Engraving shows the arrival of a Dutch slave ship with a group of African slaves for sale, Jamestown, Va., 1619. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Code Switch: Word Watch Each week, we take a look at a word or phrase that's caught our attention, whether for its history, usage, etymology, or just because it has an interesting story. This week, we look into how we came to call cannabis "marijuana," and the role Mexico played in that shift.
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Code Switch: Word Watch
A runner passes a ghostly sculpture on display between Bondi Beach and Tamarama Beach in Sydney. Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
In a country where the share of multiracial children has multiplied tenfold in the past 50 years, it's a good time to take stock of our shared vocabulary when it comes to describing Americans like me. Jeannie Phan for NPR hide caption
Construction of the Panama Canal Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
What you find when you search for "hapa" images on Flickr â "Limited Time"! istolethetv/Flickr hide caption
Almost there! Always delayed. iStockphoto hide caption
Yes, this ad was really in the newspaper – from the October 1, 1922 New York Tribune. Library of Congress hide caption
Cuban-American rapper Pitbull has popularized the Spanish expression "dale" among fans all over the world, including non-Spanish speakers. Felipe Dana/AP hide caption
An album cover for Lee S. Roberts and J. Will Callahan's 1917 song "Ching Chong." The Library Of Congress hide caption
Signs marking the entrance to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota make it clear when you're literally "off the reservation," but the figurative meaning of the phrase has shifted over time. Kristi Eaton/AP hide caption
The Spanish word mamacita is laden with sexual overtones. The figurative translation is "hot momma" — and the moniker is never used to describe a real mother. iStockphoto.com hide caption
Scottish explorer Mungo Park was among the first Europeans to view the Mandinka tribe's masked dancers who were known as Maamajomboo. He translated the word as "mumbo jumbo.' This 1797 illustration from Park's book, "Travels In The Interior Districts of Africa" shows a view of Kamalia village in Mandinka country. DeAgostini/Getty Images hide caption
An 1852 illustration shows Snow White's evil stepmother gazing into her magic mirror. Her famous question includes an ambiguous word: "fairest." Project Gutenberg hide caption