Meet Muhammad | Meet The Author

I’ve always believed that every word carries its own story, but I didn’t realize how deep that idea went until 2020.

That year, I joined AmazingTalker, an edtech company focused on language learning. It was supposed to be just a job, but as the months went by, something shifted. The simple act of helping people learn languages began to open my eyes to a larger, fascinating world of communication.

At first, I was focused on the mechanics of language: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. But soon, I found myself drawn to the way people actually use language in real life.

I started paying attention to the words and phrases people tossed around casually. It hit me that slang and everyday expressions aren’t just filler—they’re shortcuts to culture, humor, and identity.

Working with people from all over the world at AmazingTalker, I realized how words can change their meaning depending on who says them and where they’re from.

For example, a phrase that sounds completely ordinary in one country can be a powerful or even funny statement in another. I became fascinated by the nuances, the small stories hidden inside common expressions.

I remember one night, deep into my work, I stumbled across the term “spill the tea.” It sounded quirky, almost too casual.

But after a little digging, I found its roots in African American LGBTQ+ communities, and how it evolved into mainstream culture, becoming a term for gossip. That moment was a lightbulb for me—I realized how much there was to learn from the origins of these phrases, and how language evolves with the people who use it.

As I continued my work at AmazingTalker, this love for uncovering the hidden stories behind slang grew stronger.

I was working with people learning Spanish, French, and Mandarin, but my mind kept drifting toward the deeper meanings behind the phrases that often didn’t show up in textbooks.

Why do we say “break the ice”?

What does it mean to be “on cloud nine”?

These questions started to spark something in me that went beyond the usual duties of my job.

In 2024, after four years of exploring this niche, I decided to take a leap and channel my passion into a project of my own—CoolMeanings.net.

This site is my way of capturing all those hidden stories behind slang, phrases, and cultural expressions. It’s not just about definitions; it’s about peeling back the layers and discovering how these words connect us to the past, to each other, and the world around us.

For me, one of the most exciting parts of running CoolMeanings.net is digging into phrases that we use without thinking twice.

Take “bite the bullet”—a phrase that has roots in battlefield surgeries before anesthesia. Soldiers would bite down on bullets to cope with the pain of crude medical procedures.

Now, it’s just a metaphor for facing something unpleasant. Each phrase, no matter how common, carries a story like that, waiting to be told.

Or how about the expression “raining cats and dogs”?

It sounds absurd on the surface, but when you trace it back to 17th-century England, it starts to make sense. The streets back then were so filthy and crowded with animals that after heavy rains, the bodies of stray cats and dogs were often washed into the streets. Suddenly, this bizarre phrase becomes a vivid picture of a time in history.

CoolMeanings.net is my way of sharing these kinds of stories. It’s not just a place to learn what a phrase means today, but to understand where it came from, why we use it, and how it reflects who we are. Every word has a history, and I’m here to uncover it.

The journey from AmazingTalker to CoolMeanings.net has been one of discovery, not just about language but about myself. I realized that language is more than just a tool for communication—it’s a living, breathing reflection of culture, history, and human connection.

My mission now is to make these stories as engaging for you as they’ve been for me, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you.