Does "explanations" here mean the same thing as "theories?"
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Yeah, that's right! It is the same thing as "theories" since they say in the beginning that no one's completely sure where the phrase originated. "Theories" may just sound a little bit too formal in this context! Ex: There are a few possible explanations for why Jerry is late to class. Ex: The investigator had a few theories of who could have taken the bag.