Andy Hollandbeck

Indianapolis

Senior Managing Editor and Copy Editor at Saturday Evening Post Magazine

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Articles

In a Word: I’ll Procrastinate Tomorrow

1 week ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. I very nearly didn’t get this week’s In a Word column written.
The Saturday Evening Post

2 weeks ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Eric’s approach to cooking is best described as desultory, because hea. likes it hot and spicy. b. prefers bland foods. c. doesn’t work from a plan. Last night’s casserole was absolutely fetid — ita. smelled horrible. b. was packed with nutrients. c. was widely praised. With one dish, Eric proved that, in the kitchen, he is nonpareil. He is a chef withouta. taste. b. equal. c. skill. Answersc. doesn’t work from a plan. a. smelled horrible. b. equal.
In a Word: The Key to a Conclave

3 weeks ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. Last week, it took only two days for 133 cardinals to elect Robert Prevost as the new pope, now known as Pope Leo XIV. This, of course, is old news — an oxymoron if ever there was one.
In a Word: Like Taking Candy from a Yogi

1 month ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. Like many other English words, candy came through French, but unlike most French descendants, it doesn’t trace back to Latin. Candy came from farther east. Human beings have always had a sweet tooth, which many ancient peoples satisfied with honey.
In a Word: Why Magpies Are Piebald, and Vice Versa

1 month ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to cruise through the beautiful, mountainous lands east of Salt Lake City. I pulled into a roadside rest stop and got out to stretch my legs and take a longer gander at the beautiful landscape.
Contrariwise: Stick to Your (Analog) Guns

1 month ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

It’s hard not to notice that companies keep cramming so-called artificial intelligence into every type of product these days. And with the internet flooded with A.I.-generated videos, music, and “art,” it’s harder still not to be annoyed by it. We’ve been here before, though. Not with A.I., of course, but with every innovation that came before it.
In a Word: The Chicken or the Egg

2 months ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Philosophers, scientists, and historians have been asking and answering that question for ages, and we still seem a long way off from a definitive answer.
In a Word: Discovering Neanderthals

2 months ago | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. Take a look at the chart of human evolution, and one of the first ancestor species you’ll find is the Neanderthals. Though they are thought to have died off around 40,000 years ago, the history of the name Neanderthal is much more recent.
In a Word: Petit Fours and Petty Crimes

Mar 6, 2025 | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. At a local coffeeshop last week, I had the opportunity of enjoying a couple of tasty petit fours with my latte. I don’t eat petit fours — small, light cubes of layered sponge cake covered in icing — very often, and I had only ever given brief thought to why they were called that.
In a Word: A Crayfish Is Not a Fish

Feb 20, 2025 | saturdayeveningpost.com | Andy Hollandbeck

Senior managing editor and logophile Andy Hollandbeck reveals the sometimes surprising roots of common English words and phrases. Remember: Etymology tells us where a word comes from, but not what it means today. If you’ve ever laid eyes on a crayfish, the title of this article may seem self-evident. It’s plain to see that, with its pincers and shell, a crayfish is some sort of crustacean, maybe an oversized insect.