kind enough to talk to a lower class person instead of ignoring them or treating them like a servant (what a concept!). By the 19th century, however, the word had already developed the negative connotation we use today.

Egregious

Egregious comes from the Latin ex grege, meaning "rising above the flock." Therefore, it meant exceptional or distinguished. You could argue that today egregious still means something exceptional…just exceptionally bad.

Factoid

Factoids used to be public statements that seemed like facts, but weren’t necessarily. Fact-adjacent, if you will. Or better yet, they were bits of fake news. Now we liken factoids to fairly unimportant bits of trivia. But they’re at least accurate!

Fathom

It can be hard to fathom how this verb went from meaning “to encircle with one’s arms” to meaning understanding something complex, until you know that outstretched arms could be used to measure a fathom, which is equal to about six feet (usually in term of depth of water). Once you had a grasp on what a fathom of water was, you could better measure the depth of the sea. We might not be as seafaring as our ancestors, but we are still trying to get a better idea of the world around us.

Fizzle

The verb fizzle once referred to the act of producing quiet flatulence. In the mid-1800s, scientists began using "fizzle" to describe the sound of air or gas escaping from a narrow opening, which led to its application for a weak or sputtering noise. From there, American college students took it on to convey something that came to a sudden failure or stop after a good start, usually an answer to a professor’s question. And now, we use it to describe things that lose their gusto gradually before ending entirely. Quite a journey, for a fart word.

words, etymology, language, history, cool history, word nerds, english, english language, interesting Smiling dog media0.giphy.com

Girl

Once upon a time, “girl”, aka “gyrle” was just a gender-neutral term for a child. As for how it came to mean young woman specifically: In his book An Analytic Dictionary of the English Etymology, Anatoly Liberman noted that German words starting with “g” or “k” and ending in “r” tended to refer to living creatures “considered immature, worthless, or past their prime.” Cool, cool, cool.

Guy

This word, or eponym, rather, “Guy Fawkes,” is the fella who was part of a failed attempt to blow up British Parliament in 1605 who folks used to burn in effigy. Before “guy” just meant any ol’dude, it referred to a grotesque or scary person.

Hussy:

Interestingly enough, hussy was once just a shortened version of “housewife.” It certainly makes more sense when you look at "husewif," the Middle English spelling. Over time, the shortened version became an insult to unmarried women as though any unmarried woman, and therefore not a housewife, weren’t a full woman.

Matrix

Long before Neo took the red pill, the word “matrix,” coming from the Latin word mater (mother), meant "womb,” uterus,” or even “breeding animal.” It makes that fetus pod he breaks out of all the more disturbing.

Meat

In Old English, “meat” was just a general term for “solid food.” In the Middle Ages, the meaning began to narrow, and the term "flesh-meat" was used to specify the animal flesh used for food (which is pretty metal). So technically, you can enjoy “meat and drink” even with you vegan friends.

words, etymology, language, history, cool history, word nerds, english, english language, interesting meat media1.giphy.com

Moot Point

Originally, a moot was a formal gathering where leaders could all sit down and confer with each other, particularly over legal matters. So anything “mooted” was deemed an issue important enough to be tabled for group discussion, or even could mean “undecided and open for debate.” By the early 20th century, we see it transform to mean something not worth debating at all.

Naughty

The original “naughty” meant you were poor and had nothing, or “naught” in the way of riches. Thankfully today we use it to denote indulgent, sinfully enjoyable things. Because that’s way more fun.

Nice

This word arrived in the English language by way of Old French, where it meant foolish or weak (which makes you wonder why there’s a city in France named Nice…). During the middle ages it evolved to mean shy, reserved, or fastidious. Interestingly, it wasn’t until the mid- to late 1700s—those qualities respectable were beginning to be seen as respectable by society—that the word started to take on more pleasant meanings. Of course, we now sometimes use nice to describe someone who is pleasant enough, but a bit milquetoasty…which is kind of a full circle moment.

Nimrod

We have Bugs Bunny to thank for this one. Nimrod was the name of a skilled hunter and powerful king in the Bible. However, when Bugs sarcastically referred to Elmer Fudd as a “nimrod” in Looney Tunes, people that didn’t understand the reference thought it meant “dumb” so it changed how the word was used. At least, that’s how the most popular theory goes.

words, etymology, language, history, cool history, word nerds, english, english language, interesting Bigs Bunny. media0.giphy.com

Nonplussed

In the 16th century, to be nonplussed was to be surprised or confused. As a North American I had to reread the sentence because it didn’t make sense for the person to be unperturbed. Somehow, today we take this to mean someone that is not only not confused, but unperturbed entirely.

Peruse

If you were to peruse something in the 15th century, you’d be examining it very carefully, which is quite different from the casual, nonchalant scanning we understand it to be nowadays.

Quell

Quelling something or someone used to mean killing it, rather just subduing it. Please don’t quell anything the old-fashioned way.

Silly

In Middle English, the word seely meant happy. Blissful even.

But by the time it became silly, it had come to mean someone helpless, and therefore pitiable. From there it came to mean naive, and has since arrived at its modern meaning of ignorant or foolish.

Fun fact: In 1861, during the months of August and September, journalists would compensate for a lack of hard news by filling up newspapers with trivial stories. This period would become known as the “silly season.”

Terrific

It’s easy to see how in the 1660s, terrific meant something that filled you with terror. What’s really confounding is how it morphed into meaning something magnificent, but here we are.

Wench

Similar to girl, the Old English word wenchel referred to children of either sex. When shortened to wench, it denoted a “female child” specifically. However, its root word is likely related to the Old English wancol, meaning "unsteady" or "weak.” From here you can see how it came to mean an unsteady, and therefore lewd or wanton woman.

words, etymology, language, history, cool history, word nerds, english, english language, interesting Wench meaning media0.giphy.com

So the next time someone “literally dies laughing” or calls something “terrific,” maybe give them a pass. Words change, and that’s part of their magic. Who knows? A century from now, people might think “vibe check” referred to some kind of medieval ritual.

From Your Site Articles

interesting

Culture

Generation Jones explains their major cultural differences with Boomers

"Think of us as a generation that got the tail end of the party but had to clean up the mess."

Photo credit: Canva

Generation Jones points out the biggest cultural differences between them and Boomers.

Generation Jones, people born from 1954-1964, is considered a 'micro-generation' between Boomers and Generation X. Though typically lumped in with Boomers, there are some pretty distinct differences between them.

In an online community of Generation Jones-ers, a member named @WalkingHorse, prompted those in Generation Jones to discuss how their upbringing differed from Boomers in a post titled "What is and who are Generation Jones. Step inside...".

"We're often described as pragmatic idealists—raised on big dreams but tempered by economic recessions and a sense of lowered expectations compared to the Boomers’ post-war prosperity," they wrote. "Think of us a generation that got the tail end of the party but had to clean up the mess."

How Generation Jones differs from Boomers

It inspired many Generation Jones members to share their thoughts and opinions. These are some of the major cultural differences those in Generation Jones have with Boomers:

"We were too young to fully participate in the counterculture of the '60s but old enough to feel its aftershocks." —@WalkingHorse

Gen Jones men also signed up for the selective service, but were not drafted as the Vietnam war had ended." —@tedshreddon

"Boomers had Elvis and The Beatles. We had Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd." —@Scr33ble

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ✦ᴊᴏɴᴇsɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏsᴘᴇʀɪᴛʏ™✦🟦 (@genjones1964)

"First teenage generation to experience the Space Shuttle launch. First teen generation to watch music videos in between movies on cable TV then the birth of MTV. We laughed when hearing that golf obsessed President Gerald Ford would routinely slice or hook a ball into a crowd of spectators. Then laugh at Chevy Chase for mimicking our clumsy commander in Chief. We watched our parents go through the fuel rationing days where you could only buy gas for you car if the last digit on the plate was an odd or even number. We counted days along with the media on how long the Iran hostages were being held. We lost John Lennon while not in that sweet spot age to have experienced the musical British Invasion of the 60’s. Instead, MTV opened to floodgates to the Brit-pop invasion of Duran Duran followed closely by big hair, neon clothing and wondering why saying ‘too hip’ was all that and a bag of chips. Best part was that college tuition was sorta affordable." —@contrivancedevice

There for the start of major social change

"Not mentioned yet, but we were present for the rise of gay rights. Went to my first gay bar at 19. Music, especially Disco, was infused with pride and acceptance and coming out. 'We are Family', 'I’m Coming Out'. Queen and the Village People, etc. The rise of 'women’s music' like Holly Near and Chris Williamson. Activists like Harvey Milk and later ACT UP. We were young adults when AIDS hit and the fight for treatment led to a huge wave of coming out. We lost a whole generation of gay men to that plague. 😢" —@BldrJanet

"Boomers remember where they were when President Kennedy died. We remember where we were when John Lennon died." —@KJPratt

1950s kids, 1960s culture, MTV era, Vietnam aftermath, Led Zeppelin, gay rights history, disco music, Woodstock album, cassette tapes, space shuttle launch, Iran hostage crisis, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Freddie Mercury, cultural nostalgia, postwar generation RHCP on cassette is peak Generation Jones.Photo credit: Canva

"Musically speaking, I think we were blessed. Our musical heyday had everything. Our moms played Elvis the king on the radio, and we had Elvis Costello. The Stones and The Who transverse generations. We are old enough to remember Joan Baez and Bob Dylan pre-Chalamet, not to mention Freddie and Elton before their bio-pics. And Johnny Cash too. And shout out to the poster girl of the 80’s Cyndi Lauper (I got special love for her as a race tracker cause she walked hots at Belmont Park.)" —@Binky-Answer896

"We gave a hoot, and didn’t pollute!" —@Awkwardimplemet698

"We are the generation that got to see the war every evening at dinner 'live via satellite'. —@blurtlebaby

"Think: 45s—albums—-8 tracks—cassettes—-CDs—-Streaming! I’ve had the Rolling Stones on all!" —@NOLALaura

A generation marked by change and chaos

Woodstock album, cassette tapes, space shuttle launch, Iran hostage crisis, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Freddie Mercury, cultural nostalgia, postwar generation Gen Jones was there for the launch of the tech revolution. Photo credit: Canva

"I always said that I experienced it all...born in 1957. I listened to my older siblings music. I stole my sisters Woodstock album when she went off to college. I still have it. I recall all the assassinations from JFK and MLK.I saw RFK being killed on live tv.(at least I think I did), I remember the chaos of the Vietnam war, the Chicago riots, the Nixon mess. I recall the beginning of the environmental fight, Sesame Street and the moon launch. Computers, and floppy discs, cell phones that came in small cases that would plug into the car. So much good stuff. So much chaos." —@mammaV55

"There’s a sure way to know if you’re Gen J. Were you deadly afraid of quicksand?!" —@NOLALaura

This article originally appeared earlier this year.

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History (Education)

The famously cool NATO alphabet—Alfa, Bravo, Charlie—has a surprisingly genius history

Proof that simpler isn't always better.

ReneeWrites/Wikimedia Commons

Typographic mural by Jeff Canham using the first nine words of the NATO's phonetic alphabet

When you have to spell a name over the phone, you've likely had to use something akin to the NATO alphabet, even if you haven't used the exact same words. "E as in elephant, D as in David," etc. When we watch movies involving airline pilots or military personnel, we often hear the real NATO alphabet, which starts Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and so on.

Using words to represent letters was a brilliant idea to solve the problem of trying to spell things out over early telephone wires, which often made for crackly connections where letters could easily be misunderstood. But the full history of the NATO alphabet is much more fascinating than one might guess, as BBC journalist and self-described "word nerd" Rob Watts explained in a video.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Watts explains that the 26 words of the NATO alphabet were "meticulously chosen as part of a secretive process" after WWII. The idea began with the invention of the telephone, when a version of a spelling alphabet was created within the telecom industry. Soon militaries around the world were using their own versions of such an alphabet, which resulted in the rather chaotic reality of every different branch of the armed service in Britain and the United States utilizing entirely different versions.

Clearly, a standard needed to be created, and WWII was a prime opportunity. However (and perhaps unsurprisingly), the two countries couldn't agree on what alphabet to use. Watts explains that a report for the U.S. Air Force later described the compromise that was rushed through: “The Generals and the Admirals went down the list taking first a U.S. and then a U.K. preference to complete the list and get on with the war.” What they came up with was known as the ABLE BAKER alphabet.

able baker alphabet, nato alphabet, spelling, phonetics, linguistics The ABLE BAKER alphabet was used by the U.S. and British militaries prior to the NATO alphabet.Image by Canva

So that took care of the military. But around the same time as the end of WWII, the aviation industry boomed, and in 1944, a convention resulted in 52 nations establishing an international body that would oversee non-military aviation. The International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, (which still exists today) adopted the ABLE BAKER alphabet at first, but it soon became clear that that alphabet didn't work very well for the members of the ICAO who didn't speak English.

The alphabet needed words that had more universal appeal. A linguist at the University of Montreal, Professor Jean-Paul Vinay, was tasked with coming up with a new alphabet, which had to meet five criteria:

1. It had to be a live word in each of the three working languages of ICAO—English, Spanish, and French.

2. It had to be easily pronounced and recognized by airmen of all languages.

3. It needed to have good radio transmission and readability characteristics.

4. It had to have a similar spelling in at least English, French, and Spanish, and the initial letter must be the letter the word identifies.

5. It had to be free from any association with objectionable meanings.

alphabet, nato alphabet, spelling, phonetics, linguistics, ICAO alphabet Spelling alphabets are not phonetic alphabets. upload.wikimedia.org

That's how we ended up with so many Greek letters, including Alpha, which Vinay spelled ALFA to make it more phonetic. He also made Juliet more phonetic for the French by adding an extra T. A few changes were requested after Vinay submitted his alphabet, which resulted in POLKA becoming PAPA and ZEBRA becoming ZULU.

That fixed everything, right? Sure, except that most people who had to use it hated it. Many of the words were longer than the ABLE BAKER alphabet, which had many one-syllable words, whereas GOLF was the only one-syllable word in the ICAO alphabet. However, those multi-syllable words proved more effective, since a small glitch in communications would be less likely to make them unintelligible.

The new North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, showed an interest in using the alphabet, so a study was done to make sure that the ALFA BRAVO alphabet really was better than ABLE BAKER. The ICAO commissioned Ohio State University to compare the two alphabets, and the result was clear: ALFA BRAVO wins. However, some additional research showed a few changes were needed, which ultimately resulted in this alphabet finalized in 1956. It's technically the ICAO alphabet but is often referred to as the NATO alphabet.

alphabet, nato alphabet, spelling, phonetics, linguistics, ICAO alphabet ICAO alphabet (also known as the NATO alphabet)IngenieroLoco/Wikimedia Commons

Pretty nifty, eh? People working together with the input of experts and support of research generally leads to helpful progress, and while the NATO alphabet may have its pain points, it's infinitely better than the haphazard way we used to tell people how to spell things clearly. Yay, humans!

You can watch Watts' entire video on his RobWords YouTube page here.

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Family

Want your home to be 'the house' for your teens? Mom shares her 4 secret tricks.

There are so many benefits to being "the house" for your teens. Here's how to do it.

hi.im.amywhite/Instagram

Amy White explains how her house became "the house" for her teens.

I grew up in "the house." In high school, my home was the designated place where my friends gathered, sometimes in big groups, sometimes just my small core squad. My three best friends spent the night there almost every Friday and/or Saturday night for four years straight. We devoured Totino's frozen pizzas by the dozens, inhaled soda, and laid waste to any snacks or leftovers that were brave enough to exist somewhere in the kitchen. Not only that, but my house was pretty small — four teenage boys took up a lot of space in the living room (the whole thing) and made a lot of noise playing video games deep into the night. It must have driven my parents and older brothers crazy. It's a wonder anyone put up with it.

Or so I thought when I was younger. When I became a parent myself, I started to understand a little more why my mom and dad were so willing to host and feed me and all my friends every single weekend. Why the outrageous grocery bill and constant chaos in the house was probably a small price to pay.

One mom has perfectly encapsulated the value of turning your home into "the house" for your kids and their friends, and exactly how she did it for her family.

parenting, teens, raising teens, teen hangout, high school, game night for teens, activities for teens, parenthood Want your house to be THE house for teens? These suggestions could help. Photo credit: Canva

Amy White shared a reel on Instagram showing her college-aged son hanging in her dining room with a group of friends playing cards. The text overlay reads "What makes your kids high school friends want to come over, play cards & spend the night on their College Christmas Break". I think most parents can agree that we want our kids to keep coming home as long as possible! So how exactly did White pull this off?

Her explanation in the caption was spot-on.

First, White says that you have to start early. Become "the hang out house" in high school or even earlier. Then you have a better chance of holding onto the mantle into your kid's college years.

Glee Finn Hudson GIFfrom Glee GIFs

Next, be ready to stock the house with snacks and drinks, and don't make a fuss when your kid's friends have at it. "The kids knew we had food," she writes, "BUT they also knew I didn't care what they had. They knew they could eat anything in my pantry and fridge."

Third, and this is a big one, don't mistake being the "cool house" for being "the house." Some parents choose to allow their underage kids and friends to drink alcohol under their supervision, but you don't have to bend your morals and the law to lure the squad over to your place. Pizza and Coke is plenty to keep most teens happy. "We were not the house that served alcohol or even allowed the kids to bring alcohol to our house. And Guess What?? The kids still came and wanted to hang at our house!"

parenting, teens, raising teens, teen hangout, high school, game night for teens, activities for teens, parenthood There's a difference between being "the cool house" and being "the house." media0.giphy.com

Fourth, always say Yes (as often as possible, anyway) when your kids want to have friends over. "They know my answer is 99% of the time YES," White writes. "You have to have your kids take the leadership of offering your home and if your home was 'open' to their friends in high school, they know it will be 'open' to their friends in college."

As a bonus tip, White pleas with parents not to worry about the mess having friends over makes. "I love a clean house and organization, BUT I would much rather have a crazy messy house for the kids where memories are made than a quiet house with nothing going on just to keep my house 'clean.'"

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White writes, "It's worth being 'the house', so let go of control & get to know your kids friends." Commenters agreed.

White's video went viral to the tune of 8.5 million views and hundreds of comments. Parents shared their own experiences of what it's like being the default hang out house.

"Our house was the high school hangout for my son and friends... every weekend... I loved it!! Miss it now that they are all college graduates and have moved away. I love seeing them when they do come home for the holidays"

"A wise man once said don't be the house with the alcohol. Be the house with the food."

"Amy 1000% agree!!! My house is full of teenagers on the weekends and I love every bit of it. Even though I wake up to a kitchen that looked much different from when I left it"

parenting, teens, raising teens, teen hangout, high school, game night for teens, activities for teens, parenthood We all miss our teenage metabolism, don't we? Photo credit: Canva

"We never allowed alcohol, drugs, bad language, always respectful, and guess what, our house was always the house where the kids hung out. First my daughter, then my son. Through grade school, high school, then when my kids went out of state for college their college friends would come spend a couple weeks during the summer. I always thought of it this way, I loved knowing my kids friends and, who knows, maybe some of those kids, especially during the younger years, just maybe those kids just needed an adult to care. Anyway, it was always fun to have them here!"

"It used to crack me up when my daughter would bring over a bunch of her friends (girls and boys) in high school and instead of hanging out in the family room they all wanted to crowd into either the kitchen with me or our tiny office and happily share all the gossip with me."

Experts say that knowing your kids' friends, and their parents, can have huge benefits. Not only will it bring you the peace of mind of knowing where your kid is and who they're with when they get to those crucial high school years, it has been shown to tangibly improve kids ability to create positive relationships and problem-solve collaboratively. Plus, it can actually be really fun! Kids and teens are the funniest, silliest, most interesting people on the planet. Having a house full of them is messy and loud, but it's always a good time.

One caveat: "don’t feel bad if your house isn’t the chosen house," one commenter reminds us. "Just be happy your kid has a good group of friends and be thankful they have somewhere safe to hang out."

This article originally appeared in February

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teens