Games come and go, but sometimes they shape the language before they disappear. This Word Stories instalment examines idioms that are rooted in forgotten games.

Some say May is the month of youth (for the Roman springtime goddess Maia). Others say May is the month of the old (for the “maiores” or “elders” of Rome). In this Word Stories instalment, we salute May by investigating words that evoke youth and age.

March was the first month of the Roman year, partly because springtime road conditions allowed the army to march out again (pun intended). This Word Stories instalment highlights some common words with soldierly roots.

Human communities use the subtleties of language to distinguish “insiders” from “outsiders”. This Word Stories instalment shines an etymological spotlight on the way people use language to define themselves and label others.