#21: Muscle — Romans Saw a Little Mouse Under Your Skin episode artwork

EPISODE · May 4, 2026 · 1 MIN

#21: Muscle — Romans Saw a Little Mouse Under Your Skin

from The Why of Words

Explore the surprising etymology of the word "muscle"—it doesn't come from Latin words meaning strength or power as you'd expect. Instead, the Romans named muscles after something tiny and squirming: the word musculus literally means "mouse" because a flexing bicep resembled a small rodent.---More from Sticky Note Podcasts:Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips)stickynotepodcasts.com

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 4, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

#21: Muscle — Romans Saw a Little Mouse Under Your Skin

0:00 1:43

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Why of Words?

This episode is 1 minute long.

When was this The Why of Words episode published?

This episode was published on May 4, 2026.

Can I download this The Why of Words episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!