Why are frenzied women referred to as “hysterical” but not equally frenetic men?
The physicians of ancient Greece considered hysteria to be an exclusively female problem caused by a disorder within the woman’s distinctive internal organs. Hystera is the Greek word for womb and survives today in the medical procedure hysterectomy. Men suffer the antisocial symptoms of hysteria less frequently than women, but when they do, they are called sociopaths.

Why is an unidentified person referred to as “John Doe”?
“John Doe” is the name used to describe someone within legal circumstances when the true name is either unknown or indiscreet to reveal. The practice dates back to British courts in the early nineteenth century, when John and Jane Doe were used as names for unknown or unclear defendants in real estate eviction disputes. “Doe” was an extremely rare name, and there is nothing to suggest that any real John Doe ever existed.

Why were young women from the Roaring Twenties called “flappers”?
The 1920s was a breakout decade for young women who’d just won the right to vote. The era evokes images of young flappers like the cartoon character Betty Boop, who was only sixteen, wildly dancing to the Charleston. They were called flappers because of the way they resembled a baby duck flapping its wings before being able to fly. Flapper is a very old word meaning a girl too young to conceive.