Comic Transcripts

Plantation Hat: Is “pepper” something that adds pep? Or does “pep” describe the result of adding pepper?
Which came first, I wonder?

Monocled Linguist: Actually, they’re false cognates! Pepper is named for Sir Davis Pepper, who was the first to import the spice from India to Britain in the seventeenth century.
It was a trade name: Pepper Brand Shockening Powder, later genericized simply to pepper.

Monocled Linguist: Whereas “pep” comes from the Middle Greek “pepos”, meaning verve or spirit. Hence pep rally.
Sometimes coincidences like that happen!

Top Hat Bystander: Why are you such a liar?
Monocled Linguist: Come on! I have a linguistics degree.
This is all I have!

{{header: shed light on WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: “How often does somebody actually WONDER ABOUT ETYMOLOGY in my PRESENCE?? You GOTTA give me this!!”}}

#829; In which Pepper is explained transcribed by in

Plantation Hat: Is “pepper” something that adds pep? Or does “pep” describe the result of adding pepper?
Which came first, I wonder?

Monocled Linguist: Actually, they’re false cognates! Pepper is named for Sir Davis Pepper, who was the first to import the spice from India to Britain in the seventeenth century.
It was a trade name: Pepper Brand Shockening Powder, later genericized simply to pepper.

Monocled Linguist: Whereas “pep” comes from the Middle Greek “pepos”, meaning verve or spirit. Hence pep rally.
Sometimes coincidences like that happen!

Top Hat Bystander: Why are you such a liar?
Monocled Linguist: Come on! I have a linguistics degree.
This is all I have!

{{header: shed light on WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: “How often does somebody actually WONDER ABOUT ETYMOLOGY in my PRESENCE?? You GOTTA give me this!!”}}

#829; In which Pepper is explained transcribed by in

Plantation Hat: Is "pepper" something that adds pep? Or does "pep" describe the result of adding pepper?
Which came first, I wonder?

Monocled Linguist: Actually, they're false cognates! Pepper is named for Sir Davis Pepper, who was the first to import the spice from India to Britain in the seventeenth century.
It was a trade name: Pepper Brand Shockening Powder, later genericized simply to pepper.

Monocled Linguist: Whereas "pep" comes from the Middle Greek "pepos", meaning verve or spirit. Hence pep rally.
Sometimes coincidences like that happen!

Top Hat Bystander: Why are you such a liar?
Monocled Linguist: Come on! I have a linguistics degree.
This is all I have!

{{header: shed light on WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: "How often does somebody actually WONDER ABOUT ETYMOLOGY in my PRESENCE?? You GOTTA give me this!!"}}

''How often does somebody actually WONDER ABOUT ETYMOLOGY in my PRESENCE?? You GOTTA give me this!!''

#829; In which Pepper is explained

  — April 20th, 2012

[ Tags: , , ]       Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/829/

More surprising etymologies here!

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New ways to get Bolted!

July 24, 2026 by David Malki !

In addition to buying things directly from me, the normal way, my game Bolted! is also now available on Amazon dot com.

On that famous website, you can also get the Creature-Crafting Magnets Set, which is made of the same artwork from the game, but is just a weird little trinket (not a playable game).

My kiddo made the elaborate version below to show off just how many magnets you get in the set (it’s 150 pieces in all — this isn’t even all of them).

Also now on Amazon is my set of Multi-Purpose Greeting Cards — a full dozen cards with envelopes in a fancy, unbranded, foil-stamped box!

Event alert!

I’ll also be showing off Bolted! at Greenwood Games, an event in Seattle this Saturday:

Greenwood Games is a free, all-ages community game event that invites players to spend the afternoon walking Greenwood Avenue from 65th to 80th, collecting clues, cracking puzzles, and discovering games made right here in Washington.

Think of it as Pride Hop, ArtWalk, and the Gumshoe all rolled into one,  except the whole thing is built around games and puzzles.​

Local game designers will be set up at different places along Greenwood Avenue in Phinney Ridge (near Ballard). My specific spot will be the “Holy Mountain Phinney Ridge Taproom”. All the information about all the different games & venues is on the website!

(If you’re in Seattle generally but not free tomorrow, Bolted! is also stocked at Blue Highway Games in Queen Anne.)

Next week, I’ll be at Gen Con! I personally will be hanging with my buddy Sam Logan at BFE Webcomics, booth #1217… but I have it on good authority that copies of Bolted! will be available at the CRWN Studios booth, #2549.

Visit one booth! Then the other! The order…is up to you.


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