July is festival season in Antidote’s birthplace of Montréal, which includes the biggest international comedy festival in the world: Just For Laughs. As a tip of the hat to this hometown hoedown, our Word Stories instalment for the month shines a spotlight on words related to fun and good humour.

French haute cuisine is admired around the world, and it’s no secret that words related to good food often come (like haute cuisine) from French. As this month’s Word Stories instalment reminds us, though, many down-to-earth culinary terms are of French origin as well.

March is the month when the great bears of northern climates begin to emerge from hibernation. This Word Stories instalment highlights some surprising ways that bears pop up in the history of the English language, beginning with the mysterious disappearance of the native English word for “bear”.

In recent months, the holiday gift-giving season has contributed to a spike in home delivery. Porch pirates have been working overtime to steal packages, and reverse porch pirates have been working to stop them. This Word Stories explores the ways that outlaws and heroes have changed our words for piracy.