This is the program that explores the origin and uses of popular words and expressions in American English . Today , we are going to talk about “autumn .” In half of the world , summer has come to an end . Swimming pools have closed . Children are back in school . The days grow shorter , and the weather cooler . In many parts of the United States , trees appear on fire as their leaves turn brilliant shades of gold , orange and red . From the Pacific Northwest to New England to the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian states -- the autumn leaf-changing scenery is breath-taking . Autumn is also called “fall .” This is probably because it is the time when trees lose their leaves and they fall to the ground . During fall , children around the United States love to gather leaves into large piles and jump into them . But why do we have two names for one season ? In the English language , calling the season “autumn ” first began in the 12th century . But the word was not commonly used until about the 16th century . This is about the same time that people began using the word “fall ” to mean autumn . However , even earlier , the season was called “harvest .” In the early days of the United States , autumn was a time for preparing for the winter months by collecting and preserving food . People gathered corn , nuts and berries . They also dried and salted meats to feed them through the long , cold winter . In modern times , refrigeration , grocery stores and pizza delivery help us survive through winter . But in autumn we still need to prepare . If you have a fireplace or a wood stove in your home , you will collect , chop or buy firewood . You may also need to prepare your home by fixing or weather-proofing doors and windows . If you have a car , you make sure the tires and fluids are also ready for the cold winter months . These preparations are called winterizing . Actually , many people winterize their wardrobes , too . They put away their lightweight summer clothes and flip flops , and bring out their coats , sweaters and boots . To prepare for the winter months , some animals gather food . The squirrel is well known for its skill in this activity . Squirrels gather and store seeds and nuts in their nests . They search the ground for fallen nuts . They pick nuts from tree limbs , sometimes throwing them down to the ground below . This hoarding helps them survive the winter . And it gives us a common expression . To squirrel something away means to save it for future use . Things you squirrel away become your stash . We often use this expression when talking about money and food . But any resource you may need later can be squirreled away . For example , a child might squirrel away chocolate , hiding their stash from brothers and sisters . This guarantees the child can satisfy their sweet tooth at any time . Unlike squirrels , you can squirrel things away during any time of the year . Also , unlike squirrels -- who are furry flurries of activity during the autumn -- many people slow down during this time . The expression autumn years refers to the later years of a person's life , especially after a person has stopped working . For example , “She worked hard her entire life . She saved her money and invested it wisely . So , she was able to enjoy her autumn years in comfort . She was finally able to travel around the world .” This time of life can also be called “twilight years .” Regardless of your age , autumn can be a sad time for gardeners . People who spent the entire summer cultivating their gardens may feel sad to see the empty garden beds of autumn . The poem “September Tomatoes ” is for those people . And like summer , we will return , not in a year , but rather next week !