beta n. in the sport of rock climbing, advice or instruction on the best way to climb a geographic feature. Etymological Note: The term is said to be derived from Betamax, the first popular format for recording video. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In this bonus A Way with Words minicast, Martha and Grant look into the myriad stories behind the word cocktail. Does the drink name come from feathers? Horses? Something up a horse’s rump? It’s a weird wandering down etymology...
Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...