Time is of the essence

Shorter words are becoming the norm: These 12 terms used to be longer

Image: Markus Winkler

Blame it on the faster pace of modern life, practicality, or whatever else you can think of, but the tendency to optimize time has seeped into our everyday lives and even into our language. Many formal words have been trimmed into shorter versions of themselves, often starting as slang and then becoming standard speech. Did you ever use any of the following words in their longer form?

Image: Jonathan Borba

In the nineteenth century, public coaches were called omnibuses, a Latin term suggesting transport "for all." Passengers soon favored the shorter, quicker "bus" in daily talk.

The shortened word spread rapidly across cities and timetables. Today, omnibus survives mainly in legal texts or historical descriptions.

Image: CDC

During early epidemics, newspapers shortened influenza to "flu" for speed and space, helping the clipped form spread rapidly.

Today, flu is the everyday name for the illness, while influenza persists in medical and scientific writing. Both remain correct, but only one feels familiar.

Image: Kristen Plastique

The French-derived brassiere was common in early 20th-century catalogs, but shoppers quickly favored the brisk, modern "bra."

After mid-century marketing shifts, the clipped form became universal. Today, brassiere sounds dated outside historical writing.

Image: Ann Ann

We might think otherwise today, but a facsimile transmission was once cutting-edge technology. Soon enough, office workers favored the short, punchy "fax."

As machines spread, the clipped form took over press releases and everyday conversation alike. The original term is now largely historical.

Image: Daniel Guerra

Early films were described as moving pictures, but audiences soon began calling them "movies" because, well, it was shorter and catchier.

Hollywood’s rise helped seal the popularity of the shorter form. Today, the longer phrase survives mainly in historical analysis or nostalgic usage.

Image: Waldemar Brandt

Passengers on city streets once hired a taximeter cab, later shortened to taxicab, but everyday speech eventually clipped it to the more convenient and expeditious "taxi."

The shorter word spread globally, becoming the universal name for hired cars. The long form persists mainly in regulations.

Image: Kenny Eliason

Originally coined as weblog, a portmanteau of web and log, the term was later jokingly split as we blog, inspiring the now-standard "blog."

The clipped form quickly overtook its parent. Today, it refers both to the site and to the act of publishing online posts.

Image: Eugene Chystiakov

Retailers once promoted hooded sweatshirts, but youth culture shortened the name to "hoodie," giving it a modern identity.

The clipped form became mainstream across fashion and sportswear. The longer phrase now appears mainly in catalogs or formal product descriptions.

Image: Manny Becerra

The elegant Italian word violoncello entered English intact before musicians clipped it to the smoother, more practical "cello."

The shortened form became the everyday name of the instrument. The longer term survives mostly in formal scores, academic contexts, and archival writing.

Image: Ebuen Clemente Jr

The original pianoforte highlighted the instrument’s ability to play softly and loudly, but speakers quickly favored the simpler and more universal "piano."

As the instrument spread through homes and concert halls, the shorter term dominated. Pianoforte remains in scholarly texts and classical sheet music.

Image: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu

The Latin-derived word dormitory described shared student housing, but campus life quickly adopted the brisker, more casual "dorm."

The clipped form feels friendly and familiar, reflecting college culture. The full term appears mainly in brochures and official policies.

Image: BBiDDac

In the nineteenth century, men wore pantaloons, a somewhat funny term that later evolved into "pants" as fashion and language changed.

The shorter form became the everyday American generic term for trousers. Pantaloons now survives almost exclusively in costume history, literature, and theater.

Hidden secrets of memory

Is sugar ruining your ability to remember? Improve your memory!

Have you been a little forgetful lately? Here’s the good news: your memory is far more powerful than you might realize! With a capacity no computer can truly match, the human brain is packed with incredible abilities and peculiarities. Join us as we uncover 10 unexpected facts you probably didn’t know about your memory. Trust us; you’re in for a few surprises!

The more we learn about the human brain, the more awesome it proves to be, and memory is one of its most remarkable superpowers. While no one can say exactly how much the brain can store, one thing is clear: its capacity is enormous, far beyond what we typically imagine. In fact, a widely cited estimate suggests the brain could hold around 2.5 million gigabytes of information; that’s roughly the equivalent of 3 million hours of TV!

Learning new things really does change your brain, and not just metaphorically, but physically. That’s right: every time you absorb new information or form a memory, your brain actually reshapes itself. Studies using brain imaging have shown that, thanks to a process called neuroplasticity, your brain builds new neural networks, strengthens connections, and creates new pathways.

Evidence suggests that processed sugar isn’t just bad for your body; it can also affect your brain, especially your memory.

Yes, we need glucose to survive, but diets high in added sugars are a different story. Too much added sugar can damage the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory formation and learning. When that area is affected, recollection and overall cognitive function can suffer.

When a mom says her newborn smiles at a song she played during pregnancy, believe her: science has proven it! It turns out babies can form sensory and auditory memories while they’re still in the womb, and they can recognize those familiar sounds for a short time after birth.

Human memory is amazing, but it’s not perfect. Sometimes we "remember" things that never happened, or we recall real events in ways that are completely different from how they unfolded. But why does this happen? Memory is shaped by emotions, perspective, and the way we tell experiences. Two people can experience the same event and have very different memories of it. Even more surprising is the fact that every time you tell a story, your brain slightly rewrites it, which means small details can change.

Just like the muscles in your body, your memory can weaken if you don’t use it. And just like your muscles, the way to keep it strong is to give it a workout.

The internet makes everything so easy that our brains don’t have to work as hard. Instead of instantly reaching for your phone, pause and try to recall the information yourself. Challenge your brain! That little bit of effort makes a big difference.

Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in there? Try retracing your steps. And we mean that literally. Research suggests that walking backward boosts activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in short-term memory.

And there’s more: while real movement has real benefits, just imagining yourself walking backward can help you remember!

One of the most powerful ways to lock in new information is through drawing or handwriting. Studies show that writing things down by hand or sketching them helps your brain retain information much better than just typing or rereading. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist; just draw the best picture you can, you’ll thank yourself later!

You don't need antivirus software to delete unnecessary files in your brain. Some memories don’t just fade away over time; your brain actively clears them out. While you sleep, it classifies the day’s information, strengthens what matters, and gets rid of what doesn’t, so it can run more efficiently the next day. Getting a good night’s sleep truly refreshes your mind!

You’ve probably experienced it: just a hint of an old perfume, and suddenly you’re transported back to another time. That’s no coincidence. As we’ve said, memory is deeply connected to experience, and experience is shaped by your senses.

Of all five senses, smell has the strongest link to memory. Unlike sight or sound, scents take a more direct route in the brain, connecting quickly to areas tied to emotion and memory.