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

As I’ve been saying since forever, the Merriam-Webster X account is easily one of the best follows on that God-forsaken platform. They’re constantly dropping fun facts that make you go, “Wait… whaaaaat?” Because we could all use a little more wisdom in our lives, here are 30 of the most mind-blowing facts they’ve shared so far in 2026 so far.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, showcased on a shelf with features like print and CD-ROM options highlighted

Tim Boyle / Getty Images

1. Who “Caesar” of “Caesar salad” fame is:

Merriam-Webster tweet explaining that Caesar salad is named after restaurateur Caesar Cardini, not Julius Caesar

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

Screenshot of a tweet by Merriam-Webster claiming 'J' is the most recent letter added to the alphabet, with a follow-up explaining its origins

3. The word “ballot” means little ball:

Merriam-Webster tweet explaining the origin of the word "ballot," derived from the Italian "ballotta" meaning "little ball."

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4. Why it’s called a t-shirt:

Merriam-Webster tweet humorously explains that a shirt laid flat resembles a capital 'T' in response to a query about the "t" in "t-shirt"

Related: I Distracted Myself From The Horrors Of Being Alive In 2026 By Reading These 33 Threads Posts, Laughing At Them, Then Remembering Why I Was Distracting Myself, Then Scrolling More

5. Who “Luke” of “lukewarm” is:

Tweet by Merriam-Webster explaining that 'luke' means "warm" and why 'lukewarm' is redundant. Includes a user's question about the term

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

Tweet listing words/phrases: "smoke and mirrors" (1979), "hashtag" (2007), "perfect storm" (1998), "hello" (1834)

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

Merriam-Webster tweet humorously discusses the etymology and origins of "hey," "hi," and "hello."

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8. The medieval origin of the word “freelance”:

Tweet from Merriam-Webster: "Underestimate freelancers at your own peril," with a humorous take on the history of the term "freelance."

9. Where “cancel” comes from:

Merriam-Webster tweet explaining the origin of "cancel," linking it to Latin and historical use of crosshatches to annul documents

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

Tweet from Merriam-Webster explaining that in tennis, "love" means a score of zero, likely from playing for "love of the game" despite losing

Related: Literally Just 43 Tweets That Made Me Forget Donald Trump Was President For A Few Minutes, Because I Was Too Busy Laughing

11. The word “umbrella” literally just means “shade”:

Tweet about the word "umbrella" tracing back to Latin "umbra," with lyrics from a famous song, and a humorous meme questioning the term "brella."

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

Screenshot of a Merriam-Webster tweet explaining how "cleave" means both to split apart and to unite, making it a "contronym."

13. That “hooligan” is a real person:

Merriam-Webster tweet explains the term "Hooligan" might originate from Irish ruffian Patrick Hooligan, who was notorious in 19th-century London

14. “It’s ‘jibe with,’ not ‘jive with'”:

Merriam-Webster tweet clarifying common language usage errors like "shoo-in" not "shoe-in" and others, highlighting correct phrases

15. Burpees, like the exercise, are named after a real person:

Merriam-Webster tweet: "The exercise called 'burpee' is named after Royal H. Burpee." In response to a prompt about true-sounding facts

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16. A group of emus is called a “mob”:

Image of a tweet showing a reporter on a football field wearing a large fur coat, with a humorous caption about emus
Fox Sports/MerriamWebster/x.com

Related: “I Have Never Told My Mom That I Know”: 47 Massive Secrets People Uncovered About Their Families That Left Them Shocked

17. What a “retronym” is:

Merriam-Webster explains that 'acoustic guitars' were once just 'guitars' until electric ones caused the need for a retronym

18. A few more “retronyms” you definitely use every day:

Image showing a tweet listing examples of retronyms like "organic food" and "snail mail."

19. The word “decimates” deadly origin:

Tweet from Merriam-Webster explaining the evolution of the word 'decimate.' Originally, it meant "to kill every tenth man," now "to severely damage or destroy."

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20. “O’clock” is actually just a short way of saying three specific words:

Screenshot of a Merriam-Webster tweet explaining the etymology of "o'clock," originating from Medieval Latin "clocca" meaning "bell."

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

Merriam-Webster explains correct usage of "you and I" vs. "you and me" with examples for subject and object contexts

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

Merriam-Webster tweet explains why "St. Paddy's Day" is preferred over "St. Patty's Day," detailing the origins of each abbreviation

23. German chocolate cake isn’t… actually… German:

Tweet by Merriam-Webster humorously clarifying that German chocolate cake isn't from Germany, linked to baker Samuel German; jest on devil's food cake origins

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24. All of this:

Merriam-Webster tweet highlights English language quirks: "Monosyllabic" isn't, "Abbreviation" is long, "Thesaurus" lacks synonyms; humor noted

Related: These 46 Funny Tweets From The Week Have Me Genuinely Howling Like My Dog After Hearing A Squeaky Toy, And Trust Me, I Don’t Laugh At Just Anything

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

Merriam-Webster tweet explains "Gaslight" as a play and movie term where a man deceives his wife into thinking she's insane, assuring accuracy

26. The history of “taxi” vs. “cab”:

Merriam-Webster tweet explains that "cab" comes from "cabriolet," a light carriage, while "taxi" derives from "taximeter," a fare-calculating device

27. The word “irregardless” is way older than you think and it’s time to accept it:

Merriam-Webster tweet: "Irregardless" has been used since 1795

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28. All of the $#!% word meanings:

Merriam-Webster tweet explaining slang terms for nonsense, cowardice, low quality, wild, and crazy, with approximate origin years

29. Where “howdy” comes from:

Tweet from Merriam-Webster: "'Howdy' is an alteration of 'how do ye.' Its first known use is 1712."

30. And lastly, that British people actually said “soccer” first:

Merriam-Webster tweet: "Soccer" was British slang for "association football." Dated Feb 8, 2026, with 179.2K views

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