A recent episode of The History of English ( Episode 164: Somewhere in the Middle ) mentioned that the word “alligator” came from the Spanish term “el lagarto” which meant “the lizard” back in the 1560s.

The podcast’s host, Kevin Stroud, also mentioned that the word “crocodile” comes from ancient Greek word “krokodilos” which meant “lizard”.

Kevin then went on to say “Of course, there are several technical differences between alligators and crocodiles, but as we all know, the main difference is when you see them. Alligators are seen later, and crocodiles are seen after a while.”

Apparently, it is impossible to mention alligators or crocodiles without mentioning this joke.