AllTop Viral!

Remember when “cool” meant “a little bit cold,” “bad” meant the opposite of “good,” and Republican meant Democrat? Here’s a list of other words whose meanings have changed even more drastically. For example:

BROTHEL

Used to mean: A low-life

In Middle English, “brothel” described the kind of person who’d cheat, steal, and … possibly frequent a bordello.

INMATE

Used to mean: A tenant or housemate

Try posting an “Inmate Wanted” ad on Craigslist today and see what happens.

BALDERDASH

Used to mean: A frothy liquid

We swear this isn’t a board game bluff.

Full story at Mental Floss.

More funny linguistic facts.

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