Word Wars

About this episode

This episode uncovers the hidden military history behind everyday language and the origins of common words.

Let me start with a quick question: What do coffee, gossip, war and your group chat all have in common? That sounds like the setup to a terrible joke, but it’s not because all of them are connected by the words we use every single day - words that didn’t start in classrooms or offices. They started in battle. Words like skedaddle , blockbuster , jamoke - they sound harmless and funny. But their origins? Eh, not so much. We use them all the time, but were we aware that many of these words have military, battle, and war backgrounds? Probably not. We just picked them up, passed them along, and now we use them without thinking. That’s where The Missing Chapter comes in because on today’s episode, we’re uncovering the hidden military history behind everyday language. And by the end of this episode, you might start thinking like us and asking others, “Hey, did you know where that came from?” And you will know because you now know the history of the terms, and where you heard about it…The Missing Chapter. Want some Missing Chapter merchandise? Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

People in this episode

Hosts: Philip Horender, Philip Schoff

Topics covered

• language origins
• military history
• everyday words
• word etymology
• communication

Keywords

• skedaddle
• blockbuster
• jamoke
• language
• history
• words
• military

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Missing Chapter

More episodes of The Missing Chapter Podcast

• A Presidential Sized Coincidence · June 6, 2026 · 4 min
• From Rejection To Redemption · May 30, 2026 · 18 min
• Brooklyn Bridge Bunker · May 23, 2026 · 13 min
• When The Coin Dropped · May 16, 2026 · 25 min
• Mask Up, Mascot! · May 9, 2026 · 18 min
• Snuggle Time · May 2, 2026 · 17 min