Grace Tierney

Colourful collage of four stylised Black female figures in dresses with umbrellas on grass under a blue sky

Ekua Holmes (born in 1955), artist and illustrator known for her mixed media collages #womensart

The Wordfoolery paperbacks on a shelf - Words Christmas Gave Us, Words the Vikings Gave Us, Words the Sea Gave Us, and How to Get your Name in the Dictionary - all by Grace Tierney

4) The word irisdescence comes from her name and the element iridium is named for her.

Enjoy the stories of the people, and goddesses, behind words? Check out the Wordfoolery books at wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/

3) She traveled with the speed of the wind as she married Zephyrus, the god of the west wind. By the command of Zeus she carried a jug of water from the River Styx, the river souls cross to enter the realm of Hades. She used this to put to sleep those who perjure themselves.

2) Iris was the messenger of Hera, queen of the gods. She was the personification of the rainbow and iris means rainbow in Greek. Iris traveled along her rainbow with the speed of the wind to bring messages to earth. She had golden wings to help her on her way.

a rainbow is visible in the blue sky ALT: a rainbow is visible in the blue sky

Day 12 of Female Words for #WomensHistoryMonth - iris. An iris can be a flower or the coloured part of an eye. Both types of irises are named for Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow. #celebratingwomen #etymology 🧵 #WordsTheGreeksGaveUs

Have always loved this, thanks for sharing.

2/2) Each tended a different aspect of healthcare - Panacea (cure), Iaso (recuperation), Aceso (healing), Aegle (beauty), and Hygieia.

The last one, the goddess of cleanliness gives us the word hygiene.

a woman in a pink sweatshirt is washing her hands in front of a mixer ALT: a woman in a pink sweatshirt is washing her hands in front of a mixer

Day 11 of Female Words for #WomensHistoryMonth - hygiene. #celebratingwomen #etymology 1/2

In Greek mythology five sister goddesses were the daughters of the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius.

a cartoon of a penguin with a backpack looking at a map with the words " getting lost " above him ALT: a cartoon of a penguin with a backpack looking at a map with the words " getting lost " above him

I hate directions with the words “you can’t miss it”. It’s like a secret incantation to the Gods of Getting Lost and will always end with me on my bike, staring at my phone, without signal, and hoping to meet a local who can help me.

#1linewed "The Librarian's Secret Diary"

The Librarian's Secret Diary <p>Nina is the new librarian on the block. She’s learning the shelves with her buzzword-spouting boss and the senior librarian who hates reading and can’t wait to retire. She records the crazy reader ...

This week Nina leaves the library for a wild potluck supper with the book club. Subscribe to read this and all the other episodes of my cosy serial at Channillo channillo.com/series/the-l... #librarylife #irishfiction #serial

Wordfoolery Whispers is out This Friday, plus Wordfoolery jester doll in red green and yellow motley complete with bells

Wordfoolery Whispers is out on Fri 13th Mar. Read about my Writing Retreat, Women’s Words, Blog Highlights, Good Books and histories for drizzle, fufflement, slangwhanger, fiat, whittle-gangers, and Fridays. Subscribe at subscribepage.io/wordfoolerywhispers & remember to confirm email. #etymology

How to Get Your Name in the Dictionary by Grace Tierney, orange cover, paperback (also available in ebook) on a table with corkscrew, cloth, and trowel.

6) Athena brought her back to life but changed her into a spider. To this day the spider weaves beautiful webs and hangs from her own thread.

If you enjoyed this, there's an entire chapter dedicated to eponyms from the gods and goddesses in "How to Get Your Name in the Dictionary" amzn.to/2ygxZMH

5) Athena’s rage boiled over. She rent Arachne’s weaving from the frame and made the mortal feel guilt for dishonouring the gods. Arachne ran out and hanged herself.

4) Athena wove a scene of her contest with Poseidon. All four corners were adorned with scenes of gods punishing presumptuous mortals who challenged them. The threat was clear.

Arachne filled her weaving with scenes of the gods’ failings and weaknesses.

3) Athena, the goddess of wisdom, craft, and war, wasn’t one to shirk a challenge. Arachne, although she paled when the goddess revealed herself from her old woman disguise, agreed to the contest.

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2) Arachnids are named for Arachne, a girl from Lydia, who was so skilled at weaving that even the nymphs came to watch her work. Some suggested that she had been taught by the goddess Athena herself but this she denied saying that Athena could come and test her skill against her if she dared.

Day 10 of Female Words for #WomensHistoryMonth - arachnid. Arachnids are the eight-legged invertebrate insect class which includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites. #celebratingwomen #etymology 🧵 #WordsTheGreeksGaveUs

Ah yes antepenultimate is a classic. My fav is floccinoccinihilapilification - to make little of something.

Dining tables are optional. Seed season is not.😀

How Two Goddesses Gave us Fridays Hello, I’m continuing my series of posts about words females gave us for Women’s History Month 2026. You’ll find the daily posts over on my bluesky and facebook accounts (I’…

Day 9 of Female Words for #WomensHistoryMonth - Friday. This is a word two goddesses gave us, one Norse and one Greek. Perhaps we should say Thank the Goddesses it's Friday in future?
Read all about it on the blog at wordfoolery.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/h... #celebratingwomen #etymology

6) The Nightingale Pledge is a variation of the Hippocratic oath taken by new nurses when they complete training. The Nightingale Medal is the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve.

5) She contracted “Crimean fever”, probably a form of extreme brucellosis, thanks to her war work. She continued her work from her sick bed for the rest of her life. She consulted on managing field hospitals during the American Civil War.

4) After the Crimean War she worked to improve the low status of nursing. She established St. Thomas’ Hospital and training school for nurses. It was the first secular training college for nurses in the world, now part of King’s College, London. Her writings sparked health care reform worldwide.

3) She worked in the military hospital in Scutari in 1854. She and her nurses sought to improve the conditions for the patients. The patients responded to her attentive care by dubbing her the Lady with the Lamp. The work of her team reduced the death rate by two thirds.

2) This garment has fallen from fashion but at one time was made by numerous Red Cross groups for the injured from World War I. The nightingale was named for Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) who is known for her work in the Crimean War.

Day 8 of Female Words for #WomensHistoryMonth - nightingale. A nightingale is a flannel scarf with sleeves, worn by patients sitting up in bed. #celebratingwomen #etymology 🧵

The pheasants are revolting 😉

(sympathies on the damage)

Wordfoolery logo - a black and white jester hat with bells on an orange background

6) The Dundee hecklers were mostly female and also led the charge in the suffragette movement. I love that the first heckler was a Dundee woman sticking up for her employment rights.

If you liked this story, maybe check out my weekly blog about word histories - wordfoolery.wordpress.com

5) The Scottish town of Dundee became known for their hecklers who dictated wages and working conditions through strength of numbers and shouting. When others followed them the heckling shop became known as a centre for activism. The term moved into the world of politics and later comedy stand-up.

4) Shortly after the arrival of the comb we were using heckle as a verb, meaning to comb flax or hemp with a heckle. By the mid 1400s we had heckler as a noun for somebody who uses a heckle. The work was done by men and women.