Jenny's Noodle

CLUE: Something that serves to guide in the solution of a mystery or crime. 

Did you know? Before the word clue became associated with mystery novels, it was spelled "clew" and meant a ball of string or thread, a definition dating back to Greek mythology.

Clue is among the growing list of interesting word origins explored in the Mysteries of Vernacular video series:

In its final form, Mysteries of Vernacular will contain 26 etymological installments, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Each episode takes more than 80 hours to create between the research, construction of the book and animation.

The videos are haphazardly arranged on a bookshelf background — a unique site design that's worth at least a quick glance. Watch the episode above, then visit www.mysteriesofvernacular.com for more.