TED-ED: Mysteries of vernacular: Fizzle - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

The video explores the word 'fizzle', tracing its origins from the Old English 'fist', meaning stink, to its evolution into 'fisten', and eventually 'fizzle', which initially meant to break wind silently. By the 1800s, 'fizzle' described a sputtering sound, and later, it became slang for failure, especially in academic settings. Today, 'fizzle' signifies a weak ending or failure, widely adopted in modern language.

What is the connection between the word 'fizzle' and the old English word 'fist'?

In what context was 'fizzle' originally used on college campuses?