Etymologie, Etimología, Étymologie, Etimologia, Etymology
US Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, Estados Unidos de América, États-Unis d'Amérique, Stati Uniti d'America, United States of America
Wörterbuch, Diccionario, Dictionnaire, Vocabolario, Dictionary
About AllWords.com
AllWords.com was first considered in July of 1998, while we were building our first site, "allmath.com". We launched AllWords.com in January 1998. Since then we’ve strived to provide a simple, straightforward place to look up words and learn more about language sites across the web. Today we serve nearly 3/4 million visitors each month and hope that this blog and our soon to launch, AllGuides.com community will add to those numbers and help us all learn a bit more about the written and spoken word.
The biggest surprises tend to hide in plain sight. We’ve found this to be true with the origins of words like hello (check it out), and especially the somewhat naughty roots of Miss (read about that here.) With noon, we’ve uncovered a remarkable fact that will change how you think of 12:00.
First, some essential background. Clocks and watches are relatively
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Does your handwriting really say something about your personality?
December 12, 2011 138 Comments Share
Graphologists, or self-proclaimed handwriting experts, claim that it does. Specifically they claim that individuals who share certain personality traits write in a similar fashion, so graphologists analyze handwriting to deduce the character traits of the writer. In the early 1900s, Milton Newman Bunker invented the most common graphology technique called graphoanalysis. (Other methods of graphology predate Bunker’s work.) His approach relies on the stroke shape of the letters.
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How does classic children’s novel, The Phantom Tollbooth, use words themselves as a plot device?
December 9, 2011 113 Comments Share
Every work of literature relies on the dictionary. Many writers would say that the goal of fiction is to use powerful words to tell a story without calling attention to the words themselves. A small number of books, however, actually make words, meaning, and language their plot or even transform the workings of language into characters. This practice is called meta-fiction, and today we pay tribute to one meta-fictional work that famously stretches readers’ minds while making them laugh.
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Why is a new element named after a suburb of San Francisco?
December 6, 2011 126 Comments Share
On Saturday the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry proposed the names of two new elements. Currently element number 114 and element number 116 do not have official names in the periodic table of elements. The elements were previously known as ununquadium and ununhexium. Those long, unpronounceable words were the temporarily used systematic element names.
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How does your brain distinguish words from sentences?
December 5, 2011 113 Comments Share
In English class, your grade does not differentiate between how large your vocabulary is and how well you write a sentence, but new research shows that your brain does. This evidence may mean that increasing your vocabulary does not necessarily influence one’s fluency when learning a new language.
Two parts of the brain, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, play a large
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Do you give presents or gifts?
December 2, 2011 74 Comments Share
This time of year we are all making our lists and checking them twice. All this holiday shopping got us thinking: where do the words gift and present come from? Why does English use both? It’s not just so that children can ask for toys in multiple ways.
Language is not a linear, predestined development.
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Why “tergiversate” is our 2011 Word of the Year
November 30, 2011 76 Comments Share
There are essentially two ways to pick a “word of the year.” One common approach is to select from words whose common usage reflects some quality of the year past. Expect to see “occupy,” “winning,” etc., on many selections this December. Another way involves actually using the dictionary. Is there a word that captures the character of 2011, regardless of its popularity or ubiquity?
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How are words added to the dictionary?
November 28, 2011 69 Comments Share
The study of words is called lexicology—not to be confused with phraseology, philology, syntax, morphology, lexicography or semantics. How do lexicologists create new words? Actually, they don’t—think how ridiculous it would be if a deranged lexicologist had the power and desire to create hundreds of new words? Rather they observe the way English is used and choose words from their findings.
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Why is Catholic Church changing its official Mass?
November 25, 2011 168 Comments Share
This weekend the Catholic Church is changing the required English-language Mass. This is a big deal. It is the third time in the 1700-year history of the Church that the Mass is being formally changed, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. First here’s a brief history of the Catholic Church. The Church and its sacred documents were codified at the Council of Nicaea in 325, and it didn’t really change for 1200 years. As a response to the Protestant Reformation,
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Why this word is causing so much controversy
November 22, 2011 1 Comment Share Today the word “uppity” rose to number seven on Google’s list of extremely popular searches. The reason? Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh referred to First Lady Michelle Obama as “uppity-ish.” Specifically, Limbaugh was discussing a Nascar rally on Sunday the 20th where Michelle Obama was booed by the crowd. Limbaugh said he believed the crowd was upset because “They understand it’s a little bit of uppity-ism.”
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Is pizza really a vegetable?
November 20, 2011 374 Comments Share
You may have heard that the U.S. Congress recently reaffirmed that pizza is a vegetable. Of course, the situation is more complicated than that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture—which regulates the school lunches served to millions of American children—proposed a new standard for school lunches. Specifically, they suggested reducing the amount of sodium in school lunches, and they also wanted to cut down on french fries and pizza.
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How music helped Gabrielle Giffords relearn words
November 17, 2011 137 Comments Share
In January, when Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded, it was unclear whether she would fully recuperate or regain her ability to talk. Giffords was injured on the left side of her brain near the section called Broca’s area that controls language.
However, recovery specialists have started using a unique, unexpected therapy to help patients recover their language ability: music.
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Oh my! What occupy used to mean may make you blush
November 15, 2011 193 Comments Share
From Portland to St. Louis, the Occupy protests have been gaining momentum and continue to be front-page news. The protests sent us to the dictionary (where else?) to look up the etymology of the word “occupy.” We found an unexpected obsolete definition. The term occupy formerly meant something very different than its current common meaning. From the early 1500s to the 1800s, occupy
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What do you call a sweet bubbly beverage?
November 13, 2011 490 Comments Share
If you’ve ever traveled within the U.S. and tried to order a sweet carbonated beverage, you’ve probably been misunderstood and confused. Depending on where you are, a soft drink might be called any number of things: coke, soda, pop. Ask anyone which is the right word and they will vehemently defend their preference, but why do people who speak the same language use different words in the first place?
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11/11/11: Why is today so rare and unusual?
November 11, 2011 132 Comments Share
11/11/11 is a much-anticipated day. Obviously, it contains all of the same digits (like 1/1/1, 2/2/2 and so on…), and it is a palindromic date. (That means the numbers are the same backwards and forwards). 11 is a very odd number and has been subject to much interpretation over the ages. According to Yahoo! News, medieval scholars believed that while most numbers had positive and negative qualities, the number 11
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What does Veterans Day have to do with one of the most common grammar mistakes?
November 7, 2011 133 Comments Share
What do apostrophes have to do with the federal holiday this Friday? Well, there’s a confusing apostrophe in Veterans’ Day—or is there? Veterans Day is often incorrectly written as “Veteran’s Day” or “Veterans’ Day.” “Veteran’s Day” would definitely be incorrect because it means a day for only one veteran. While “Veterans’ Day” does encompass multiple veterans, that spelling is incorrect according to
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What should be the 2011 Word of the Year? We have a few ideas
November 4, 2011 345 Comments Share
It’s only November, but Best of the Year lists are going around and the time has come to discuss the Word of 2011. A couple of weeks ago, we asked our Facebook fans for early candidates for the year-defining term. Of course, the political turmoil of the 2011 dominated the responses. Occupy and revolution were popular choices, along with spring. Other terms along those lines include transition, upheaval,
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Where do you keep your most memorable words?
November 2, 2011 57 Comments Share
As print made books more common in the 1500s and literacy spread, savvy new readers came up with novel ways to remember their favorite words and passages from the manuscripts they could now own and carry with them. One method was called the commonplace book. Written by John Milton, Henry Thoreau and other writers, commonplace books compiled the gems of a reader’s experience. Last week, Dictionary.com and Nook asked our Facebook fans an intriguing
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How can a font alleviate reading problems?
October 31, 2011 106 Comments Share
Dyslexics invert and transpose letters because they confuse letters that look alike. The switching of b and d, for example, is very common because the letters are simply reflections of each other. (In fact, dyslexia is much more common for English readers than readers of other languages, like Italian, in which words are spelled phonetically more than they are in English.)
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Can you tell psychopaths by the way they speak?
October 27, 2011 247 Comments Share
Have you ever met someone and thought they were a little off? Just by the way someone speaks, we can pick up on social cues and emotional intelligence that give us certain impressions about them.
Communications researchers have taken this hunch to another level. They interviewed convicted murderers whose self-reported tests reveal them to be psychopaths and analyzed the specific language usage
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How do computers help decode inscrutable ciphers?
October 26, 2011 73 Comments Share
Back in the 1940s, mathematician Warren Weaver made an audacious suggestion: what if translation was not a feat of literary theory and linguistics, but one of cryptography? Weaver suggested treating a foreign text as if it were a code to be broken. (This theory was the early basis of machine translation, a subfield of computational linguistics.) This metaphor of foreign language as code means that statistics and other tools of cryptography can be used to translate
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What are the ( ) { } [ ] and ? ?? When should we use them and where they come from?
October 23, 2011 136 Comments Share
Though these odd symbols—( ), [ ], { }, and ? ?—regularly appear on our books and screens, they all have odd, unexpected origins. The most familiar of these unusual symbols is probably the ( ), called parentheses. One of them ( is called a parenthesis, and as a pair the plural are parentheses. Parenthesis literally means “to put beside” from the Greek roots par-, -en and thesis. Grammatically, they behave kind of like commas and serve to set aside a subordinate part of the sentence
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An exciting new addition to ancient history? How one important book was uncovered from within another book.
October 21, 2011 62 Comments Share
After years of research, the Archimedes’ Palimpsest is now on display at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Like anything more than a thousand years old, it has an intriguing story to tell. But what’s a palimpsest? This confusing word has a very particular definition. A palimpsest is a text written on parchment, vellum or sometimes papyrus that is covered over by another text. The word palimpsest comes from the Ancient Greek word meaning “to scrape again.”
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Why can’t you say chmlk? What makes a vowel?
October 18, 2011 194 Comments Share
In elementary school, we all learned the vowels of the English language: a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. But what makes a vowel a vowel? Vowels and consonants are essentially two different categories of sounds that linguists use to better understand how language sounds work. The study of the sounds that human beings can produce is called phonetics. It’s a sub-speciality of linguistics.
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How does the brain compute language? Will it turn us into cyborgs?
October 16, 2011 154 Comments Share
Though neurology has made great strides in the past two decades, the brain is still the least understood organ in the body. How does it make thoughts? Even though research has not yet answered that question, a few intrepid scientists think that we will soon be able to communicate with machines using only our minds.
A recent New York Times article explains that this ambitious project is
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Why do we call them berries?
October 13, 2011 104 Comments Share
The berry family is a linguistic invention particular to Germanic languages, like English. Other languages, like Spanish and French, do not combine the wide, diverse berry family into one group, but rather have very different words for blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. The word berry comes from the Old English berie, which originally meant “grape.” As the English language spread to the Americas with colonization, many native grape-shaped fruits that grew
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How do CAPTCHAs test our human identity by making our language unrecognizable?
October 11, 2011 277 Comments Share
Wherever we go on the internet, we encounter CAPTCHAs, those twisted words that block or enable entries on websites. Need to post an ad on Craigslist? There’s a CAPTCHA. Want to comment on an article or blog post? There’s a CAPTCHA. So why do we have them? They were invented to block spamming machines from posting wherever they want. In order to keep out spammers, a CAPTCHA has to effectively test if you are human or machine.
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Why is it called America, not Columbusia?
October 9, 2011 171 Comments Share
American place names can sound pretty confusing even to native English speakers. From Philadelphia (Greek for “loving brother”) to Chicago (Algonquian Fox for “place of the wild onion”), the map of America is an etymological hodge-podge. For a clear example, take three adjacent states in New England. Vermont is an inverted, rough translation of the French for “green mountain,” mont vert. Massachusetts is derived from the name of the Native American people who lived
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Will English no longer be spoken in space?
October 6, 2011 129 Comments Share
Earlier this week, NASA announced that it is looking for new astronauts. Though NASA has sent its last shuttle into space, it will continue to send astronauts to the International Space Station through a collaboration with the Russian Federal Space Agency. NASA has promised to help staff the International Space Station (ISS) through at least 2020. So the ISS will continue to host astronauts from around the world, including Japan and Europe in addition to Russia and the United States.
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What does it mean to be “fluent” in a language?
October 4, 2011 248 Comments Share
Currently, the Arizona Board of Education is deciding if teachers who speak with an accent are fluent in English. (Read the full story here.) We have all heard how differently people in London, New York, or Baton Rouge speak English, but are those different speakers still fluent in English? Where does accent stop and fluency begin?
Fluency is defined as being able to speak and write quickly or easily in a
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When did the New York Times first use an emoticon? 1862. This word helps explain why.
October 3, 2011 59 Comments Share
Last week the New York Times ran this headline: “Twitter Study Tracks When We Are : )” Notice anything odd for official newspaper-speak? That little emoticon printed in a venerated newspaper suggests growing acceptance of abbreviations and pictographic communication. Of course, the article is about the internet and technology, so a nod to common electronic communication is appropriate and light-hearted.
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Why are some letters tied together?
September 29, 2011 163 Comments Share
It is hard to remember that fonts originated in handwriting, but occasionally reminders, like ligatures, pop up. “Ligature” literally means to bind or tie up, so when two letters are tied together in script, it is called a ligature. Medieval scribes combined letters that shared some part, so they could write faster and conserve space on the page. For example, rather than write fi, they combined the tittle in the i with the end in the f to make the symbol at left. Other common ligatures
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How does language influence how we think?
September 26, 2011 152 Comments Share
Language shapes how we think about the world. Benjamin Whorf, a linguist in the early 1900s, called this phenomenon linguistic relativity. It is often said that the Eskimos have fifty words for snow, but it turns out that’s not true. Eskimo-Aleut languages have about as many words for snow as the English language. But the Sami languages spoken by indigenous people near the Arctic Circle in northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway have hundreds of words for snow. For example, in Lule
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Did you know that American Sign Language is not related to English?
September 23, 2011 132 Comments Share
On the occasion of Deaf Awareness Week, we wanted to talk about the language of the deaf community, American Sign Language (ASL). Contrary to public perception, ASL is not related to English. ASL, a manual language that relies on movement rather than sound to denote meaning, actually grew out of French Sign Language in the early 1800s. The picture at left depicts finger spelling which uses hand motions to spell words in English but is not part of ASL.
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Fall used to have a different name, and why is autumn a mystery?
September 21, 2011 99 Comments Share
The season we call fall was once referred to simply as “harvest” to reflect the time when farmers gathered their crops for winter storage, roughly between August and November. Astronomically, the season lasts from the end of the September until December, between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. (Want to learn more about the difference between a solstice and an equinox? Find out here.) The word harvest comes from the Old Norse
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Neanderthal? Cro-Magnon? Who’s who?
September 19, 2011 65 Comments Share
When talking about fossils, there are a lot of confusing words: Neanderthal, paleoanthropologist, homo erectus. First off, the scientists: paleoanthropologists study extinct ancestors of human beings. Paleo means old or ancient and anthro means relating to human beings.
Now let’s discuss the specimens themselves. Our very distant
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You can debunk something, but why can’t you bunk something?
September 16, 2011 120 Comments Share
As readers, we recognize prefixes, like dis-, in-, non- and un-, as expressing negation. We immediately know that “unfair” means “not fair.” However, there are some clear exceptions to these rules. Such anomalies can cause confusion for a few reasons. For one, the prefix in- also literally means “in,” such as inquire, inclose, and insure. The word impromptu for instance comes directly from the Latin phrase
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The effect of dyslexia on words
September 12, 2011 142 Comments Share
Letters are the most ubiquitous symbols around us. When we learn to read, we train our brains to transform these symbols into sounds and meanings. However, doctors estimate that at least 10% of the population has dyslexia. The term “dyslexia” was invented in 1887 by the German ophthalmologist Rudolf Berlin. It comes from the Greek roots dys meaning difficult and lexia meaning reading. (It is likely
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How is this man responsible for the name of New York?
September 9, 2011 72 Comments Share
Gotham, the Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps: New York City is the emblem of America, to many, especially as we remember the tragedy of September 11th, 2001.
Over the past three centuries, New York has grown to greatly overshadow its namesake, the city of York in northern England.
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What character was removed from the alphabet but is still used every day?
September 2, 2011 250 Comments Share
Johnson & Johnson, Barnes & Noble, Dolce & Gabbana: the ampersand today is used primarily in business names, but that small character was once the 27th part of the alphabet. Where did it come from though? The origin of its name is almost as bizarre as the name itself.
The shape of the character (&) predates the word ampersand by more
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These words may be removed from some dictionaries — find out why, and if you agree
August 24, 2011 925 Comments Share
No matter how clever, revolutionary, or poignant, the passage of time can render anything obsolete – even words.
Recently, researchers for the Collins Dictionary released a list of words, such as charabanc and aerodrome, that are used so rarely that they are considered obsolete, and will no longer be included in smaller print dictionaries.
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Is it ever correct to say “didja?” What is the official term for “didja,” “sorta,” and “d’ya?”
August 18, 2011 257 Comments Share
Didja ever think that there are ways of speaking that feel perfectly comfortable that would seem wrong if you wrote them down? Sorta like the way this sentence is written. Lemme tell you ‘bout this very phenomenon, relaxed pronunciation.
Pronunciation is defined as “the conventional patterns of treatment of the sound and stress patterns of a syllable or word.” Relaxed pronunciation, also called word slurring or condensed pronunciation, happens when those
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“Liver tea and just us?” Why is when you misinterpret words or lyrics called a mondegreen?
August 12, 2011 791 Comments Share
Did you begin the school day by placing your right hand over your heart and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? If you were among the many kids who thought “indivisible” was “invisible,” or “liberty” was “liver tea,” you were not alone. We don’t have a definition for liver tea, nor do we believe anyone would drink it, but this common misunderstanding of a phrase is called a mondegreen.
A mondegreen is a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that shares
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Why isn’t it “Pardon my German?” Here’s part answer, part mystery
August 7, 2011 238 Comments Share
Often an idiom, “an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its parts,” can seem like something from “Alice in Wonderland.” One of the most colorful such idioms combines the profane with a language associated with love.
“Pardon my French,” or “excuse my French,” is an apology for the use of
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Why is it called “rock n’ roll?” What does the “roll” mean? Why is it sometimes “and” yet sometimes “n’?”
August 1, 2011 94 Comments Share
Is “Rocket ‘88” by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats the very first rock and roll record? The question has inspired debate among musicologists for years. Another equally contentious question: Where does the term “rock and roll” come from?
“Rock” is derived from the Old English roccain, related to the Old
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What does email style convey about the writer’s personality?
July 28, 2011 158 Comments Share
Like a first impression, the emails we send allow the recipient to judge us solely based on our choice of tone, punctuation and writing ability. We may come across as educated or illiterate, happy or disgruntled – it’s all in the delivery. As a recent study suggests, oftentimes the message you are trying to convey is not what ends up in someone’s inbox.
Communicology, the study of communication, draws on
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Pluto gains a fourth moon, but what should it be named?
July 24, 2011 635 Comments Share
Pluto may have been demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006, but that hasn’t stopped astronomers from studying this intriguing plutoid. NASA recently announced the discovery of a fourth moon, be it a “mini-moon,” circling the former planet. Dubbed “P4” for the time being, the hunt is on for an appropriate name.
The practice of naming planets after gods and goddesses can
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Can how a baby cries predict his or her future language skills?
July 21, 2011 71 Comments Share
According to a Japanese proverb: “A crying child thrives.” A recent study that examines the complexity of an infant’s cries in relation to his or her language development seems to offer a scientific basis for this folk wisdom.
For babies whose cries exhibited complex melodies by the age of two months, the study, published in
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Why are zero and the letter “O” both circles? The answer involves both science and mysticism
July 14, 2011 145 Comments Share
Long, long ago, typewriters made no distinction between the number 0 and the letter O. While the two share the same shape, the origin of both number and letter are quite different. Let’s look at the distinct astrological and optical inspirations that created these seemingly identical symbols.
Derived from the Semitic letter Ayin and inspired by the circular
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NBA superstar changes name to “Metta World Peace.” What does it mean?
July 12, 2011
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ Ron Artest has spent the majority of his basketball career stirring up controversy with his own brand of joie de vivre. The eccentric, at times rowdy, small forward and shooting guard now graces this column for a linguistic reason. Artest plans on officially changing his name to Metta World Peace. If, as our recent post conjectures, our given names play a part in predetermining our destinies – what does the future hold for Mr. World Peace (and what does Metta CONTINUE READING »
What does “Atlantis” mean? And why is the Space Shuttle Atlantis named after something underwater?
July 8, 2011
The final space shuttle mission has blasted off, launching the fascinating word mystery of “Atlantis” into our consciousness: How did the name of a mythical kingdom thousands of leagues under the sea become the moniker for a vehicle soaring thousands of miles into space?
Is the semicolon just plain silly? How exactly does one use it, and why is it called a “colon?”
June 28, 2011
The semicolon: is it the most maddening and mysterious punctuation mark? Many a writer avoids it altogether. When trying to express thoughts clearly, who needs a “semi” anything? Our task is not to sway your feelings, but to simply provide some definition to your like or dislike. When exactly should one use a semicolon? Fundamentally, what’s the difference between a colon and a semicolon?
Do names prejudice how others perceive your status? A study suggests yes
June 24, 2011
Are you a Samuel or a Travis, a Katherine or an Amber? According to a recent study conducted on 89 undergraduate students, a person’s socioeconomic and educational standing may be in direct correlation with a person’s name. While researchers point out that a person’s essence, status, and general fate CONTINUE READING »
Wednesday is named for a mix of two very different gods? Who are they?
June 21, 2011
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The name Wednesday derives from two mighty but distinct gods. The Old English word for Wednesday indicates that the day was named for the Germanic god Woden. In Romance languages, the name is derived from the Roman god Mercury. (For example, Wednesday is mercredi in French and CONTINUE READING »
Wait a minute, is this solstice “Midsummer’s Eve?” Let us explain . . .
June 20, 2011
The Gregorian calendar tells us that the summer solstice marks the longest day of the calendar year and the beginning of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. However, literature refers to a point called Midsummer’s Night. So which, and when, is it? This is a celestial quandary that involves the sun, the earth and…William Shakespeare.
The term solstice is derived from the Latin scientific term CONTINUE READING »
What is the grammatical error that accompanies Father’s Day?
June 18, 2011
In Hindu tradition, Father’s Day coincides with the new moon day, or Amavasya, during late August. In Thailand it is customary to honor thy father with a Canna flower. And in Germany, Vatertag is celebrated on the Thursday forty days following Easter. In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, however this was not always CONTINUE READING »
What does Shakespeare have to do with punk rock?
June 17, 2011
A musical culture began to take shape amid the unrest of Great Britain during the mid nineteen-seventies. With the emergence of bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash, the punk rock movement sparked a nihilistic ethos and a new sound that would change the musical landscape forever. While the modern day use of the word ‘punk’ might suggest anarchistic youth, William Shakespeare used the term quite differently over four hundred years ago. So how did this word evolve from a derogatory term aimed at a woman to a derogatory term aimed at a young man?
Although its exact etymology is not known, the term CONTINUE READING »
The film “Super 8? is a hit, but what does the title mean?
June 14, 2011
The No. 1 film at the box office this week is J.J. Abram’s “Super 8,” an homage to the work of Steven Spielberg. Millions of people have seen this film, but it’s doubtful they know what the title means.
Released by Eastman Kodak in 1965, Super 8 became one of the preferred CONTINUE READING »
After 90 years, scholars finish a 21-volume dictionary for an extinct language. Why?
June 12, 2011
With over 7,000 known languages spoken around the world today, it may seem fruitless for scholars to have spent the past 90 years creating a dictionary for a language that has been extinct for nearly 2,000 years. Hold on; Let’s look at the reasons for the immense effort, and form our judgements afterwards.
Originally modeled on the Oxford English Dictionary, the recently CONTINUE READING »
Why is the secret military base called “Area 51?” Why not Area 52, or 127?
June 10, 2011
Located on a remote portion of land along the southern shore of Groom Lake, approximately eighty-three miles northwest of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, is a top secret U.S. military installation known as Area 51. Since its construction in 1955, a numerical quandary has left many a conspiracy theorist scratching their head and wondering, “What exactly does the ‘51' in Area 51 refer to?” The answer has less to do with alien CONTINUE READING »
What is “Mrs.” short for? The answer may make you blush (or at least laugh)
June 7, 2011
History and etiquette tell us that Mister and Missus, known by the contractions Mr. and Mrs., are the proper form of address for men and women. Beneath the surface of these everyday honorifics lies a linguistic glitch that has spawned social havoc since “Mrs.” entered mainstream English in the 17th century.
Mister is a direct variant of master, which in turn derives from the Old CONTINUE READING »
Will handwriting survive in the digital era? Learn the provocative results of a new study
June 5, 2011
It didn’t start with a pen, but a reed with a brush at the tip, and it didn’t start with ink, but a mixture of soot, water and vegetable gum. There definitely was a piece of papyrus. Around 2400 BC, Egyptian culture bestowed upon the world a great gift: the ability to write on paper.
From the first Egyptian pictograph to the modern day sticky note, a recent study suggests that the preferred form of conveying CONTINUE READING »
What does the “bee” in “spelling bee” mean exactly? And what was the winning word in this year’s Scripps Spelling Bee?
June 2, 2011
Earlier this week, 275 spellers from across the country and around the globe gathered in Oxon Hill, Maryland to take part in the 84th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. By Thursday afternoon, 13 extremely ambitious wordsmiths had advanced to the final round and, by Thursday night, a champion was crowned. Before we unveil the name of the victor and the winning word, let’s try to settle a basic question: Where does the “bee” in “spelling bee” come from? CONTINUE READING »
What are the most neglected words in the English language?
May 31, 2011
Wayne State University’s Word Warriors have released their top ten words to revive in 2011 . Starting in 2009, the Wayne State Word Warriors have highlighted obscure English words to bring back into common usage. Citing the vast vocabulary available in English - the biggest in the world, in fact - the Word Warriors contend that the depth and elasticity of the language is often disgarded for the quick, easy and accessible word. “Too often we limit ourselves to words that are CONTINUE READING »
What’s the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, and what is the former name of Memorial Day?
May 29, 2011
Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday during the Month of May and while it has come to signify the beginning of the summer season, it is also the solemn time when Americans remember the soldiers that died in military service. Originally named Decoration Day, a reference to a tradition of decorating the graves of the Confederate dead, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan and observed for the first time on May 30th of that same year. The CONTINUE READING »
New law bans use of confusing words and sentences in government documents. Read the results
May 27, 2011
On October 13, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “United States Plain Writing Act of 2010.” Thirteen years after President Clinton issued his own “Plain Writing in Government” memorandum, the revised set of guidelines states that by July of this year all government agencies must simplify the often perplexing bureaucratic jargon used in documents produced for the American public. Gone are the grammatically longwinded sentences, replaced with CONTINUE READING »
Sorry letter z! Learn why z was removed from the alphabet, and what now-extinct letter used to be No. 27
May 24, 2011
What letter is used most rarely in English? Poor lonely z finishes up the alphabet at number 26. The final letter, z’s history includes a time when it was so infrequently used that it was removed altogether.
The Greek zeta is the origin of the humble z. The Phoenician glyph zayin, meaning “weapon,” had a long vertical line capped at both ends with shorter horizontal lines and looked very much like a modern capital CONTINUE READING »
Why you should remember the following words every 13 years or so
May 22, 2011
A vociferous buzz is radiating throughout parts of Alabama and making the news. From the brilliant first light of day to the still and dark of night, a serenade is being sung - a mating call thirteen years in the making. Millions of cicadas have come up from their underground bedrooms after completing a very long incubation period. Unlike the annual cicada, this specific variety, labeled ‘Brood XIX,’ open their red-eyes, shed their skin, spread their wings, sing their song, eventually mate, and, like CONTINUE READING »
Some people believe the “Rapture” and the “Apocalypse” will happen this weekend. What do these words mean exactly?
May 20, 2011
Who knows if REM had a specific date in mind when they sang their immortal chorus, “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” But according to Harold Camping, a California-based Christian radio broadcaster, May 21, 2011 will bring about a rapture that will inevitably lead to the end of the world five months later. Before you throw away your “to do” list and cancel that hair appointment, let’s take a look at some useful cataclysmic terminology.
(Learn some additional words that describe when people interpret CONTINUE READING »
A baby named “Like?” Let’s see if you like this history of names (anthroponymy)
May 18, 2011
Naming your newborn can be an exciting and creative experience. A person’s given name, or forename, is important because it is usually the first impression your child will make on the world. Some parents choose to honor a family member by naming their child after a father, mother, or sibling. Others look to history for that perfect given name. And some look to…Facebook? That’s right. The social networking website has inspired an Israeli couple to name their daughter after the “like” button on Facebook. Lior and Vardit Adler insist their daughter’s name is not a gimmick - they simply ‘like’ the meaning behind the name. So we got to thinking - what’s in a name? CONTINUE READING »
A lost, legendary dictionary is rediscovered. Where was it found, and what language is it for?
May 17, 2011
In James Boswell’s travelogue, Boswell In Holland 1763-64, the author writes: “The Scottish language is being lost every day, and in a short time will become quite unintelligible. To me, who have the true patriotic soul of an old Scotsman, that would seem a pity.” With those words, along with the encouragement of his good friend, Samuel Johnson, Boswell set out to collect a CONTINUE READING »
What does “transgender” mean exactly, and how does the English language handle gender?
May 12, 2011
There is an increase in public discourse on transgender rights this spring. Nevada is considering a bill that would provide discrimination protection to transgender people in housing, public accommodation and job protections, similar to laws in place for other protected minorities. A bill in Maine addressing public accommodation for transgender people is also in the news. Meanwhile, hate crime charges are being considered in the beating of a transgender woman who was trying to use the bathroom at a Baltimore-area McDonald’s.
Today, we address the language and meaning of words regarding transgender issues - many of them are CONTINUE READING »
What did the letter A originally sound and look like, and what animal was its inspiration?
May 10, 2011
There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding the letter A. From its prestigious first place position to its interesting character origin - tracing the first letter of the English alphabet uncovers a history of honor that begins with, of all things, an ox.
The letter ‘A’ is derived from the Phoenician letter ‘Aleph’ - a western Semitic word meaning CONTINUE READING »
How did Neanderthals talk? A study gives us a clue (and reveals the role of handedness in language)
May 9, 2011
Research recently published claims that Neanderthals, the ancient cousins of modern humans, were right-hand dominant just like Homo sapiens. The finding offers insights into Neanderthal brain development, including language capability.
The roundabout way the discovery was made starts with a tooth. To process an CONTINUE READING »
Why do sounds close to “mama” appear in so many languages?
May 7, 2011
Mother, maman, mommy, amma, mama, em, mum, mamma, mutter, mare, maty, ana . . . Across languages an uncanny pattern appears for the word “mother.” Why? Is it evidence of universal language? Is this evidence of sound symbolism at work, when a phoneme (sound) has meaning completely unto itself?
If you are a linguist, baby talk is not a cute and meaning-lite semi-language used with infants. Babble is the first step towards helping nursery-form words, which classify an CONTINUE READING »
Why is Thursday named for the character in a film coming out on Friday?
May 4, 2011
By now you’ve probably noted movie posters and trailers for a big blond guy named Thor. The movie featuring the Marvel Comics character, founding member of the Avengers, opens throughout the U.S. on Friday, but today (and every Thursday) is a bigger tribute to the Norse god of thunder than any film. After all, it is “Thor’s day.”
In Norse mythology, the original Thor is the oldest son of Odin and CONTINUE READING »
Man discovers priceless book in his attic. Why is it called a “chronicle?”
May 2, 2011
Imagine this: your beloved great uncle bequeaths to you an old book; so old that it is literally coming apart at the seams. You tuck away the tattered tome in the attic, where it will stay for decades. One day you decide to unearth the inherited manuscript and have it appraised. To your astonishment, your great uncle left you a highly coveted artifact CONTINUE READING »
Is this goodbye to the typewriter? Learn the love story that helped create the typewriter
April 29, 2011
Typewriter enthusiasts around the globe are probably feeling a bit blue this week after hearing that Godrej and Boyce, one of the world’s last operational typewriter factories located in Mumbai, India, closed its doors for the last time after an impressive one-hundred-and-fourteen year run. Once regarded as an indispensable device for any writer, the typewriter has long been regarded for both its beauty and functionality. Ernest Hemingway once said, “Typewriters write the way people CONTINUE READING »
What was the original name of the letter X, and how many sounds can it represent?
April 26, 2011
We’ve explored the meaning behind the “X” in Xmas, Xbox, the X-Men, and even its use in friendly and amorous correspondence (XOXO). Now it’s time to take a closer look at the origin of this multi-functional, twenty-fourth letter of the English alphabet. With its long, ambiguous history and multiple phonemes, the letter “X” is quite a dark horse.
Since its inception, the letter “X” has struggled to establish its own CONTINUE READING »
Which nation has stronger English skills, China or India?
April 24, 2011
A recent online survey claims that China has better English verbal skills than neighboring India, but just barely. EF Education ranked the world’s English proficiency through an online survey between 2007 and 2008. The highest-ranking nation in the survey was Norway, China ranked 29th, and India 30th, while Kazakhstan was last at number 44. The survey was admittedly not scientific (see for yourself), but it did reveal the level and breadth of interest in studying and improving English skills across broad swathes of the globe.
In the case of India, the ranking came as a bit of a surprise: English is a national language CONTINUE READING »
What’s the difference between a bunny, a rabbit, and a hare? (What does it have to do with Coney Island?)
April 22, 2011
The religious content of Easter is relatively easy to explain and understand. The holiday’s substance starts to blur however, when it comes to a certain anthropomorphized bunny, baskets, pastel colors, and eggs. There’s far too much in this semantic basket to tackle; let’s start with the crucial question “what’s the difference between a rabbit, a hare, and a bunny?”
Hares and rabbits are both in the family Leporidae, but enough CONTINUE READING »
Why do we use capital and lower case letters, and how did both types come to be?
April 18, 2011
Capitalization rules tend to vary by language and can be quite complicated. It is widely understood that the first word of a sentence and all proper nouns are always capitalized. However, what is not so clear is the origin of the upper case distinction that has become common practice, especially in regards to Modern English. To unmask the origin of the capital letter we need to refer to a script derived from the Old Roman cursive called uncial. CONTINUE READING »
Where and when did language begin? A remarkable new study may have the answer
April 16, 2011
The origin of spoken language has stumped linguistics dating as far back as the Twenty-sixth dynasty in Egypt and the first recorded language experiment conducted by a Pharaoh named Psammetichus I. While it is widely understood that our ability to communicate through speech sets us apart from other animals, language experts, historians and scientists can only hypothesize how, where and when it all began. Some new findings may provide some real insight into this conundrum.
A recent study conducted by Quentin D. Atkinson, a biologist at the University of Auckland in CONTINUE READING »
What words describe what could cause pork to emit a soft blue glow?
April 15, 2011
Imagine this: you buy a piece of meat from your local butcher, take it home, and make a meal with your family with some of it, leaving the left out for a meal tomorrow. Later that night, you notice a soft blue glow emitting from the kitchen. When you go to investigate, you find that it is none other than the leftover raw meat glowing!
Is this something out of a science fiction movie about mutant meat? Not CONTINUE READING »
What do the Latin phrases and symbols on the dollar bill mean?
April 14, 2011
Whether you call it a buck, a single, a one or a bill, the linen and cotton-blend currency resting in your wallet at this very moment contains a smorgasbord of images, symbols and Latin phrases - some hidden in plain sight. What do they mean and, once deciphered, can they unlock a series of veiled messages from our forefathers?
The word dollar is derived from taler or thaler (pronounced CONTINUE READING »
Three language lessons you can learn from the word “schlemiel”
April 13, 2011
In honor of National Poetry Month, let’s tackle some of the trickiest aspects of meaning - after all, poetry is one of the great ways to express subtle and slippery thoughts. Our focus today is translation. How can someone convey the meaning of a word that has no equivalent in another language?
Among the toughest words to translate, and there are some doozies, CONTINUE READING »
Do bilingual babies actually have more brain power?
April 12, 2011
A recent study led by Janet Werker, a psychologist at Vancouver’s University of British Columbia, suggests that children who learn two languages at once may have increased cognitive abilities such as enhanced visual and auditory sensitivity. While Werker does not believe that a person must grow up in a bilingual environment to gain such advantages, the study suggests that it can’t hurt.
Werker studied both bilingual and monolingual infants over their first CONTINUE READING »
Tell us about when words couldn’t describe your experience - and then let’s try to find the right words
April 9, 2011
Have you ever experienced something so incomprehensible that the only words you could muster up go something like, “There are simply no words to describe?” Or: Have you ever tried to name or define an object or concept and discovered that nothing in that dictionary you carry around in your skull matches? Well, there’s a word for that: ineffability.
Derived from the Latin ineffabilis, meaning “unutterable,” from in-”not” and effari “utter,” ineffable is defined as an “inability to describe in words” or “too sacred to be uttered.” Perhaps it’s an overwhelming feeling of love, a work of art, something online, or something we can’t even imagine. We’ve all found ourselves wrapped in voiceless bewilderment, unable to find the words to properly express that inexpressible something.
We’re secure enough to admit that even the dictionary has limits, and we’ve decided to experiment with those boundaries of ineffability. In the comments below, share a specific example where you could not find words to describe your emotion, concept, object, condition - you name it. Also, if you read someone else’s comment and think of an existing word that you feel does describe the ineffable example, share it as well. Let’s expand the power of words and help each other in the process. Dictionary.com editors will occasionally highlight examples and perhaps contribute suggestions. We can’t wait to learn from all of you.
So far your suggestions have been wonderful:
@VEllisonne on twitter writes: “When I found myself in the middle of a dangerous situation but was completely calm and alright with the whole thing.” Perhaps “imperturbation” works here.
Let’s keep this going…
Ann Hopps Morgan suggests: “Seeing the 3,500 year old tomb of Nefertari in Luxor, Egypt.”
And Kathie Wallis stumped us with: “The moment when irony and coincidence bring a truth to you out of nowhere; when you realize the world is not as you were living it. As if the dimensional plane you are standing in suddenly shifts, just a bit, leaving you disoriented and the world around you is forever changed.”
The suggestions keep rolling in and we are thrilled with what we’re reading.
Liongrrrrl offered the following scenario: “I can’t figure out how to put certain facial expressions to words, like when someone says something sarcastic to another person and that person gives them a *look*, where they blink kind of long and stare at them, maybe pursing their lips or folding their arms. I can’t figure that one out.” To which one reader suggested: moue.
Chacho is looking for a word to describe the following: “A smell that I don’t recognize; either really good, bad or just plain wierd.”
Thanks for all your comments. Keep them coming!
Why is one man primarily responsible for the existence of the letter “J,” and what letter did it split off from?
April 8, 2011
Recently we asked you to let us know which of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet you’d like us to investigate. A resounding number of you suggested the consonant /j/. From its humble beginnings as a Roman numeral to its eventual tenth position in the English alphabet, /j/ has had quite a linguistic journey.
“J” is a bit of a late bloomer; after all, it was the last letter added CONTINUE READING »
Want to pack more punch than a metaphor provides? Consider hypocatastasis
April 6, 2011
Metaphors and similes are figures of speech used to add flair and/or humor to a phrase. These popular rhetorical devices are all well and good, but sometimes you just need to get to the point; enter hypocatastasis.
Hypo is derived from the Greek “under,” cata comes from the Ancient Greek kata, meaning “down from, or down to,’ and stasis is CONTINUE READING »
Did one man write the first great English dictionary all by himself? Not quite, but close
April 4, 2011
This month marks the 256th anniversary of the publication of “A Dictionary of the English Language,” the first definitive English dictionary. Today, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the man behind the book, the famous (and infamous) Dr. Samuel Johnson.
“A Dictionary of the English Language,” also called Johnson’s Dictionary, is the work of one larger-than-life figure in English literary history. He CONTINUE READING »
Why is April called “April?” The answer is a mystery - no fooling!
March 31, 2011
Mark Twain once wrote: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.” Twain is referring to the first day of April or, as it has come to be known as, April Fool’s Day. While the first day of the fourth month of the year is certain to bring shenanigans and tomfoolery, what is not so certain is the origin of CONTINUE READING »
What words will be changed in two new editions of the Bible?
March 27, 2011
Transcribing the text of the Bible has been an ongoing and often controversial process ever since the Greeks translated ancient Hebrew manuscripts around the 3rd century BC. The revised New International Version (NIV) and The New American Bible, respectively, will include gender-neutral language and substitute words that the editors claim will reflect a modern understanding of the book’s theology. What are some of the words that will be changed in CONTINUE READING »
What was Scrabble’s original name, and what does “brailing” have to do with the game?
March 26, 2011
Great things can come out of hard times - take Scrabble. During the Great Depression, architect Alfred Mosher Butts couldn’t find work. So, he decided to create a board game that required the vocabulary skills of anagrams and crossword puzzles but also had an element of chance.
Butts hand-drew the original board with architectural drafting equipment. CONTINUE READING »
“American Idol” and Tourette Syndrome - what is the link, and how exactly does Tourette’s affect language?
March 24, 2011
You can never predict the circumstances that rocket a word into the stratosphere of public awareness. This season’s “American Idol” has accomplished this feat for not one, but two complex illnesses: Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Asperger Syndrome (AS.)
One of the “Idol” constestants, James Durbin from Santa Cruz, California, has both of these disorders. As each week passes, Durbin is CONTINUE READING »
Why does the single letter C represent so many different sounds, including the same sound as K?
March 22, 2011
The third letter of the alphabet is somewhat of a chameleon; one might even question its usefulness. The letter /c/ can represent the “hard C” (carrot,) the “soft C” (nice,) or even “silent C” (indict,). Why does our alphabet have more than one letter to represent the same sound, as in K and C, or S and the “soft C?” To understand the reasons C plays so many roles, let’s dig into its long and messy linguistic history.
The letter /c/ is of Semitic descent and shares the exact same origin as CONTINUE READING »
What’s it called when words are used to hide the meaning of other words?
March 19, 2011
Turmoil in the Middle East; rise in demand: These are some of the reasons cited by airlines when they added a fuel surcharge, a flat fee applied across the board, to all airline tickets this week. While it is reasonable to expect transportation costs to rise when fuel is expensive, airlines have a history of keeping their rates high after market factors cease to impact prices. Our interest isn’t really in corporate behavior but the particular use of the word “surcharge” by the airlines. The media and consumer groups have focused on this equivocal language as a CONTINUE READING »
Learn the word that puts the “super” in this weekend’s “supermoon.” Plus, its ancient “worm” name
March 18, 2011
Whether you find the hype surrounding the alleged ‘extreme supermoon’ on March 19th superfluous or completely warranted, this celestial event brings with it some spectacular lunar activity and equally fun vocabulary.
While the names of many moon phases are rich in folklore, the supermoon became ”super” because of Richard Nolle - an astrologer with a flair for the dramatic. Nolle believes the upcoming full moon “lunar CONTINUE READING »
Why spelling in Irish (Gaelic) looks so familiar, yet unfamiliar
March 16, 2011
March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig (Irish), named for one of the most recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, Saint Patrick, who died on this date around 493 A.D. While St. Patrick is famous for allegedly driving snakes out of Ireland, he is also responsible for the oldest known Gaelic composition in existence. This fact provides to explore the question of why Gaelic uses familiar letters in such unfamiliar ways.
Gaelic, pronounced: /'ge?l?k/, is an adjective that means “pertaining CONTINUE READING »
What are the “ides” in the “Ides of March,” and what caused the need to “beware” them?
March 15, 2011
March 15th marks a very inauspicious anniversary. Like a black cat crossing your path, the Ides of March has become a metaphor for impending doom. How did a day that was once celebrated by the Romans become so heavily cloaked in superstition?
The Ides of March is a phrase derived from the Latin idus, a term CONTINUE READING »
Why is today “Pi Day,” and what is pi short for in the original Greek?
March 14, 2011
Today is 3/14, otherwise known as Pi Day - the holiday commemorating the mathematical constant p (pi). Since mathematic notation is a language that uses symbols from a multitude of alphabets and typefaces, it seems only fitting that this sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet get a little attention.
The Latin name of the Greek letter p is pi, pronounced: pie. The symbol CONTINUE READING »
Are emoticons words, symbols, or what? Consider this possibility . . .
March 14, 2011
You may not like it, but we all use them. Whether it is in a text message, an instant chat, or a casual email, emoticons appear in written communication to indicate the tone, humor or feeling of a message. As communication moves away from personal interaction to a text-only environment, emoticons fill the void left by the absence of the tone of voice and facial expression that add connotation and intent to a message. The word emoticon is a portmanteau of “emotion” and “icon.”
Emoticons clearly are instruments of communication, but what are they, exactly? Are they CONTINUE READING »
What are the hardest words to translate into English? “Hyggelig” is just one on our list
March 8, 2011
There’s a running debate among translators about what word is hardest to translate. Obviously, the challenges vary from language to language, with languages that have less in common creating more elusive word to word translations. Let’s acknowledge that determining the hardest word to translate is more of a game than any sort of realistic exercise. That said, here are a few contenders that make the hypothetical list.
Jayus is an Indonesian word that conveys the awkward humor behind CONTINUE READING »
What is the name of the dot over “j” and “i,” and why do we use them?
March 7, 2011
While many languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, add specific accents to the letters or characters throughout their alphabet - the English alphabet has only two letters that include a diacritic dot. This a mark added to a letter that is meant to signal a change in either the sound or meaning of a character. What is the additional name of this curious dot that hovers over the ninth and tenth lowercase letters of the English alphabet, and how did it get there?
The small distinguishing mark you see over a lowercase /i/ and a lowercase /j/ is called CONTINUE READING »
If you’ve followed the Charlie Sheen media phenomenon, here’s a word you may want to know
March 4, 2011
Charlie Sheen’s debaucherous behavior and bizarre diatribes have made him the tabloid darling of the moment. There’s an “I can’t look, but I can’t not look” mentality around all-too-frequent celebrity meltdowns. If you find yourself watching other people self-destruct then you may be more familiar with the term “Schadenfreude” than you think. What does this German word have to do with one’s insatiable need for tabloid fodder?
Schadenfreude is a loanword - a word that has been borrowed from another language (in this CONTINUE READING »
The sound of a chips bag opening? How do you describe it and what is the word for describing such sounds?
March 2, 2011
A few years ago Frito-Lay introduced a bag for their snack chips that was made from plants, not plastic, and could decompose in compost. It seemed like a good idea - a company putting their environmental foot forward through sustainable packaging - however, the “rip” heard upon opening the bag of chips registered at about eighty-five decibels - equal to the volume level of city traffic. Customers complained and a CONTINUE READING »
Is there a connection between March the month and “marching?”
March 1, 2011
Whether March winds and April showers will bring forth May flowers is still a hope away, but the facts behind the month’s name are fortunately more certain.
The name March is derived from the Roman ‘Martius” named after Mars, the Roman god of war. In ancient Rome, March 1st marked the first day of spring, which coincided with the beginning of the calendar year and CONTINUE READING »
How did the speech disorder “stuttering” get its name, and what does it literally mean?
February 28, 2011
“The King’s Speech” garnered four golden statues at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, including the Oscar for Best Actor for Colin Firth’s riveting portrayal of King George VI. The film’s depiction of George VI’s lifelong struggle with stuttering has brought a renewed awareness to the speech disorder that affects over sixty-eight million people worldwide. What is the origin of this disorder and how did it get its name?
Stutter, or the Greek alalia syllabaris, is onomatopoeic - a word that suggests the sound that it CONTINUE READING »
When is the next leap year, and what is the opposite of a leap year called?
February 27, 2011
February 29th happens every four years and is known as a modern leap day (as opposed to the Medieval leap day: February 24th) or leap year. While the next intercalary year is a solar rotation away (not till 2012), it never hurts to be prepared with origin and precise meaning of the term.
The origin for the term “leap year” is derived from the Medieval Latin saltus lunae or CONTINUE READING »
Spanish is a Romance language, but what does that have to do with the type of romance between lovers?
February 26, 2011
Romance can refer to an enchanting quality that makes a heart beat faster, but in linguistics Romance languages are the Indo-European languages descending from Latin, the best-known being French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Why is one word used for both?
Actually, the link arises from a type of story. Romanz is the Old CONTINUE READING »
Gaddafi, Kadafi, or Qaddafi? Why is the Libyan leader’s name spelled so many different ways?
February 25, 2011
Take a look at any news source today and you’ll see the name of Libya’s de facto leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi. Look a little closer and you’ll see a multitude of spellings for the notorious politician’s surname such as Gaddafi, Kadafi and Qaddafi. Why does a name that has been making headlines for decades have so many varied spellings?
Transliteration is the reason - the transcription of a word, or in this case a name, into CONTINUE READING »
A massive new planet in our solar system named Tyche? Maybe. But what does “Tyche” mean?
February 24, 2011
There may be a new planet joining the solar system. A provocative hypothesis posed by a duo of planetary astronomers from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette includes the existence of the planet Tyche: a ninth planet estimated to be four times the size of Jupiter located somewhere at the outermost reaches of the solar system. It’s hard to know what is more enjoyable, stories about planets themselves or the meaning behind their names. NASA can handle the astronomy; here’s the meaning behind the name.
Tyche (pronounced tayh-kee) is derived from the Greek word for “providence, fortune” and CONTINUE READING »
What is the lesser-known language millions of people speak in Spain?
February 23, 2011
Catalan is a Romance language spoken primarily in the Eastern and Northeastern regions of Spain, mainly Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Isles. It is the official language of Andorra, a landlocked country located in the Eastern Pyrenees (mountains bordered by Spain and France), and the second official language of Spain. The Catalan language was nearly wiped out completely in the early 1700s only to experience a renaissance beginning in the early 20th century. What is the origin of this remote language and what saved it from near extinction? CONTINUE READING »
What is the hardest word to translate from Spanish?
February 22, 2011
In lists compiled by linguists and translators, it seems “duende” is a word that many experts regard as the hardest word in Spanish to convey in other languages.
In the dictionary, the word is listed as “elf” or “magic.” However, in actual CONTINUE READING »
Michigander or Michiganian? Learn what these local names are known as
February 19, 2011
Just like the old “tu’mey-tow” vs. “tu’maa-tow” debate, Michiganders, or Michiganians (depending on which side you’re on), have long found themselves in a state of disconnect. It seems that the great divide facing residents of the Great Lake State these days centers around the demonym - the name of a resident of a specific locality - that best suits the people of Michigan. Whether you proclaim yourself a Michigander or a Michiganian may say a lot about who you are and where you come from. Is one better than the other? Can the two co-exist? CONTINUE READING »
What’s the grossest sounding word in English? Let us know
February 18, 2011
A few months ago, we asked readers to share their choices for the most beautiful sounding word in English. Nearly 500 of you shared your favorites, which included the lyrical, delightful and uplifting. Read some of the highlights, here.
Some of you not only shared your favorite but also least favorite CONTINUE READING »
The truth behind one of the most disliked phrases in English
February 17, 2011
Admit it, whether you regard yourself as a scholar of linguistics or a self proclaimed language snob - you’ve, at least once, crossed over to the dark side and used the word “like” in a sentence where it, like, doesn’t belong. Narrowly escaping the grammar police, you catch yourself, cringe and promise never again! This usage of “like” is known as a slang interjection. This form as well as the adverbial use of “like” dates back a lot further than you might think. CONTINUE READING »
Why does the letter Q almost always need to appear with a U in order to be useful?
February 17, 2011
Scrabble players are acutely aware that Q is a tricky letter. To use a Q in the game, a player must also find an available U. The fact that Q is the second most rarely used letter in the alphabet certainly doesn’t make using Q any easier.
Let’s quest towards resolving the questions of quarrelsome CONTINUE READING »
Why are they called “Terriers,” “Pekingese,” and “Bluetick Coonhounds?”
February 15, 2011
Many people approach the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show with a combination of fascination and trepidation. Awfully cute canines appear in some odd situations. Here’s some information about the fascinating names of the breeds considered the top contenders for Best in Show this year, as well as the poetic and eccentric name of one of the dog breeds making their official debut, the Bluetick Coonhound.
This year the front-runners for Best in Show are two Smooth CONTINUE READING »
The book no one can read: Why can’t anyone decipher this mysterious manuscript?
February 14, 2011
Inside the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University is the Voynich manuscript: a book that has come to be known as “the world’s most mysterious manuscript.” Since a team of scientists has recently determined the age of the Voynich (pronounced Voy-nitch) manuscript, we relish the opportunity to discuss this enigma as well as some wonderful words around cryptography and linguistics.
Consisting of 240 pages of detailed illustrations and a cipher (a method CONTINUE READING »
When you ask someone to be your “Valentine,” what exactly does it mean?
February 13, 2011
One would think that such a popular occasion as Valentine’s Day would have a clear history of the word that defines it. Since Valentine is a name, the question is not what it means, but to whom does it refer, and what did Mr. Valentine do to deserve for you to ask your beloved to his namesake?
As this blog has learned in exploring the meaning behind everyday words, an amazing amount of the context behind names has evaporated CONTINUE READING »
What does the “x” in “X-Men” stand for?
February 11, 2011
The debut of the trailer for a new X-Men movie (“X-Men: First Class”) has reignited fervor for the mutant superheroes. Since the letter “x” features a history worthy of its own comic book, we’re always extremely excited to extend ourselves down an x-marked path. Does the “x” in X-Men stand for unknown, as in x-ray or the “X-Files?” Nope.
The logical next guess would be that the x relates to the name of CONTINUE READING »
What is the name of the extinct plant that may have inspired the symbol for heart-shaped Valentines?
February 9, 2011
The shape of the heart is iconic of love, but it barely resembles the central, never-ceasing organ in our chests that the Greeks called the seat of the emotions. Why is that?
Ancient coins from Cyrene, a city-state where Libya is now, show an impression of a silphium seed, and it’s a shape that you know very well. Silphium is the now-extinct “giant fennel” of the genus CONTINUE READING »
What does the name of the narwhal, one of the oddest animals on Earth, literally mean?
February 8, 2011
This blog always relishes a chance to write about the intersection of notable creatures and notable words. For example, when an event created an excuse to write about the zany zedonk (what the heck is that? Find out here.) celebration ensued. Now, one of the few creatures that can top the zedonk for linguistic and zoological oddness has surfaced in the media. That creature of legend is the narwhal.
If you’ve been on Google lately, you may have played with the CONTINUE READING »
Do dogs actually understand what words mean?
February 8, 2011
If you read the recent story about a border collie named Chaser who can understand over 1,000 English words, you may have looked over at your pet and raised an eyebrow. After saying, “wow,” this dazzling dog deal became a canine conundrum: Dogs obviously understand the same words as humans, but is it accurate to say that animals use language?
Man’s best friend is hardly the only animal capable of amazing humans CONTINUE READING »
Read the other three verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Wait, what other lyrics?
February 7, 2011
Post-Super Bowl, the hyped-highlights are the Green Bay Packers’ victory, the cute and funny commercials, and that Christina Aguilera flubbed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Ms. Aguilera is catching a lot of flak for her snafu, but one can empathize with the pop singer’s dilemma. America’s national anthem is known as a major pain for even the most capable singers, and those notoriously dense lyrics are a big part of that pain. CONTINUE READING »
What does it mean “to pink” something, and how did the color become associated with Valentine’s Day?
February 5, 2011
You are minding your own business in the grocery store when - wham! Pink hearts and candies placed at eye level by merchants remind you that once again, Valentine’s Day is here.
Why pink? How did pink become so strongly associated with February 14, roses, and romance?
The word pink dates back to the 1570s, when “to pink” was CONTINUE READING »
Why is the biggest football game of the year called a bowl? Does it have anything in common with bowling?
February 5, 2011
It’s hard to miss that pinnacle of American football, the Super Bowl. You’ve seen the phrase so many times that the words likely have become invisible. Rub your eyes and take a fresh look. What exactly does the “bowl” refer to?
Bowl is the word used to describe the series of post-season games played by college leagues. The term doesn’t have anything to do with breakfast cereal or CONTINUE READING »
The word “caliphate” causes controversy. Learn exactly what it means
February 4, 2011
A few days ago, watchers of Internet trends noted a sudden peak in searches for the word “caliphate.” The source of interest turns out to be a reference made by Glenn Beck on his February 1st TV show. In speaking about the unfolding crisis in Egypt, Beck offered his view that a result could be “a Muslim caliphate that controls the Mideast and parts of Europe.”
Dictionary.com exists to help you learn about words. Our mission is to make sure you have the right word at the right time and we CONTINUE READING »
If “w” is double u, why is it made of two v’s?
February 2, 2011
The 23rd letter of the English alphabet is a bit of a wonder. The humble “w” is the only letter of the alphabet with a three-syllable name. It is also the only letter with a name that does not indicate its phonetic use. The complications of “w” are doublefold because of it’s name, ‘double u’ and its shape, ‘double v’. What’s going on here?
In English, /w/ typically reads as a voiced labio-velar approximate. In other words, “wa.” However, in other Germanic languages, /w/ reads like “v”. Think of the famous phrase by CONTINUE READING »
How are groundhogs connected to a dying, 3,000 year-old language?
January 31, 2011
February 2 marks the annual Groundhog’s Day. This year’s winter has been particularly harsh on the East Coast, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow. While the frost is still thick on the ground, we want to explore the unusual origin of the common name for the herbivorous burrower Marmota monax. CONTINUE READING »
Enuf or enough? Why is English spelling so random?
January 31, 2011
Have you had enough (or enuf) trouble spelling to make you want to scream (or skreem?) You are not alone. Since the 17th Century, scholars have been protesting the irregularities that occur in English spelling. Reform movements can boast such iconic English-speaking figures Samuel Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, and Theodore Roosevelt. English is currently the most widely-spoken language on the planet, yet it is the only language among the top ten most spoken that lacks an official regulatory academy to approve spelling. CONTINUE READING »
Beware the email rumor about “Betelgeuse.” What does “Betelgeuse” mean, anyhow?
January 30, 2011
Betelgeuse has been in the news again recently. No, not the creepy character played by Michael Keaton in the 1988 Tim Burton movie Beetlejuice . We’re talking about the red supergiant star in the constellation Orion, that Betelgeuse.
Apparently, some pseudo-scientific gossip is circulating online claiming that Betelgeuse will explode in CONTINUE READING »
Do funky fonts actually help you remember?
January 28, 2011
In 1999, two graphic designers from Indianapolis raised a stir when they tried to discourage the use of Comic Sans MS, the silly-looking font designed by Vincent Connare and modeled after the text in American comic books. The designers observed that a font is the orthographic (written) equivalent of one’s tone of voice, and that Comic Sans was essentially like a squeaky-helium voice but in text.
Flash forward to 2011 and a recent study from Princeton University that suggests ‘funky fonts’ such as the aforementioned typeface as well as Bodini MT may CONTINUE READING »
You may be good at Sudoku, but do you know what the word literally means?
January 28, 2011
Are you passionate about Sudoku? The number puzzle is so popular that its origin and the meaning of its name deserve some attention.
(Don’t confuse the word “sudoku” with “sodoku,” which is a bacterial zoonotic disease known as “rat-bite fever.” Basically, sodoku has more in common with the Ebola virus than any puzzle game.)
Sudoku is similar to types of European puzzles that were played in CONTINUE READING »
Flotsam, jetsam, and sandbar pianos: Three mysteries revealed
January 27, 2011
A mystery has gripped Biscayne Bay since New Years, when a 650-pound baby grand piano appeared on a sandbar above the waves. Was this out-of-place instrument flotsam, the work of pirates? Was this lagan from bumbling musical smugglers?
Full disclosure: This riddle has in fact been solved, and we’ll reveal the enigmatic source in a minute. There is a greater puzzle here that will last longer than this tale of a beached piano: the classic and confusing words CONTINUE READING »
Meet “Mercedonius,” the annoying month that used to exist (sometimes)
January 26, 2011
There are many reasons to be thankful for the benefits of modern living ? antibiotics, airplanes, velcro . . . Another subtle but essential item is our calendar. It may have some frustrating moments, but consider how months used to work. Take heed of Mercedonius.
In the days of the Roman calendar, an intercalary month was added in leap years and a few other times as well. This month was called CONTINUE READING »
What does “packers” in the Green Bay Packers refer to exactly?
January 25, 2011
In a few weeks much of the world will be glued to images of men in helmets and tight pants kicking around an egg-shaped ball. You may know a ton of Super Bowl trivia, as well as all of the arcane rules of football, but how about this word right in front of you: Packers. “Packers” doesn’t inspire the same associations of strength or speed as Steelers. The origin of the Green Bay team’s name reveals quite a bit about the history of the sport.
“Steelers” not only evokes the strength of steel and inadvertently summons up associations of CONTINUE READING »
Dear diary . . . What’s the word for the qualities that make your writing unique?
January 24, 2011
Science magazine recently released a study on the effects of diary writing for college and high school students. The results showed that students experiencing test anxiety and who wrote about their disquiet in a diary right before the exam performed better on the test by half a grade.
Dictionaries and diaries are old friends; what better way to learn new words than expressing your thoughts in writing? We welcome this bit of educational news as an excuse to talk about the precise origin of “diary” and some of CONTINUE READING »
“Purple Cow?” Learn the weird reason blurbs are called blurbs
January 21, 2011
You read the blurb on the back of a book to figure out if you want to shell out the extra bucks for the hardcover. You glance at the blurb on a DVD before deciding if that film is the one to enjoy that evening.
A good blurb provides a short summary or praise of a creative work, but it doesn’t give anything away. It whets the appetite. CONTINUE READING »
American “Idol?” Hmm . . . Learn why the traditional definition of “idol” is offensive to some religions
January 19, 2011
When most of us hear the word “idol,” in our mind’s eye we see a triumphant David Cook or Carrie Underwood belting their hearts out.
And while the “idol” in “American Idol,” has connotations of success and inspiration, the dictionary tells us that the meaning of the word is more complicated. CONTINUE READING »
Tetris is fun, but what does the video game’s name mean?
January 19, 2011
For over two decades, the puzzle video game Tetris has provided countless hours of procrastination and enjoyment for players all over the globe.
But now, researchers believe that Tetris might have a new purpose. They think that the game may help to prevent the flashbacks that occur in the early stages of post-traumatic stress disorder.
While the research is fascinating, let’s turn our attention to CONTINUE READING »
“Grande,” “Venti,” now “Trenta.” What do Starbucks sizes literally mean?
January 17, 2011
When you reflect on all the symbols, gestures, and phrases that bombard your everyday existence, you may find a panoply of simple words that are missing a definition. Case in point: How many times have you or a friend said “I’d like a Venti latte” without pausing to consider what Venti actually means?
The inspiration for this blog post is Starbuck’s introduction of the CONTINUE READING »
How did the Yellow, Red and Black Seas get their names? And what is the fourth sea named after a color?
January 16, 2011
The Yellow Sea, situated between China and the Korean Peninsula, has been in the news lately due to the tensions between North and South Korea. Several major Chinese rivers that contain golden-hued silt empty into the sea. This silt alters the color of the water.
(What are North and South Korea’s real names? Read about that here.)
Like the Yellow Sea, the Red Sea may also be named after a natural CONTINUE READING »
What can we learn from the meaning behind Martin Luther King, Jr.’s name? Plus, what was his original name? (Not “Martin” or “Luther.”)
January 16, 2011
Michael King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. You read that correctly ? Martin Luther King, Jr. was originally named after his father, Michael King, Sr. It wasn’t until 1935 that the Reverend Martin Luther King , Sr., inspired by the 16th century Augustinian monk and theologian, Martin Luther, proclaimed to his congregation that from that point forward they were to refer to him as ‘Martin Luther King’ and to his son as ‘Martin Luther King, Jr.’ Although MLK, Jr. never legally changed his CONTINUE READING »
“Sir” and “madam” are shorter versions of what older, fancier terms?
January 15, 2011
Let’s say you want to get the attention of a male clerk in the produce section of the grocery store. Would you say, “Excuse me sire, but could you please explain the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?”
(For the answer to that question, read this.)
Addressing a stranger as “sire” might raise an eyebrow. But if you said CONTINUE READING »
Did your horoscope sign change? Regardless, learn what the words for the zodiac signs literally mean
January 14, 2011
Suddenly, a zinger about the zodiac seems to be everywhere online. If you haven’t heard, the Minnesota Planetarium Society has pointed out that the dates associated with horoscopes have been incorrect for a very, very long time. This means that the astrological sign you have always associated with yourself may be wrong. We discuss the reasons behind this age-old discrepancy, here. CONTINUE READING »
“Possum” and “opossum,” is one correct? The tricky answer may surprise you
January 13, 2011
The most famous marsupial of the moment is Heidi, the goofy, cross-eyed opossum from Germany. Heidi has made headlines across the globe and apparently has over 111,000 fans on Facebook. Enough with the cuteness, and on to a great story of language: What is the difference between “possum” and “opossum?” Is one correct? The answer is more complex, and interesting than you might think. CONTINUE READING »
Sarah Palin causes a controversy with the phrase “blood libel.” What does it mean, and why are people upset?
January 12, 2011
The tragedy in Arizona continues to command national attention as well as launch unusual words like “vitriol” into the national vocabulary. Today Sarah Palin referred to accusations that imagery and rhetoric associated with her may have contributed to recent violence as a “blood libel.” Why has this phrase stirred up so much additional strife? CONTINUE READING »
A mysterious green blob in outer space is named “Hanny’s Voorwerp.” What does that mean, and why is the blob there?
January 11, 2011
Did you catch the story about a giant green blob discovered in a remote section of the universe? An intergalactic blob in and of itself isn’t an appropriate topic for a dictionary website, even if the blob has been shown to move and change color. The reason you are reading about this on Dictionary.com is the mouthful of a name: Hanny’s Voorwerp. The second word is pronounced “FOR-verp.” CONTINUE READING »
After the tragic Arizona shooting, the word “vitriol” was everywhere in the news. What is its literally dangerous meaning?
January 10, 2011
After Saturday’s shocking attack on Arizona lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords and a crowd of bystanders, an unusual word proliferated through all forms of media. Shortly after the shooting tragedy, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik cited “vitriolic rhetoric” as a potential source for the violence.
This article is not about politics or the relationship of media and violence in American culture. The topic at hand, of course, is “vitriol.” What is it? CONTINUE READING »
What is the name of the odd texting alphabet that uses numbers and symbols, 1!X3 7|-|!5, and how does it work?
January 8, 2011
You’re texting, or reading comments on a blog. Suddenly your eyes go bananas. Someone has used a combination of strange numbers and symbols to spell out words, but in an awkward, semi-coherent manner. This bizarre take on the English alphabet began in the early days of the Internet and jumped over to the world of SMS (short message service, the common system used for sending text messages.) Here’s some background on this orthographic weirdness, which will appear in CONTINUE READING »
Jack and Jill, the beanstalk, the candlestick. What is the meaning behind “Jack” in every fairy tale?
January 7, 2011
Since Jack went up the hill with Jill, Jack jumped over the candlestick, and climbed the beanstalk (to name just a few of his exploits,) he must be wiped out. Think about the classic fairy tales, folktales, and children’s stories. Doesn’t it seem like a disproportionate number of them contain a hero named Jack? Is this just a coincidence?
In fact, many of these stories come from a collection of English CONTINUE READING »
Are birds falling from the sky examples of pareidolia, eschatology, or something else?
January 6, 2011
The first story of 2011 to grab the attention of just about everybody is shocking and mysterious. On New Year’s Day, residents of Beebe, Arkansas found thousands of dead blackbirds in the street. Days later, Louisiana residents discovered hundreds more deceased birds. Each event in isolation was disturbing enough, but with such proximity, it has been hard not to start drawing conclusions. CONTINUE READING »
What is the literal meaning of “eleven,” and what does it say about this new year?
January 4, 2011
The new year gives us the opportunity to explore the number eleven. What does it mean? And what unusual words and expressions incorporate eleven?
The word derives from the Old English endleofan, which means CONTINUE READING »
Hobbits? What’s the uncanny coincidence regarding where the word comes from?
January 3, 2011
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892. In honor of the author’s beloved “Lord of the Rings” series of books, we pay tribute to his fantastic creation, the hobbit.
Hobbits are similar to humans, but they are short and have hairy feet. Bilbo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, and Frodo Baggins are the most-well known hobbit examples. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fiction, they’re CONTINUE READING »
Which two-headed god is January named after, and what does the month symbolize?
January 2, 2011
January is often considered the month for deep reflection. We look back at the year behind us, bemoaning our regrets and celebrating our successes. And then, we look forward to the future year. We make well-meaning resolutions and hope for the best.
So, in this way, we’re all a little bit like Janus, the Roman god for CONTINUE READING »
Where did the strange expression “hair of the dog” come from?
January 1, 2011
If you woke up on New Year’s Day feeling as if you had been hit by a truck, you may have sought a hangover remedy with an infamously odd name: the hair of the dog.
A morning drink may be the last thing you want after a night of boozing. But that’s exactly what this quirky English expression means. Originally, CONTINUE READING »
The People’s Choice Word of 2010 is . . . (It was almost a tie)
January 1, 2011
If you had any doubt that 2010 was a complicated year, consider this: the five finalists for our People’s Choice Word of the Year were all fairly close contenders, and three of the words were multisyllabic mouthfuls. The top two entries were incredibly close - out of over 10,000 votes, the winner was only 40 votes ahead of the runner-up.
The top five words, those that received the most nominations, CONTINUE READING »
Where does the name “Champagne” come from? Plus, why it’s called “the devil’s wine”
December 30, 2010
Champagne has been associated with luxury, special occasions, and rites of passage since the days of French royalty when kings were anointed with bubbly.
Where did this festive libation get its name?
Champagne is a sparkling wine made from three types of grapes: CONTINUE READING »
What do the “M”s in “M&Ms” stand for? And who is the “tootsie” in a tootsie roll?
December 29, 2010
Still slogging through your kids’ excess Halloween stash? You’ve probably begun to wonder what the names on many of those wrappers mean. Here’s the meaning behind the names of a few popular (and chocolately) confections.
• Forest Mars, Sr. saw soldiers eating hard-shelled chocolates during the Spanish Civil War, inspiring the mass production of CONTINUE READING »
What bizarre error gave California its name?
December 27, 2010
When the Spanish first began exploring the Pacific Coast of North America, they mistakenly believed that California was an island. (Some of the earliest and most fascinating maps of the state depict it as separated from the mainland.) This is considered one of the greatest, albeit short-lived, cartographic errors.
Early mapmakers began labeling the “island” as California, the name CONTINUE READING »
Did Adam and Eve bite into a forbidden “apple,” or a different fruit? (A lesson in meaning)
December 26, 2010
In one of the most famous culinary moments ever written down, Eve convinces Adam to share an apple with her in the Garden of Eden. Right? Well, not exactly.
Adam and Eve did bite into a fruit. But the Book of Genesis does not explicitly say which fruit. It could have been an apple. Or, as early depictions suggest, it could have been a pomegranate.
Up until the 17th century, the word CONTINUE READING »
Today is Boxing Day. Does the holiday have anything to do with the sport?
December 26, 2010
In the U.S., the word “boxing” usually refers to two athletes stepping into a padded ring, each having the intention of knocking the other off his feet.
Also in the U.S., the holiday known as Boxing Day is generally obscure. In Britain, the celebration is ubiquitous. Let’s spend a minute with the origin of the “box” in the pugilistic sense of boxing. The brutal sport most likely gets its name from the Germanic word boke, “a blow.” Rest assured that the day after Christmas has nothing to do with bopping CONTINUE READING »
What is the “nog” in eggnog? Well . . .
December 25, 2010
Frothy, creamy eggnog is a favorite beverage this time of year. Flavored with cinnamon or nutmeg, this winter drink is made with milk, sugar, and eggs. Usually an alcohol, like rum, is added.
The “egg” in eggnog is obvious, but you may not know that a different word almost beat out “egg” to mean the things that chickens lay. Find CONTINUE READING »
“Yule?” What does this word really mean, and what does it have to do with a goat?
December 24, 2010
The lyric from “Deck the Halls” goes “Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol.” Amidst all the fa la la-ing, did you ever ask yourself exactly what Yule-tide is?
Yule is the ancient name in the Germanic lunar calendar for a winter festival corresponding to December and January. Later, Yule referred CONTINUE READING »
What is it called when you can easily read scrambled words?
December 22, 2010
Perhaps you’ve received a widely circulated email that begins with this nonsensical sentence:
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The boggling thing about the sentence is that even though the words are scrambled, you can read it. It makes sense. Do you have an CONTINUE READING »
Here’s the odd, sad truth about mistletoe. Plus, is the kissing custom a mystery?
December 22, 2010
If you celebrate Christmas, it’s likely that at some point this season you’ll find yourself puckering up under a mistletoe branch. What is the tradition of kissing under a plant all about? And does the name have anything to do with human toes?
Mistletoe is a European plant that grows parasitically on trees. The CONTINUE READING »
Tonight, the winter solstice is one of several rare events in the sky. What exactly does “solstice” mean?
December 20, 2010
The winter solstice lasts for just one moment. It occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. This usually happens around December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere or June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. The solstice of 2010 is also marked by a full moon and an adjoining lunar eclipse that will make the moon look reddish in a cloudless sky. What exactly is an eclipse, and why will the moon look CONTINUE READING »
Meet Krampus, Santa Claus’ disturbing sidekick who punishes naughty children
December 19, 2010
Christmas isn’t simple. If you think you’ve got a handle on its melange of Christian, pagan, and national traditions, here’s one more wrinkle. In Austria and Hungary, and some parts of Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Northern Italy, a bleak myth describes what happens during the Christmas season to children who have misbehaved during the past year.
According to legend, unruly kids are paid a visit by Krampus. Unlike St. CONTINUE READING »
What do the Z, I, and P in “ZIP code” stand for? And what do the numbers represent?
December 17, 2010
It’s a hectic time of year for the U.S. Postal Service. Those packages you ordered on Cyber Monday are steadily arriving. You’re probably even receiving a few holiday greetings the old-fashioned way - snail mail.
The half million employees who work for the USPS rely heavily on the five- or nine-digit ZIP codes for efficient and reliable mail delivery. So, it makes sense that the term “ZIP code” would be related to being CONTINUE READING »
What do you call the white squares in a crossword? Also, are you a “cruciverbalist?”
December 16, 2010
The English journalist Arthur Wynne is usually credited with inventing the crossword. His first puzzle, which was called a word cross, was published in 1913.
But some people believe that the first crossword puzzle was actually published in an Italian magazine in the late nineteenth century. It was called per CONTINUE READING »
The most unusual celebrity name? What does “Gwyneth” mean, and what language is it?
December 15, 2010
Hollywood starlet and Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow is being honored with a star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actress is also the first to have the words on her star receive a thorough spellchecking. One reason: to avoid another misspelling scandal like the one surrounding the star of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
(Why is it called an “Oscar,” not a “Frank” or “Bartholomew?” Get the CONTINUE READING »
The “X” in “Xmas” - Learn the sacred, 1,000-year-old meaning of the “X”
December 13, 2010
Here’s a holiday surprise that only the dictionary can provide. Do you find the word “Xmas,” as an abbreviation for Christmas, offensive? Many people do.
You won’t find Xmas in church songbooks or even on many greeting cards. Xmas is popularly associated with a trend towards materialism, and sometimes the target of people who decry the emergence of general “holiday” observance instead of particular cultural and religious ritual.
But the history of the word “Xmas” is actually more respectable - and fascinating - than you CONTINUE READING »
What are the three places that form the Bermuda Triangle?
December 12, 2010
In March 1918, a U.S. Navy ship with a crew of 309 departed Barbados and was never seen again. Did the ship capsize? Is there a supernatural explanation?
The area in which the ship disappeared is the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, it is a heavily traveled shipping lane in the Atlantic Ocean where ships and planes have been known to mysteriously disappear. The boundaries vary slightly, but according to the Naval History and CONTINUE READING »
Where did UGG boots get their name? Is the name really short for “ugh?”
December 11, 2010
The unisex sheepskin and fleece footware called UGG boots, or simply uggs, gained popularity in the 1960s when competitive surfers began wearing them. They were the perfect remedy for cold, numb, wet feet.
Now, everyone seems to be sporting the boots, from Hollywood celebrities and their tween followers to suburban moms. Originally of simple design, uggs now sport glamorous embellishments such as brass grommets, fringe, and animal skin patterns.
The history of the term ? and the trademark - are highly disputed. Australia and New Zealand both claim to be the original home of uggs and in these countries the term “ugg” can be used to market any fleece and sheepskin boot. That is, it is considered a generic term. However, in more than 100 other countries, UGG is a registered trademark.
(People are fond of tucking their UGGs into jeans. Do you know what two places “denim” and “jeans” are named for? Find out here.)
So, what does the word mean?
Well, it doesn’t mean “ugh,” the commonly used interjection of disgust or dislike that was first recorded in 1837.
The word may have derived from fug boots that were worn by aviators in rural Australia during World War I. The term is believed to be a shortened version of “flying ugg boots.”
The owner of one company that has been making the boots since the late 1950s claims that he invented the name. He says that his inspiration came from his wife, who called the boots ugly.
One, easy language for the whole world? Meet the man who tried to make it happen.
December 10, 2010
If humankind can create airplanes, cellphones, and penicilin, surely we can tackle the hassle of language. Why doesn’t some brainiac come up with the perfect language that everyone can learn?
Before you get all riled up, be assured this question is rhetorical. To start, this is not a new idea.
In the late nineteenth century, a Polish oculist and linguist named Ludwik CONTINUE READING »
What is the “amber” in AMBER Alert? Plus, the origin of “kidnap”
December 9, 2010
The media is filled with reports of missing children. The term “AMBER Alert” has become synonymous with these tragedies, but the story behind the name “Amber” is worth repeating.
First, the basics. In the suspected kidnapping of a child, an AMBER Alert is issued. This urgent bulletin is voluntarily issued through several CONTINUE READING »
Yesterday, President Obama mentioned a “holy grail.” What does it mean exactly?
December 8, 2010
In a speech yesterday, President Obama called tax cuts for the wealthy the Republicans’ “Holy Grail.” The term is so rich in myth and history that we can’t resist the opportunity for elucidation.
For the record, the President was using the term “Holy Grail” informally and figuratively. In his quote, the reference implies “any greatly desired CONTINUE READING »
Is “ironic” the most abused word in English? When is it correct to say “that’s ironic?”
December 6, 2010
“That is sooooo ironic.” This sentence is used frequently - and usually incorrectly - in American English.
Often the word “ironic” is misused to remark on a coincidence, such as “This is the third time today we’ve run into each other. How ironic.”
It is also mistakenly used to describe something out of the CONTINUE READING »
What’s the infamous chemical that makes NASA’s new life discovery so amazing, and why is it such a big deal?
December 4, 2010
Few poisons are more notorious than arsenic. So, scientists were recently shocked to find that a strange bacterium called Halomonadaceae (a type of protobacteria) in Mono Lake, California, is actually thriving on it.
The finding is blowing researchers’ minds, showing how much more CONTINUE READING »
Meet the new hottest chili pepper, the “Naga Viper” What is the deadly meaning of this name?
December 4, 2010
Teary eyes? Burning throat? Is this how you respond if there’s a little too much jalapeno in your salsa?
Then you better steer clear of the Naga Viper, the new record holder for the spiciest chili pepper in the world. The farmer who is responsible for the pepper says that eating it is dangerous - and invigorating. CONTINUE READING »
What is the medical term for people who shop too much? (Not “shopaholic”)
December 3, 2010
‘Tis the season for family reunions, champagne toasts, and, of course, shopping.
It’s likely that you know someone who you consider a shopaholic. Perhaps you think that she has a superhuman stamina for long lines, crowded malls, and late night purchasing. Or perhaps you think he just doesn’t know when to quit, spending way past his budget.
“Shopaholic” is, of course, informal, and usually applied with humor. There is, though, an actual medical term for people who have an uncontrollable and compulsive desire CONTINUE READING »
Why is the Jewish holiday spelled “Chanukah,” “Hanukkah,” and “Hannukah?” Is there a correct spelling?
December 2, 2010
Hanukkah has just begun. Chanukah, Hannukah, Hannukkah, and Channukah have also just begun.
Confused? We don’t blame you. Why is this Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, spelled in so many ways?
The answer comes down to transliteration. Unlike translation, CONTINUE READING »
What do the letters in “AIDS” and “HIV” stand for?
December 1, 2010
Wednesday marked the 23rd commemoration of Worlds AIDS Day. AIDS is one of the most devastating pandemics ever recorded. Since 1981, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people. And, it’s estimated that 33.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
But what do AIDS and HIV actually mean? How are they related to each other, and CONTINUE READING »
The most beautiful-sounding word in English, according to 100s of our users, is . . .
November 29, 2010
About two weeks ago we shared the fact that many language experts believe “cellar door” is the most euphonious phrase in the English language. More than 400 people replied to our post with strong opinions about the “cellar door” selection. If you would like to know the rationale behind the choice, you can read about it here.
Tons of people also shared their own choice for the best-sounding CONTINUE READING »
“Cyber Monday?” Learn what “cyber” meant before computers, and read the first sentence to use the phrase “cyberspace”
November 28, 2010
The term “Cyber Monday” was first used as part of a marketing strategy in 2005 to refer to the Monday following Black Friday.
(Why is the popular sales day called Black Friday when Black Monday refers to a day of financial devastation? Read about that here.)
The prefix “cyber” means “computer,” “computer CONTINUE READING »
Glow-in the-dark squid? Plus, what’s the amazing, vicious difference between squid and octopi?
November 27, 2010
On a recent expedition to explore the seamounts in the southern Indian Ocean by scientists, a new species of large squid was discovered. A specimen of the new species, which can grow up to 30 inches long, belongs to the deep-sea Chiroteuthid family, which are known for being radically bioluminescent (naturally glowing.) Don’t confuse this squid with the squidworm, a creature also just discovered that is so unusual that it requires a brand new genus.
This lovely squid find sparked a common question regarding squids and octopi (or octopuses, both plural forms are correct.) How do the two marine creatures differ? CONTINUE READING »
Is it naughty or not? Learn what “burlesque” actually means, plus Cher’s real name
November 26, 2010
The trailer for “Burlesque,” starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, makes the film seem like cheesy fun. What the preview fails to do, however, is explain what actually defines burlesque. Is it strictly a type of dance performed in seedy venues, a fancy word for striptease? Luckily for word enthusiasts, “burlesque” derives from a rich tradition as well as a compelling meaning.
Traditionally, burlesque has been a type of variety show that is CONTINUE READING »
What’s the mistake that gave “turkey” the bird the same name as “Turkey” the nation?
November 25, 2010
If you’ve ever visited Turkey, you probably ate shwarma, but it’s unlikely that you were served a crispy, golden turkey leg. The former center of the Ottoman Empire isn’t exactly a breeding ground for the bird that we most closely associate with Thanksgiving. In fact, the turkey is native to North America.
So why do they share the same name? CONTINUE READING »
You think you buy yams, but they may be sweet potatoes in disguise. Why?
November 24, 2010
The yummy portion of your Thanksgiving dinner that happens to be orange ? is it made of yams or sweet potatoes? Even if you think you used yams, they might be sweet potatoes after all.
Yams and sweet potatoes are in fact two different root vegetables. And unless you shop in a specialty store, it’s likely that you’ve only purchased
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What are the actual names of North and South Korea? Why do English speakers say “Korea,” but Koreans don’t?
November 23, 2010 15
Tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula. The aggression by North Korea on the South has captured the world’s attention and raised a number of questions about Korea’s history, names, and geography.
Prior to 1910, Korea was a kingdom. Then, from 1910 to 1945, the country was under Japanese rule. At the end of World War II, the country was divided into two occupational zones along the thirty-eighth
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Exactly what birds are in a “turducken?” And what dish involves more than 10 birds stuffed inside each other?
November 22, 2010 86 Consider the dish named with one of the greatest portmanteaus of all time: the turducken.
If you’ve never heard of turducken and you are a meat lover, prepare to rejoice. A turducken is a de-boned chicken (or hen) stuffed into a de-boned duck, which is then stuffed into a de-boned turkey.
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Learn why “change” is our 2010 Word of the Year, and tell us what you think
November 22, 2010 28 hours of calculation, deliberation, and lexical prestidigitation, we are pleased to reveal our selection for the 2010 Word of the Year.
In 2010, millions of people visited Dictionary.com to learn the right spelling, pronunciation, or definition of millions of words. Our Word of the Year directly reflects the hard work of our users - a word that experienced a surge of look-ups in the past 12 months. The word
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What are the most beautiful words in English? Prepare to be surprised by what some experts say
November 18, 2010 428 If someone asked you to name the most beautiful word or phrase in English, how would you choose? Would it be based on the meaning of the word? How it sounds? How it is spelled?
There are some words, like “love,” “comely,” or “demure,” that seem like solid contenders. But the compound word that some believe to be the most inherently beautiful will likely come as a colossal surprise.
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“Mystery missile” Web sensation may have simply been a “contrail.” What does that mean?
November 17, 2010 33 A mysterious event in the sky outside of Los Angeles last week grabbed the attention of the media and conspiracy theorists. Was it a secret missile test? Even the Pentagon seemed flummoxed. This week, the military weighed in, dismissing it as the contrail of an ordinary jet.
Not to be confused with a coelacanth, the Contras, or any conspiracy
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“Mohammed” is one of the top baby names in Britain. What is its precise definition?
November 16, 2010 29
For the last 14 years, Jack was the most common boy’s name in England and Wales. Last year, though, Oliver overtook Jack to take the top spot. There’s a more interesting story, though, in the statistics: over 7,000 newborn boys in Britain were given one of 12 variations of the name Mohammed, such as Muhammad or Mohammad. Combined, these forms place it in the top 5.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise: overall, based on statistics gathered
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Does the story behind the word “hip-hop” go back to the nineteenth century?
November 14, 2010 57 Thirty-two years ago, Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins, who was a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was teasing a friend. The friend had just signed up to serve in the U.S. Army.
Cowboy was mimicking the rhythm of marching soldiers by scat singing “hip hop hip hop.”
He later used the phrase in a performance. Then the name began to be used by disco musicians in a derogatory way to identify a new type of music being performed by MCs and DJs. But before long, its negative connotation wore off and the name stuck.
(By the way, MC is an abbreviation for Master of Ceremonies and DJ stands for disc jockey.)
Let’s break down the word. Hip-hop combines two slang terms. Hip, which means “in the know,” has been a part of African American vernacular since the late nineteenth century. Hop represents the hopping movement exhibited by hip-hop performers.
The key individuals and groups credited with popularizing the term in the late seventies and early eighties include The Sugarhill Gang, Lovebug Starski, DJ Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa.
There really is a 13th zodiac sign named “Ophiuchus” that you’ve probably never heard of.
November 13, 2010 91 Whether or not you believe that the position and relationship of the sun, moon, stars, and planets has any bearing on your personality, you probably still know what your astrological sign is.
The zodiac contains twelve constellations and is divided into twelve equal segments. Each astrological sign represents one of the segments. The signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
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What the “x” in “Xbox” stands for, plus when did “x” start to mean “the unknown?”
November 11, 2010 50 No letter in the English language gets around like X. The 24th letter of the alphabet shows up everywhere, from the popular Xbox to standing in for a signature on legal documents. It represents a chromosome, signifies the multiplication process, and marks “the spot” on treasure maps.
Let’s explore just a few of the uses of this versatile letter.
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DictionaryThesaurusEncyclopediaTranslatorWebWhat does Veteran’s Day have to do with an incredible combination of “11?”
November 10, 2010 28 Today, 11/11, is the 315th day of the year. It’s also Veterans Day, a federal holiday honoring all military veterans.
The holiday marks the anniversary of the 1918 signing of the Armistice, which took place in a railway carriage, between the Allies and Germany. This event marked the end of fighting on the Western Front in the First World War. The signing took place at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
In other parts of the world, the day is celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.
11:11 is also a phenomenon of numerology, the notion that numbers hold some intrinsic value beyond their significance as symbols of quantity. A popular belief holds that the combination “11:11? appears on clocks with too great a frequency to be coincidence. In that spirit, let’s look at what else happened on this day in history and see if we can draw any conclusions beyond mere coincidence:
In 1620, the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony, was signed near Cape Cod.
Over two hundred years later, in 1889, Washington was admitted as the 42nd U.S. State.
In 1926, the legendary Route 66 was established.
Six years ago on this date, the Palestine Liberation Organization confirmed Yasser Arafat’s death, but did not identify the cause. Shortly after, Mahmoud Abbas was elected chairman of the PLO.
Golden Globe Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio was born on this date, as was the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
“Jitterbug” is a fun dance with a horrible origin. And what classic dance was once considered “indecent?”
November 9, 2010 24 Tonight the stars will boogie again, getting one step closer to the championship on “Dancing with the Stars.” Will tonight’s show feature the rumba? The cha-cha? The jive?
We’re less interested in which dances we’ll see tonight and more intrigued with how the dances got their names.
As you may suspect, the term “ballroom dancing” originates
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Who is the “Granny Smith” of Granny Smith apples? Plus, learn the truth about Fuji apples
November 8, 2010 44 Many parts of the U.S. are enjoying the peak of apple season right now. And lucky for logophiles, the names of some of the most popular varieties are almost as interesting as the fruit is tasty.
There are more than 7, 500 cultivars of apples. Here are the stories behind five of the most popular:
• It’s understandable if you guess that the Golden Delicious was named for the fruit’s gorgeous hue. In fact, this cultivar was likely a hybrid of two types that share
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What is it called when you can “taste” a word or “see” a sound?
November 7, 2010 43 Comments Share
Every so often, an oddball phrase or sentence trends on Google search, such as: “Can blind people see the taste of cinnamon toast crunch?”
This is a fascinating, serious question disguised in buffoonery. A more apropos question seems to be: Is it possible to “see” the taste of a cereal? Or better yet: Is it possible to see a taste? Or taste a word?
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Clock confusion: Which is correct, daylight “saving,” or daylight “savings” time?
November 6, 2010 38 Most Americans are turning their clocks back one hour, a sure sign that the long days of summer are far behind us.
Speaking of the seasons: Did autumn officially begin with Labor Day? Find out here.
This practice of advancing the clocks ahead an hour in the spring and
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What’s the exact difference between being “charged,” “convicted,” and “sentenced” for a crime?
November 5, 2010 18 Today, former Oakland, California, transit police officer Johannes Mehserle received the minimum possible sentence in the controversial death of a teenager on January 1, 2009. The incident and subsequent trial have prompted outrage and violent protests. Today’s decision brings attention to the legal meanings of three verbs : “charge,” “convict,” and “sentence.” They appear in the news constantly, but do you know what each term actually describes?
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A new Dr. Seuss book is found. What new Seuss word is discovered inside?
November 4, 2010 100 Comments Share
Theodore Geisel, under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, wrote 44 children’s books that are as loved by young readers as they are by adults. Delight filled the Dictionary.com office when we learned an unpublished Seuss manuscript has turned up, containing a hitherto unknown “Seussism.”
Some of his playful language creations, or neologisms, have become ubiquitous, such as ”biggered,” the word meaning “enlarged” in
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The Giants won the World Series, but which giants were ginormous snake monsters with six arms?
November 3, 2010 41 San Francisco is whooping it up for the Giants, with a boisterous victory parade. The World Series win is impressive, but stop for a second; the mythic creatures who inspired the very word “giant” had a contest of their own that might embarrass the baseball champions.
Before we journey into “Clash of the Titans” territory, here’s how the San Francisco Giants were named. Originally based in New
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What is the “seven” in “7 UP?” What is the “root” in “root beer?”
November 2, 2010 51 Root beer and 7 Up are carbonated, sweetened beverages with peculiar names. What root is found in root beer? Burdock? Daikon? And what does the “7” represent? Good luck?
The primary flavor of root beer was originally made using the root (or
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What does something “musty” literally smell like? Why stinky words are more mysterious
November 1, 2010 32 Comments Share
The common cholesterol drug Lipitor was recently subject to a recall due to reports from consumers about a “musty” odor associated with the bottles. We aren’t interested in the drug - this post concerns stink, stench, aroma. Smell may be the hardest sense to describe in words, which is why we are eager to take a whiff.
The sense of smell is known as olfaction and functions through the
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Wait, today is a holiday called “Hallowmas?” What does it mean?
November 1, 2010 18 Comments Share
Halloween is actually just the beginning of a string of otherworldy holidays. The tricks, treats and customs of Halloween, now mostly secular, are based in an ancient Christian festival that spans November 1st and 2nd.
Today is All Saints Day, when all saints - known and unknown - are
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What is the precise difference between ghouls, goblins, and ghosts? Which one is truly disgusting?
October 31, 2010 17 Come Halloween, miniature ghosts, ghouls, and goblins ring your doorbell. But each of the three freaky frights has a different history and personality. Only one of them has alarming tendencies towards necrophagia.
One of the only features these staples of the supernatural share is their ghastliness. Ghosts are considered to be the souls of the dead. They
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“Trick or treating” owes its existence to “souling” and “guising.” What do they mean?
October 29, 2010 31 Comments Share
It’s one of a kid’s favorite parts of Halloween. There’s no feeling quite like waiting for a stranger to open his or her door so you can scream the words “trick or treat.”
But why do we say it? What does it actually mean?
The practice of donning a costume and asking for treats from your neighbors dates back to the Middle Ages. But back then it wasn’t
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The meaning of “een” in Halloween may trick, not treat, you
October 28, 2010 61 Comments Share
Halloween has its roots in two celebrations: the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saint’s Day. The spooky festival’s name, however, comes from only one.
Samhain is Gaelic for “summer’s end, and marks what has loosely been labeled the “Celtic New Year.” The end of the “lighter half” of the year and the beginning of the “darker half.”
All Saint’s Day honors all of the Catholic saints. The Roman Catholic Church refers to it
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What’s the word to describe if you’re not a twin (born solo)?
October 28, 2010 63 Celine Dion is now the proud momma of twin boys. We’re happy for the entertainment diva, and pleased at the excuse to explore the language of twins.
Dion’s boys are not identical twins. They’re fraternal. This means that they derived from separately fertilized ova and that they have different genetic makeup. Fraternal twins may be of the same or of the opposite sex.
While some fraternal twins resemble each other, some look as different as second
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What exactly does the “Illuminati” mean?
October 26, 2010 121 Rap impresario Kanye West has been hard at work not only quashing rumors that he practices devil worship, but that he is part of the notorious “Illuminati.” The gossip began after the release of his new short film “Runaway,” which contains references to the elusive organization. West recently expressed confusion about the Illuminati. Is it connected to supposed devil worship? What is its basis in reality, and what does the word signify?
The Illuminati refers to several different groups, which are both
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Why is Jane Austen guilty of “cacography?” (Are you guilty, too?)
October 25, 2010 66 Jane Austen is known for her clean and eloquent prose. But new scholarly work shows that the great novelist’s editor likely played a bigger role in Austen’s literary pursuits than previously thought.
(By the way, do you know what language the word “novel” comes from? Find out here.)
In fact, it seems that Austen may have been guilty of cacography, or bad
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Who is the “Jack” in “Jack O’ Lantern?”
October 24, 2010 91 This week thousands of Americans will scoop out the flesh of a gourd, crudely carve a haunting face into its rind, and stick a candle inside. Then the jack-o’-lanterns will proudly be displayed on porches and stoops. Who or what is this wacky tradition named after?
The British can claim ownership of the original use of the phrase “jack-o’-lantern.” In the 17th century, it referred to a night watchman, a man who literally carried a lantern.
But it was also a nickname for strange, flickering lights seen at night
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What poetic term describes living your life while accepting that it is filled with uncertainty?
October 23, 2010 41 On December 21, 1817, the poet John Keats wrote a letter to his brother in which he expressed and named a quality of human existence that is tricky to articulate. Keat’s formulation has been adopted by philosophers, poets, and others ever since.
Roughly, the idea is our ability to simultaneously acknowledge the unpredictable nature of events and conduct ourselves with confidence and happiness. He called this familiar yet complex concept
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What’s the name of the food causing a minor crisis in South Korea?
October 22, 2010 42 Koreans eat it with almost every meal. When the country’s first astronauts went into space, portions of this food went with them. Each year, South Koreans consume more than two million tons of it.
Now, because of abnormal fall weather, there is a shortage, driving the country into crisis.
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Does “right” actually mean “right?” Does that mean “left” means “wrong?”
October 21, 2010 60 Little kids often get confused regarding the fact that “right” refers to a certain direction and also what is good, proper, and just. After all, “left” doesn’t mean wrong ? right?
Well, not exactly.
“Left” comes from the Old English lyft, which means “weak, idle,
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Learn three useful words from Christine O’Donnell’s First Amendment controversy
October 20, 2010 120 Here’s the hullabaloo: The Democratic and Republican candidates for Senate in Delaware answered audience questions at a law school. At one point, Republican Christine O’Donnell challenged Democrat Chris Coons: “Where in the Constitution is separation of church and state?” This question prompted surprise from the audience and scrutiny from the media.
Coons responded, “The First Amendment establishes a separation.”
O’Donnell countered with “The First Amendment does? … So you’re telling me that the
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Why is “dog” one of the great mysteries of the English language?
October 19, 2010 67 Behind the simplest words one can often find the most compelling questions. Take for example, “dog.”
Canis familiaris, also known as “dog,” is essentially a domesticated wolf. The dog is a member of the Canidae family, like the jackal and the fox.
About seven centuries ago, the word “hound,” which came from the Old
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Why did Texas confuse its state flag with Chile’s? Try to spot the difference, and learn what a “vexillologist” is.
October 18, 2010 19 Thanks to the eagle eyes of a Texan voter, the absentee ballot this election season in Atascosa County will not feature the flag of Chile. You can see the source of confusion below, but first, how did the Chilean flag end up on a Texan ballot?
As you will see, the flags of the Latin American country and the U.S. state are remarkably similar. Both flags have a white stripe on top and a
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Scientists discover a fish they name “dracula.” What’s the origin of the word, and does the fish sleep in a coffin?
October 13, 2010 102 Comments Share
Scientists recently released a list of new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong Region, which comprises parts of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.
One of the more peculiar species on the list is a translucent fish that scientists call “dracula.” The fish actually was first found in 2009, in a fish tank in Britain, but was only discovered in the wild this year.
The literary Dracula was known as “king of the vampires” in Bram Stoker’s novel, published in
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The “Taser” is a serious weapon, but what the name stands for may puzzle you
October 12, 2010 88 The electroshock weapon called the Taser, which is typically used by police when trying to control a fleeing suspect, uses an electrical current that causes neuromuscular incapacitation. In other words, if you’re struck by a Taser, your chances of getting away are null.
There have been plenty of controversies involving the device and law enforcement. The most notorious may be the altercation that led to
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Want to meet two extinct letters of the alphabet? Learn what “thorn” and “wynn” sounded like
October 11, 2010 68 Comments Share
The English alphabet, as you likely know, is made up of 26 letters.
But it wasn’t always that way.
Before we get to which letters were late additions, let’s explain a bit about Old English. English was first written in the Anglo-Saxon futhorc runic alphabet, also known as Anglo-Saxon. The Angles and Saxons
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Columbus’ first name isn’t really Christopher. What is it?
October 11, 2010 111 Today is Columbus Day, which marks what is arguably the first landing of a European in the “New World.” On October 12, 1492, an ambitious seaman sailed into the West Indies, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The West Indies is a region of more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays in the Caribbean Sea. When Columbus landed there, he mistakenly believed that he had reached the Indies, his intended
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Spaghetti tacos, seriously? What’s the definition of this food craze?
October 8, 2010 88 The marriage of tacos and spaghetti seems to be a bonafide fad. Nickelodeon show “iCarly” has enhanced the nation’s taste for the incongruous pairing of these Italian and Mexican staples. We’re no culinary experts, but we can smell a tasty linguistic opportunity a mile away. What happens when you put these words together? Here’s some, ahem, food for thought.
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Who is the “Nobel” in “Nobel Prize,” and what does he have to do with explosions?
October 7, 2010 26 Each year in October, the Nobel Prize committee in Stockholm announces what has become a sort of gold medal for science, literature, and politics. This year’s laureates include Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa in literature and Robert G. Edwards, father of the test tube baby, in medicine. Winners receive a sum usually worth millions of dollars in addition to oodles of prestige.
After you read this, you will always associate the namesake of the prize with the word “boom.” Here’s why.
Alfred Nobel was a chemist and engineer as well as an amateur poet. In the mid-1800s he invented a chemical agent of nitroglycerine and cellulose nitrate, bringing about a smokeless explosive called ballistite. Ballistite was first marketed as blasting caps and was the basis for his next big invention, dynamite.
Near the end of his life a French newspaper called Nobel a merchant of death, prompting him to consider the legacy he was leaving behind. In response, he instructed that his fortune be used to fund a prize promoting fraternity among nations and the reduction of conflict.
(The MacArthur “genius” Awards were recently granted. What defines a “genius,” and what I.Q. score allegedly defines genius? Here’s the answer.)
The first awards were granted in 1901. Chemistry, economics, literature, medicine and physics, as well as the coveted Peace Prize, make up the menagerie of awards. Recipients, called laureates, receive a gold medal and diploma as well as the above-mentioned cash. The prize may only be given to living individuals and teams of up to three people.
The Peace Prize has is the most controversial award bestowed by the Nobel Committee. The criteria for selecting the winner are cryptic at best; no one knows how laureates are selected or who the contenders are prior to announcement.
An unknown language was recently discovered ? what’s its name and where was it found?
October 7, 2010 41 Arunachal Pradesh is a state in the far northeast corner of India. It shares a border with Burma, Bhutan, and China. In the state there’s a district called East Kameng, a community of villages that have had few interactions with the outside world. And in that community, there are several thousand people who speak a language called Aka.
Within the community of Aka speakers, however, there’s an even
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How are “scum,” “sludge,” “slush,” “slime,” “ooze,” “muck,” “mire,” “goo,” and “gunk” different?
October 6, 2010 40 Toxic red sludge poured into a Hungarian village this week after a dam containing the chemical residue from an aluminum plant burst. At least four people were killed and dozens injured. The sludge continues to flow and threatens to contaminate the Danube River, one of Europe’s major waterways.
This tragedy poses a linguistic puzzle that, hopefully, can help us better
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What exactly is Pig Latin, is it a language? And how is it a mystery?
October 5, 2010 83 Comments Share
What language do these words come from: ouch-cay, appy-hay, and ender-tay?
If you guessed Pig Latin, you’re correct.
Pig Latin is not actually a language but a language game that children (and some adults) use to speak “in code.” Pig Latin words are formed by altering words in English.
Here’s how it works: First, pick any English word. We’ll use “dictionary.” Next, move the
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Why was the scary word “cataclysm” so popular on Google yesterday? What does it mean?
October 5, 2010 21 Comments Share
If a word like “cataclysm,” that basically means “a ginormous, Armageddon–style disaster” is all over the Web, you might feel a tad cantankerous, or at least concerned. Would it make you feel better to know that the news was greeted by thousands of geeks around the world with glee?
Enough teasing - “Cataclysm” refers to the latest installment of
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What’s the difference between green and black tea? And who is the “Earl” in “Earl Grey?”
October 4, 2010 34 Whether you start your morning with coffee or tea - it’s part of who you are, but how much do you know about either caffeinated beverage?
If you want to learn the mysterious origin of coffee’s name and more, click here. This is about the drink that comes from leaves, not beans.
“Tea” comes from the Chinese d’a, and transformed into tea or ch’a
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“Turf toe,” “metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain,” or “death toe.” What’s the painful meaning of all three?
October 3, 2010 18 Comments Share
Recently, the Detroit Lions’ Jahvid Best was forced out of a football game due to turf toe - Grade 2 turf toe, to be exact. It’s a funky name for what can become an significant injury for professional athletes.
First of all, turf toe gets its name because athletes who play on artificial turf face the highest risk of suffering from it. This means football players, rugby players, and ultimate frisbee players are all susceptible.
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Does “KISS” stand for anything? And what does the Holocaust have to do with it?
October 2, 2010 51 Comments Share
The hard rock band KISS, known for their wild stage makeup and intense pyrotechnics, will not be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this year (for the 11th year in a row.)
Fans insist this is a major diss, but critics who consider KISS a gimmick band (despite their 24 gold albums) think that they have no place among the 288 inductees.
Hype around the KISS snub inspired curiousity about the band’s name. Surely it can’t simply
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“Bigot” remarks get CNN reporter fired. What does “bigot” mean exactly? (Its origin involves cussing)
October 2, 2010 11 Every so often, surprises seem to pop out of the mouths of public figures like a Jack-in-the-Box. CNN reporter Rick Sanchez lost his job Friday for a few eyebrow-raising comments he made on the radio.
Among other things, Sanchez called the comedian and political talk show host Jon Stewart a “bigot.” The specifics of the remarks aren’t the concern of this blog. When thousands of people began searching for the definition of “bigot,” however, our lexicological sirens start to flash.
A bigot is “a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.” OK, but
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Is Friday named after a beautiful goddess with a chariot pulled by cats? Well . . .
September 30, 2010 55 Comments Share
In a world that knows too many details about unimportant matters, one would think that our collective expertise could be certain about something as essential as the days of the week. There is, however, a scholarly debate regarding which goddess of love in Norse mythology is the namesake of “Friday.” To complicate matters, it may be that Frigg (or Frigga) and Freyja were at one point one goddess, or at least
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Why is exciting planet discovery called “Goldilocks,” and what is its actual name?
September 30, 2010 127 This week, excitement was stoked by the discovery of a “Goldilocks planet” within our astronomical neighborhood. Located about 20 light years away in the constellation of Libra, the exoplanet in question has temperatures ranging from –25 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit , orbits its star from a distance of .146 Astronomical Units (about 14 million miles), and has a mass 3 to 4 times that of the earth. In other words, this planet
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What’s the difference between atheism and agnosticism?
September 29, 2010 186 Comments Share
A recent survey on religion caused a stir when it revealed that many Americans lack some basic knowledge about their own religious faiths. Another provocative finding indicated both atheists and agnostics are surprisingly knowledgable about a variety of religions.
This prompts us to address a commonly-asked question: What is the difference between someone who defines themselves as “atheist” and
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“UFOs?” What bizarre event spawned the phrase “flying saucer?”
September 29, 2010 11 There’s a fresh UFO hullabaloo, and that provides the perfect opportunity to encounter the origin of “flying saucer” and “UFO.” There are no alien autopsies, abductions or crop circles in these stories, but there is no shortage of weirdness.
First, here’s the latest extraterrestrial extravaganza. A group of retired Air Force members and UFO researchers held a press conference claiming that aliens not only monitor, but have interfered with nuclear
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The TV show “Glee” is sassy, but what does the word “glee” have to do with squinting and schadenfreude?
September 28, 2010 21 Cute teenagers, song and dance routines, even Britney Spears - this is “Glee’s” moment in the sun. We want to take this same moment to illuminate some of the unusual senses of “glee” (like what it has to do with schadenfreude.)
Let’s begin with “Glee Club.” These infamously chipper singing groups are called “glee” because the melding of voices makes everyone happy, right? Actually,
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What I.Q. defines a “genius?” What does the word actually mean?
September 28, 2010 56 The 2010 MacArthur “genius” fellowships were announced today, meaning 23 individuals just received $500,000 in recognition of their “making our world a better place.” The recipients, artists, scientists, and others, can do whatever they want with the cash. Every year when these fabulous funds are given out, people tend to ask: “What makes them so special,” and “Don’t I deserve a genius grant?”
Perhaps a psychologist is better qualified to answer those questions, but we’re happy to see if our dictionary gnomes can provide some insight regarding the concept of “genius.” One of the most popular online definitions of genius would seem to be I.Q.
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Is “achoo” a word? And what’s the origin of saying “God bless you” after a sneeze?
September 26, 2010 168 Comments Share
Every sneeze has a different ring to it, but there are only a few words in English that name the sound. Achoo is the most favored.
This instance of onomatopoeia imitates the sound of sneezing. The first syllable mimics the quick intake of breath, while
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A woman fights off a bear with a “courgette.” What is a “courgette,” and why is it funny?
September 26, 2010 No CommentsShare
According to the British tabloid the Daily Mirror, a quick-thinking Montana woman fended off a bear attack with a 14-inch courgette. Is this some sort of ax, shovel, or broom? No. Here’s a hint: a courgette is perfect sautéed in garlic and butter.
If you are of British extraction, you may recognize the weapon of necessity as the humble yet
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Why is bankruptcy called “chapter 11?” What about chapters 10 and 12?
September 25, 2010 No CommentsShare
You may have heard that Blockbuster filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The term chapter 11 is often used synonymously with bankruptcy. Chapter 11 and bankruptcy, however, aren’t exactly the same.
Chapter 11 is a specific section of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. It permits the reorganization of
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If your last name ends in “-ez,” what does it mean? And what last name means “bold voyager?”
September 23, 2010 158 Comments Share
A few weeks back we asked readers to suggest last names to be explored and explained. The surnames with the most requests happened to end in –ez. We like to make you happy. First, we need to touch on how many names originating in Spain function.
Most Hispanic surnames, including those that end in –ez, fall into a few general categories. Many family names are based on a character or physical trait describing the original bearer of the name. For example, if your last name is Delgado, it’s possible that your great-great-great grandfather was a skinny fellow. (Delgado means “thin” is Spanish.)
Geographical surnames are also very common. These names are formed based on the location where a family lived - sometimes
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“Equinox” - What does it mean exactly? How is a “solstice” different?
September 22, 2010 34 Comments Share
The onset of autumn differs depending on whom you ask. For some, Labor Day marks the shift of seasons. For others, it is when the dramatic harvest moon rises on the horizon.
But traditionally, fall begins promptly on Thursday, with the autumn equinox.
The equinox occurs twice a year. The vernal equinox happens around March 21, when the sun moves north across the celestial equator. The autumnal equinox
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Why “acne” comes from a mistake, and what doctors call “pimples”
September 21, 2010 36 Comments Share
A recent report about acne and depression inspired an exploration of the words associated with the inflammatory affliction. What is the medical name for acne? And how did the slang word “pimple” come about?
Acne is a shortening of the medical term acne vulgaris, a chronic skin condition of the sebaceous glands that is common in
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This week is the “harvest moon” of 2010. What does this mean exactly, and what is the “hunter’s moon” that comes next?
September 21, 2010 49 Comments Share
The gigantic, orange globe sitting on the horizon on Thursday may look like a celestial pumpkin, but it will actually be the harvest moon. (It is also known as the wine moon, the singing moon, or the elk call moon.)
The harvest moon happens once a year. It is the full moon nearest to the
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Look at your keyboard ? What does QWERTY stand for? Is it a word?
September 20, 2010 106 Comments Share
Most of us take our keyboards for granted. If we’re touch typists, we automatically position our fingers above the same eight keys and our muscle memory takes over. We just type!
(What are those eight keys called? And what do they have to do with a popular Google search? Read about that here.)
But our keyboards have an interesting history. Most English language keyboards have a QWERTY layout. And QWERTY isn’t an acronym or
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Gosh, really? Learn the religious meaning of “golly,” “gosh,” and “gee”
September 19, 2010 26 Comments Share
Gosh, golly, and gee casually express surprise or excitement, right? Actually, they have a more serious origin and purpose.
While this folksy trio are informal interjections, they are also euphemistic alterations of the word “god” or, in the case of gee, “Jesus.” The use of gosh predates
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An “Asian unicorn?” What’s the real name of this rare creature that was recently captured?
September 18, 2010 5 Comments Share
When one of the world’s rarest mammals makes an appearance, a number of equally exotic words tend to follow. This wild, extraordinary creature hasn’t been photographed since 1999. However, reports emerged this week that a small village in Laos captured one. Sadly, it died several days later.
The “Asian unicorn” nickname isn’t exactly fitting since the animal is
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What does “pope” literally mean? And how does a pope choose his name?
September 17, 2010 30 Comments Share
As you read about the Pope’s visit to Britain, you may begin to wonder about his name. After all, what does “pope” actually mean? And how does a pope get his name after he assumes the papacy?
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and thereby the world leader of the Catholic Church. The word comes from the Latin
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Why do you use No. 2 pencils for tests? Why not a No. 3, 4, or 5?
September 16, 2010 69 This question will probably not be on your standardized test: Why are most pencils yellow? You won’t be able to answer that with a ballpoint pen, or a neon pink highlighter.
Let’s start with the word “pencil.” It comes from a Latin word meaning “little tail.” The writing instrument is made up of a casing that protects a solid pigment core. (By the way, pigment comes from the
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What exactly does “Tea Party” refer to, and what is “GOP” short for?
September 15, 2010 57 After Tuesday’s primary victories by Tea Party movement-backed candidates, water cooler talk seems focused on the relationship between the political movement and the GOP. The future impact of one on the other is unknown yet intriguing; the origins and meaning of both terms are just as fascinating.
The Republican Party picked up the “Grand Old Party” label in the
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What do the two lines on the dollar sign mean? But wait, what other currency also uses the $
September 14, 2010 53 Comments Share
Check out the number four key on your keyboard. Stamped above it is one of the most powerful symbols in the world: the almighty dollar sign.
But the symbol doesn’t just mark the U.S. currency. Originally - and to this day— the emblem also represents the peso. Several Spanish-speaking countries consider it their own. Peso literally means “weight” in Spanish.
The origin of the dollar, (or peso) sign is uncertain. However, the reigning theory is that
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What is it called when you say “um,” “eh,” or “well . . .” Are these considered words?
September 13, 2010 97 Have you ever had to listen to a recording of a conversation, or worse, had to transcribe one? You quickly learn that everyday speech isn’t exactly made of flowing repartee. Grunts, coughs, sighs ? they aren’t pleasant to listen back to, but these sounds are probably more common than the words between them.
Remember that face-to-face communication is a different beast than
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Is she a “lady?” Is she “gaga?” Did Lady Gaga choose her name because of what it literally means?
September 11, 2010 83 Her catchy tunes, epic videos, and bizarre outfits have made her the queen of pop - at least for now. Adding to her allure is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta’s strange, yet fitting, stage name. What does “Lady Gaga” mean? And why did Ms. Germanotta choose it?
To start, a lady is technically a “woman whose manners and sensibilities befit her for high rank in society.” The ancestor of lady is the Old English hlæfdige, “wife of a lord,” or”one who kneads bread.” It seems clear
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Why is New York City known as “the Big Apple” and “Gotham?”
September 11, 2010 25 Comments Share
New York City goes by many names, such as the “City that Never Sleeps” and the less humble “Center of the Universe.” But the Big Apple is the most kenspeckled.
There are many rumors about the history of the nickname. Did the city used to be filled with apple orchards? Does the name originate with a brothel madam named Eve?
Actually, the widespread use of the nickname began in the 1970s as
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Yes, a woman grew back her pinkie, but think ? why is it called a “pinkie?”
September 10, 2010 36 Comments Share
Why is the most diminutive digit on your hand not called a finger? Do the ring, index, and middle have their own, obscure names? Let us give you, ahem, a hand with these questions.
The amazing story of Deepa Kulkarni of California sparked our curiosity about hands and fingers. She lost the tip of her pinkie in a grotesque accident. Through tenacity and new medical technology, she actually
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What does “Ramadan” mean exactly, and why is today so important to Muslims?
September 9, 2010 12 After a long period of fasting, today marks Eid al-Fitr, the final day of the month of Ramadan. Muslims around the world will mark the occasion with a day of feasting.
During Ramadan, Muslims honor the time when they believe God revealed the
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A bizarre series of letters is suddenly popular on the Web ? what does it mean? (And help us solve a mystery)
September 9, 2010 88 Comments Share
Yesterday, “asdfasdfasdfasdfasdf” suddenly appeared on Google’s list of hot Web searches. What does this combination of letters stand for?
The answer is actually right in front of you - on your keyboard. On a standard QWERTY keyboard, “asdf” are the first four letters in the home
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Risqué Natalie Portman film “Black Swan” gets hype, but what “swan” does the title refer to?
September 8, 2010 29 Every so often, a film picks up buzz before its release. Rumors of Natalie Portman engaging in lewd behavior and painted in flamboyant makeup have propelled the new picture “Black Swan” into gossip territory.
Internet searches reveal that people want to know about the title as well as the purportedly licentious scenes involving Ms. Portman’s character. Beyond the movie, “Black Swan” has a number of remarkable meanings
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What does “Rosh Hashana” literally mean, and what does it celebrate?
September 8, 2010 27 At sunset today, families and friends will gather to pray and then eat the traditional honey and apples, which symbolizes the hope for a sweet new year.
Today is Rosh Hashana, the day that marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashana comes from Hebrew and simply means “beginning of the year.”
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Which Joe is “cup o’ Joe” named after? Also, what Starbucks has to do with a giant whale
September 6, 2010 54 Every coffee lover has a term of endearment for his or her cup of brew. Here are the stories behind some of the more frequently used expressions, like cup of Joe and java.
(Also, if you’re curious about the mystery of where the word coffee comes from, look here.)
According to the folk etymology of cup of Joe, the term may be named after Josephus
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Why isn’t Labor Day in May? (And what bloody tragedy helped inspire the holiday?)
September 6, 2010 22 In more than 80 countries, on May 1, labor unions and working people take to the streets. The holiday is often referred to as International Workers’ Day or May Day.
The day marks the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where police shot and killed several demonstrators who were fighting for the eight-hour workday. Over the next several years, people across the globe began demonstrating on May 1, and in many countries the day became an official holiday.
So why don’t we celebrate in May? Government officials
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What is the medical term for having déjà vu? (And what is the opposite sensation called?)
September 5, 2010 33 Déjà vu is that spooky feeling in which you feel like you have previously experienced something that is actually being encountered for the first time.
In French, the term literally means “already seen.” Déjà vu is often
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“Hut, hut, hike?” What’s it called when the center “hikes” the football? And a “quarter” of what, exactly?
September 4, 2010 46 See if your football fanatic friends can explain the meaning and history behind these common football words. Let’s start with the most confusing term in the game: touchdown. The football does not need to touch the ground in order to score, and for most of the game the last thing a player wants is for the pig skin to make contact with terra firma. The contradictory nature of the term touchdown is a
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What do the words “Barack” and “Obama” literally mean?
September 3, 2010 42 We recently asked readers to suggest a name for us to research and write about. The name that received the most requests happens to belong to Barack Obama.
The 44th President of the United States is named after his father, who was a Kenyan economist. Barack is an African name meaning
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What’s the word that describes the official end of summer? Is it Labor Day?
September 3, 2010 27 Many consider Labor Day to be the final hurrah of summer. School is kicking off. Fashionistas box away their white clothes, and the NFL and college football seasons are launched. Many Americans host final barbeques to mark the occasion.
(Speaking of grill parties, read here about where hot dogs and hamburgers got their names.)
But Labor Day is really just a symbolic end to summer.
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Right now, the Web is abuzz about the arrest of rapper ”T.I.” What do the “T” & “I” stand for? (The answer is odd)
September 2, 2010 50 Lots of celebrities use odd names. Snooki? Lady Gaga? (Find out if the word Snooki actually means anything, here.) The arrest of popular hip-hop star T.I. turns the spotlight on his unique name, which we consider far more fascinating than 99% of the funny things pop stars choose to call themselves.
Why do we find the moniker “T.I.” so provocative? It’s presumably an abbreviation, but for what? We’re not sure that it matters, and that’s the key. It doesn’t stand for his given name, Clifford Harris Jr. The initials
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Category 1 hurricane? Category 5? What do the numbers really mean?
September 1, 2010 24 All eyes are on the movements of Earl and Fiona. What category will the hurricanes be when they hit land? What kind of damage might they inflict?
(And by the way, who picked the names Earl and Fiona? Read about it here.)
Part of the drama of hurricane season revolves around the predicting
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Wait - if September means “seven,” why is it the ninth month? Also, why is it “lucky seven?”
August 31, 2010 59 Comments Share
We take the predictability of the calendar for granted. But we may have felt differently if we were living under the rule of Julius Caesar.
September was the seventh month of the old Roman calendar. In this calendar, the year began in March. But the Julian calendar reform shifted the start of new year back
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Million-dollar hair? OK, sure - but what do you call the biggest numbers in existence?
August 31, 2010 21 You’ve probably heard about the football player Troy Polamalu whose long locks are, as of today, insured for $1,000,000 dollars. The silly stunt is just the chance we need to talk big - bigger than a million. How big? Let’s see how big.
A “million” is literally Latin for “a great thousand” (mille is “thousand,” -ion is “largeness” or “greatness.”) A “billion” is literally “two or twice
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That’s “baloney!” Or is it “bologna?” What’s the difference? (One has to do with a legendary politician)
August 31, 2010 10 Thinly dressed with yellow mustard and slapped between two slices of white bread, bologna is found in the lunchboxes of many American youth. But what does the cold cut have to do with baloney, a slang word that implies nonsense?
The bologna sausage is traditionally made from the “odds and ends” of chicken, turkey, beef, or pork. It is similar to the Italian mortadella, which originated in the Italian city of
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Is there a connection between Snoopy and Snoop Dogg? Also, what was Snoopy almost called instead?
August 30, 2010 23 Before he was Snoop Dogg, the West Coast rap icon went by his given name: Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He was named after his stepfather.
His stage name was inspired by Snoopy, a childhood nickname. His parents gave him the pet name because of the way he looked.
(By the way, the word “nickname” comes from ekename, which means
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Hurricane “Earl?” Hurricane “Katrina?” Who picks storm names, and what’s next on the list?
August 30, 2010 15 Nobody can tell you how serious Hurricane Earl might be, but we can tell you why Earl has that name. (A pretty friendly name for such a potential disaster.)
Briefly, here’s how the monikers for storms are picked. The world is roughly divided into six major basins where storm activity occurs. Each basin has an organization that comes up with lists of names a few years in advance. The basins don’t all follow the same rules
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Who is the “Tom” in “tomcat,” the name for male cats? Plus, you have a pack of dogs, but a “what” of cats?
August 30, 2010 95 Ailurophiles (cat fanciers) will tell you that it makes perfect sense female cats are called queens. “Tomcat,” however, is a little trickier. While we’re on the feline topic, what is the name for a group of cats, and where does the myth of cats’ nine lives originate?
Meow. (What do people in Japan say instead of ”meow?” Here’s the answer.)
It turns out that the term for a male cat is associated with a fictional character from long before
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The “Emmy” of Emmy Awards isn’t a woman, or even human. What is it?
August 29, 2010 17 The trophies from the big award shows all have cute little names (Oscar), and the Emmys ceremony is getting all the attention. Emmy must be very excited, right? Some Emily who was so important to the TV industry that an honor was named after her? Nope. Emmy isn’t human, is a feminization, and is totally obsolete.
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What does “sophomore” mean exactly, and can it be an insult?
August 28, 2010 31 Comments Share
Let’s play a game. Call out when we get to a word whose origin isn’t immediately obvious. Ready? Junior. Senior. Freshman. Sophomore. Huh?
In school, the place where you are most expected to know the how and why of everything, it’s funny that second-year students are called by a term whose roots are abstruse. Then there is the problem of
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Why are planes named after numbers, like the 747? Is there a 947 or a 658?
August 27, 2010 19 After World War II, one of the largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing, turned its attention from designing military craft to building commercial planes, along with missiles and spaceships. (Unrelated fact: when Boeing was forced to spin off its passenger flight division, the newly-formed company became United Airlines.
Back to the late 1940s: Model numbers were assigned to each division of aircraft (from the Boeing website:) “300s and 400s represented [military] aircraft, 500s would be used on turbine engines, 600s for
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Beware Friday’s hoax about the moon and Mars. Plus, are you sure you know why Mars is named “Mars?”
August 26, 2010 46 There’s an email going around that claims on Friday night, the sky will look as though there are two big moons. Allegedly, Mars will be so large that it will rival Luna (the official name of our lovely moon.) Here’s the problem: this email has been circulating since 2003. In reality, on Friday the red planet will appear approximately 400 times smaller than the moon.
This bogus, spurious, factitious story gives us a reason to launch a mission to explore how Mars got its name. It is well known that Mars is the
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What does “delicatessen” actually mean? After deli meat recall, learn the name of what caused the risk.
August 25, 2010 25 On Tuesday, a division of Tyson Foods Inc recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat, saying that it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The meat was used in sandwiches sold at Wal-Mart stores. Luckily, there have been no reported illnesses.
Unfortunately, we often hear about salmonella. (Read more about salmonella here.) How does it differ from
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When stocks go up or down, what exactly do people mean by “the Dow?”
August 25, 2010 6 When someone casually uses a term they assume you understand but don’t, you have a few choices. You can get frustrated, or you can look it up. Financial jargon can be a code of confusing abbreviations and arithmetic. Let’s focus on one of the most common bits of shorthand: “the Dow.”
The full name for this measure of stock performance is the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Charles Henry Dow and Edward D. Jones are
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Afghanistan, Kazakhstan - How many “stans” are there, & what does it mean?
August 24, 2010 75 Pakistan, the site of so much suffering lately, means “land of the pure” in Urdu and Persian. Part of this meaning is also found in the names Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. What is it?
If you guessed the meaning of the suffix –stan, you’re correct.
The suffix –stan is Persian and Urdu for “place of,” or “where
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Today is a big day for “Virgos.” What exactly do “Virgo” and “zodiac” mean?
August 23, 2010 32 If you read your horoscope, you probably know that today is special according to the zodiac. But honestly, do you know what all the terms of astrology refer to? As an exercise in clarity, let’s explore the precise sense of the mystical-sounding phrase “the sun is in Virgo.”
The zodiac is, officially, “an imaginary belt of the heavens, extending about 8 degrees on each side of the ecliptic, within which are the
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Ouch. What do “rhabdomyolysis” & “compartment syndrome” mean & why are they the talk of football?
August 23, 2010 8 Comments Share
Nineteen Oregon high school football players required medical attention this past week after complaining of intense muscle soreness. Three of the players required surgery after they were diagnosed with compartment syndrome, which is about as close to a physical nightmare as we can imagine.
The condition results “from the expansion or overgrowth of enclosed tissue within its anatomical enclosure (as a muscular sheath) producing pressure that interferes with circulation and adversely affects the function and health of the tissue itself.” Yes, that means the muscle grows too large for
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You may already know what the last name “Smith” means but what about, say, “Garcia” or “Miller?”
August 22, 2010 120 Comments Share
In the 1990 and 2000 Census results, Smith was the most popular last name in the United States. Maybe your last name is Smith, or Garcia or Miller: do you know the meaning and the history of this part of you that you write and say daily?
Surname means “the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a Christian name or given name; family name.” Sur is a French root meaning “above.”
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“Denim” and “jeans” are originally names of two cities. And are “pants” really named after a clown?
August 21, 2010 38 Comments Share
Whether they are skinny, boot-legged, or low-rise, most Americans have at least one pair that we couldn’t live without. Jeans are as American as apple pie, right?
In fact, the word “jean” comes from the French jean fustian. Fustian is a type
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Why is it called “adultery” when being unfaithful isn’t a particularly “adult” thing to do?
August 20, 2010 42 Comments Share
A celebrity marriage mystery has raised some very grown-up questions about the words we use to talk about love, commitment and desire.
Gossip-mongers have been transfixed the past few days by the curious romantic situation of three TV stars: Elisabeth Moss of “Mad Men” wed Fred Armisen of “Saturday Night Live” (the guy who plays President Obama) in 2009 after a whirlwind romance. In the past few
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What we call an “egg” almost had a different name. What was it, and why?
August 19, 2010 44 Like it or not, you probably have eggs on the brain. The massive recall of shell eggs is growing, along with reported cases of salmonella food poisoning. Learn the symptoms of salmonella and why it shares its name with salmon, right here.
While digging into the facts behind this scary situation, we found a story about the word “egg” that almost cracked our shell. Basically, two different terms for “egg” vied with each other across England until the 1500s, when “egg” won out. The loser? The now obsolete
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With huge egg recall, what are salmonella symptoms, and why does “salmonella” look like “salmon?”
August 19, 2010 72 More than 228 million eggs have been recalled across the United States due to the presence of salmonella bacteria. The outbreak is linked to a farm in Iowa, and according to the Associated Press, the eggs are sold across the country under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.
Salmonella is a common source of food poisoning, but how much do you know about it? Here’s a description of what it is, why it makes people sick, symptoms, and, of course, the riddle of why it shares a name with the fish “salmon.”
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Really? Learn why taking “hostages” used to be legal and routine
August 19, 2010 7 On Tuesday, security guards captured a man who broke into the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv and tried to take hostages. His attempt provides a chance to point out a curious fact; that “hostage” used to mean something far less violent and far more acceptable.
Hostage comes from the Old French meaning a “person given as
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Help us solve Sarah Palin’s latest language mystery
August 18, 2010 85 Today, the former governor of the great state of Alaska sent a message on Twitter containing the following phrase : “Who hijacked term: ‘feminist’? A cackle of rads who want to crucify . . .” Given Palin’s high profile and her penchant for controversy we can’t help but try to decipher the use of “cackle” in this context.
Of the many senses of cackle, none really make sense when
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Oops - you’ve made a Freudian slip. What’s the technical term for a slip of the tongue?
August 17, 2010 120 Comments Share
It’s one thing to make a typo on your resume, but we know of a worse kind of mistake: calling your boy or girlfriend the name of a previous paramour. Or perhaps you’re talking to your boss and out of your mouth pops an obscene word that rhymes with what you meant to say.
These slips, of tongue, the keyboard, or the pen, are generally termed “Freudian,” but are also known as
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What is the exact meaning of “mosque?” (and “temple” and “church” while we’re at it)
August 16, 2010 178 Comments Share
Debate is easy, and yelling is easier. How often, however, do people examine their most basic knowledge?
Right now, the proposed construction of an Islamic worship center in relative proximity to “Ground Zero” in Manhattan is a nexus of conflict and emotion. The missing ingredient is definition. Let’s examine basic terms, starting with mosque.
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Forget about TV’s “Snooki.” A “snook” can be delicious or offensive, but first you need to know what it means.
August 15, 2010 16 Does the quasi-actress Snooki ever get called “snookums” at the snooker table by an ichthyologist who studies snook? Let’s unpack this ludicrous question and find out.
You see, Nicole Polizzi, better known as Snooki on the reality TV show “Jersey Shore,” recently faced rejection of the semantic kind. The United
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It’s strange but true - your crisp “dollar” comes from the word “Joachimsthaler.” Here’s the story.
August 14, 2010 35 Today, this humble blog gets serious. Prepare to unravel (some) of the mysteries of money.
Open your wallet and take out a dollar bill. What is this complicated piece of paper that so much of your life depends on? And really, what’s the deal with the pyramid with an eye on top? (Here’s a decent answer.)
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Um . . . Something called a “Hindenburg Omen” has the stock market concerned. What it means
August 13, 2010 24 Comments Share
It sounds like a sequel to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but a “Hindenburg Omen” isn’t any fun. If you want to call attention to potential bad news, it’s hard to go wrong with the name “Hindenburg.”
Paul von Hindenburg was a celebrated World War I general and a less celebrated President of Germany. The more infamous Hindenburg, however, is the dirigible named for the general and
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Right now, a new “superbug” named NDM-1 is making headlines. What does “NDM-1? stand for (and what exactly is a superbug?)
August 12, 2010 23 Do you find that medical conditions seem scarier because their names often resemble mysterious codes? Fear is rarely useful, but information almost always inoculates against hype.
You’ve probably been hearing about superbugs for a while, ”infective microorganisms resistant to antibiotics.” A number of extremely common bacteria have transmogrified into superbugs, including e. Coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus. Without effective antibiotics, the resistant strains of these
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Sure, “ain’t” gets the attention, but what do “am’nt,” “h’aint,” and “b’aint” mean?
August 11, 2010 191 What’s all the fuss over “ain’t” about? Is there really anything wrong with the word? Or is it even a word?
The colloquialism ain’t is a nonstandard contraction of the following: “am not;” “are not;” “is not;” “have not;” and “has not.”
It is also used in some dialects as a contraction for “do not,” “does not,” and “did not.” For example, “We ain’t got any milk left.”
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Danger! What is the frantic origin of “hello?” (And the source of “hi” may surprise you)
August 9, 2010 93 We use hello several times a day to greet people or attract attention. But as prevalent as the word is, “hello” is relatively new.
Hello came into existence in the mid-1800s. It is an alteration of hallo, which was an alteration of holla or hollo. These words were used to attract
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What is it called when a person is “speaking in tongues?”
August 7, 2010 109 A person who has what is known as “the gift of tongues” is usually in the midst of religious ecstasy, trance, or delirium. The speaker - and often witnesses too - believe that they are being possessed by a supernatural spirit or channeling the language of a deity or divine being.
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OK, “ice cream” is obvious, but the word “yogurt” was created by a misunderstanding. Get the scoop
August 6, 2010 35 Double or single scoop? Cone or cup? However you take it, all frozen desserts have one thing in common. Nothing tastes better on a summer afternoon than an ice-cold, sweet treat.
Frozen yogurt is fairly new to the world of sweets. It was introduced in the 1970s under the name Frogurt, and in the 1980s sales skyrocketed.
The word yogurt, however, dates back to 1625. It is a
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Meet a word whose history really is a mystery - “pundit”
August 6, 2010 41 These days you can’t turn on the television without being bombarded by panels of pundits spewing their two cents. If there were a prize for the term whose contemporary meaning is the furthest from its origin, “pundit” would be a contender.
When we talk about a pundit, we are referring to someone who comments or opines on a subject. The word also implies that the person
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You don’t like “jerks” or a person who’s “chicken,” so why is something so delicious called “jerk chicken?”
August 6, 2010 5 Yum. Jerk sauce, which is commonly used to marinate chicken and pork, contains a spicy seasoning mixture that is flavored with allspice. It is used in Jamaican cooking. And on grills all summer long.
First of all, jerk chicken is different from jerky, a favorite convenience store snack. Jerky is
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As courts decide the definition of marriage, does the dictionary provide any insight?
August 4, 2010 156 Comments Share
Today, a California judge overturned the state’s Proposition 8, which dictates that marriage is “between a man and a woman.” Does our dictionary entry for “marriage” shed any light on the controversy?
Proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage agree that the legal battle is far from over; an appeal is inevitable and the Supreme Court could easily have the final say. The cultural division between
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If you see an odd glow in the sky tonight, here’s what it’s called and its cause
August 4, 2010 61 Comments Share
You’ve heard of the northern lights? The next few days you may be able to see lights even if you aren’t that far north.
The sun erupted on Sunday, spewing plasma, “a highly ionized gas containing an approximately equal number of positive ions and electrons” right in our direction. There’s no reason to freak out; solar storms are relatively common, and the most significant impact
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Relax, Bill Cosby isn’t dead - it was a hoax. Is it true that the origin of ”hoax” mocks Christianity?
August 3, 2010 44 Comments Share
They are the acne of the Web, stupid rumors about celebrities. Justin Bieber and Britney Spears are frequent targets, and yesterday, the venerable Bill Cosby actually had to appear online and on TV to quash the frothing gossip that, well, he was dead. As Mark Twain said, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
Bigfoot and Hitler’s diaries are two of the more famous hoaxes in recent history. The Internet has empowered hucksters and hooligans to spread spurious stuff like never before. A hoax is specifically “something intended to deceive or defraud.” The possible origins of the word, however, are far more compelling than a trillion Bigfoots in flying saucers.
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Actually, the “mad” in the TV show “Mad Men” isn’t short for madness, so what does it mean?
August 2, 2010 26 Are you ready to have an aha moment? “Mad Men” has more sin and angst than your average pop culture sensation, but the show’s characters hardly meet the definition of insanity. This “mad” doesn’t refer to a bunch of pissed off guys in natty retro attire, either.
“Mad men” is a historical term short for “Madison Avenue” men, coined by the advertising industry itself, in typically self-promotional fashion. Madison Avenue, of course, has been synonymous with the advertising industry since the 1920s. On closer examination, however, the story gets
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Who is the overachiever that August is named for, and what was the month’s incredibly boring old name?
August 2, 2010 48 Comments Share
August has arrived. If you’re in Europe, it’s likely you’re taking an extended holiday. If you’re anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you might just be trying to stay cool.
August is the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, and the sixth month of the Roman calendar. Its original name was Sextilus, Latin for “sixth month.” It contains 31 days, and its abbreviation is Aug.
In 8 BCE, the month was named in honor of Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor.
The emperor was a man of many names. He was born Gaius Octavius, the grandnephew of Julius Caesar. He took the extended name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus in 44 after Caesar’s assassination. Though in English texts, he was often referred to simply as Octavian. Then in 31, he defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra to gain control over the empire. Finally in 27, when he was named emperor, he was given the honorary title Augustus.
When we describe something as august, we are saying it is majestic and inspires reverence or admiration. The word can also take the form of an adverb (augustly) and a noun (augustness). August also relates to augury, the act of divination (telling the future), particularly by the behaviour of birds and animals and the examination of their entrails and other parts. Augurs were the official Roman soothsayers, whose job was not to tell the future so much as to determine if the Roman gods approved of a planned course of action.
August is cause for great celebration in Korea, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. It is the month when all four countries became independent.
And here’s a usage not heard often: an auguste (or august) is a “type of circus clown who usually wears battered ordinary clothes and is habitually maladroit or unlucky.”
May your August be filled with favorable omens and devoid of unlucky circus clowns.
“Caftans” and “tallitot” - Who wore what at the Clinton/Mezvinsky wedding & what it means
August 2, 2010 17 Comments Share
The nuptials of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky focus attention on the surprising history of some great words and attire: fuchsia, tuxedo, yarmulke, and more.
The groom, who is Jewish, wore a tallit and a yarmulke. A tallit is a shawl-like garment usually made from wool or silk. It has fringes, called
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What do “corny” and “corned beef” have to do with plain-old “corn?”
July 30, 2010 19 The grain called corn that is grown in the U.S. is Indian corn or maize. It has been cultivated for long before the first Europeans arrived and is now grown in The Corn Belt. But corn also refers any leading cereal crop, such as wheat is England or oats in Scotland and Ireland.
The uses of the corn are abundant. It is the raw material used in ethanol. It is the main feed grain for animals in the U.S. It is ground and made into tamales and tortillas, and it’s also eaten as hominy and grits. And, of course, it is eaten straight off the cob. Yum.
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Obama’s “mongrel people” remark raises a touchy topic. What did he say, and what does “mongrel” mean?
July 30, 2010 94 Yesterday, President Barack Obama visited daytime talk show “The View” and touched on a wide range of topics, including Lindsay Lohan’s prison term. But during a more serious exchange, Obama used a word to describe African-Americans that has its own complex and emotional history: “mongrel.”
The president and the five “View” co-hosts were discussing the recent controversy around Shirley Sherrod and the dilemmas of race in America. Barbara Walters offered this comment and question to President Obama:
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Right now, 100s of people are calling Justin Bieber “Bustin Jieber.” This is known as a “spoonerism,” but why?
July 29, 2010 132 You probably expect that we can discover meaning in anything, since all we do is sit around and read the dictionary. Well, here’s a test: can we uncover something meaningful even in the goofiest situation? You be the judge.
Justin Bieber, the 16-year-old pop singer whose charisma results in the pandemonium of screaming teenagers at shopping malls, is a bit of an obsession on Twitter. People who love him, as well as people who love to hate him, post so many messages featuring the heartthrob that he consistently appears on Twitter’s list of the most popular (trending) topics.
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A “zedonk,” half donkey/zebra, was just born. What are the parents of ligers, dzos, & beefalos?
July 28, 2010 84 Zedonk. Yes, this is for real. ”The offspring of a zebra and a donkey.” Prepare yourself for an even larger dose of absurdity: there are plenty more zany names for unlikely crossbreeds, and we’ve collected a nonsensical herd of them.
We don’t know if the baby zedonk, born in the state of Georgia about a week ago, has a name, but an Associated Press report notes that “donkeys and zebras don’t usually mate, but zedonks turn
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WikiLeaks, wiki-this, wiki-that. What does “wiki” mean, & what exotic language is it from?
July 28, 2010 36 Wiki. Don’t you? But have you ever wondered what wiki means?
WikiLeaks has been in the news lately because it released a document that encompasses over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan. Wikileaks is a site that obtains and publishes sensitive material and is designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists, and activists.
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You’re not asleep, but you’re not awake either. What’s the word for that mysterious feeling?
July 27, 2010 33 A hypnic jerk is someone you wouldn’t want to share a cab with, right? Actually, it is a feeling that many of us experience nightly.
In “Inception” the dream travelers move from dream to dream via a “kick,” which is like a hypnic jerk. Sleep starts, night starts, or hypnagogic jerks are also names for the feeling of an involuntary myoclonic twitch that happens just as we’re beginning to fall asleep.
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What term describes your relationship: polygyny, polyamory, monandry? Plus, what polygamy actually means
July 27, 2010 25 Sex, marriage, and the law. Always complicated. That’s why there are so many words to describe how two people (sometimes more) live and love together. Like polygamy.
Do you remember the 2007 arrest of Warren Jeffs, a religious leader and polygamist on charges involving multiple marriages and underage girls? The case, and polygamy, are back in the news.
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How yoga poses like “downward dog” get their names (and what “yoga” means exactly)
July 26, 2010 20 Comments Share
You can buy yoga mats in grocery stores and take yoga classes at gyms, hospitals, or even malls. It may have originated in India, but yoga is now practiced worldwide through variations of traditional physical and mental disciplines. For some it is a type of medicinal exercise, while for others it is simply a way of chilling out and keeping lean.
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“Honey” and “moon?’ Sure, they’re fun, but what exactly does “honeymoon” mean?
July 26, 2010 23 Comments Share
The most talked-about wedding of the summer is almost here (July 31st.) But where will Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mevzinsky take their honeymoon? And why is the post-wedding holiday called by that name?
The word derives from the Old English hony moone. Hony refers to the new marriage’s sweetness, as well a reference to the European custom
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“Nerd!” “Geek!” Do you consider these words insults or praise? Learn both of their bizarre origins
July 26, 2010 59 It was hard to miss the weekend hype about Comic-Con, the massive sci-fi and comic book convention. And “Inception” is still conjuring up all sorts of brainy talk: “what does inception actually mean?” (Here’s the answer.) “What do you call someone who wakes up in their dreams?” (Find out here.)
Which brings us to nerd and geek. Comic-Con and “Inception” are exemplars of nerd/geek culture ruling the mainstream. Many people don’t realize that these words were intense badges of shame until extremely recently. Start up the
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What exactly do the “virgin” & “extra-virgin” in olive oil mean?
July 26, 2010 21 Comments Share
The purity of some extra-virgin olive oils is being challenged.
A recent report found that 69 percent of imported oils and 10 percent of domestic oils sampled from grocery stores shelves in the U.S. did not meet the international standards that define the title of extra-virgin.
But what do these terms really mean? Is there a measurable difference between the virgin and extra virgin labels?
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Right now, a rare illness, “Prader–Willi syndrome,” is one of the top Web searches. What does it mean?
July 26, 2010 17 Every once in a while the Internet creates a mystery. Sunday evening, Prader–Willi syndrome beat out the Gulf oil spill and “Mad Men” on Google. What’s going on?
The short answer is that the popular TV show ”Extreme Makeover:
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If you pray and say “amen” at the end, what does it literally mean?
July 26, 2010 122 Comments Share
Sunday’s the day of the week when many Americans gather in their respective houses of worship and repeat the same word: amen. But what does the word mean? And why do people say it?
Amen is commonly used after a prayer, creed, or other formal statement. It is spoken to express solemn ratification or
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How do storms like Tropical Storm Bonnie get their names?
July 24, 2010 2 As far as storms and hurricanes go, Bonnie isn’t a huge threat. Wait - do you realize how strange it is to refer to a mass of air and water by name, let alone an apellation that reminds you of that neighbor who bakes really great chocolate chip cookies?
Briefly, here’s how the names for storms are picked. The world is roughly divided into six major basins where
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Why are sales days called Black Friday when Black Monday means one of history’s worst financial disasters?
July 23, 2010 5 Today, a number of retail chains are trying to have Christmas in July by offering massive sales. The media has labeled this a second Black Friday, referring to the Friday after Thanksgiving when stores traditionally offer deep discounts.
When you stop to think about it, the use of black to describe a massive shopping day contradicts the history of other “black” days.
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An “oneironaut” is someone who wakes up in their dreams. What do flying & falling dreams typically mean?
July 22, 2010 55 One reason the dreamy film “Inception” is so successful is wish fulfillment. Who doesn’t fantasize about waking up in someone else’s dreams, let alone your own? In the movie, “inception” is defined as the ability to enter another’s dream and plant an idea within the person’s subconscious. Of course, the real definition of “inception” is not quite so phantasmagorical.
Lucid dreaming is “a dream state in which one is conscious enough to recognize that one is in the dream state and which stays in one’s memory.” The study of dreams is one of those areas where science and New Age concepts get fuzzy.
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What word do scientists use to describe the most ginormous star ever discovered?
July 21, 2010 65 If you find something that’s bigger than you thought was physically possible, how would you describe it? You start with what you already have, which is R136a1, the equivalent of a cosmic ZIP code. The R stands for Radcliffe Observatory, which located the star in the first place (long before anyone knew its immensity.)
Massive isn’t the same thing as ”big” in astronomy. Mass is roughly equivalent to weight, and R136a1 is hefty: it once weighed 320 times
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How do you pronounce “whooping cough,” and why is it called that? Plus, learn its symptoms
July 21, 2010 22 Whooping cough, known by its medical name pertussis, has been in the news lately due to its disturbing reemergence. So far this year, nearly 1,500 cases have been reported in California alone. An infant died of the disease on Tuesday in Los Angeles County.
Pertussis is an infectious illness of the respiratory mucous membrane characterized by a series of short, severe coughs that are often followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like
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Pot? Why marijuana is called the same thing we cook soup in
July 20, 2010 118 Comments Share
How did the word for a common kitchen instrument become slang for marijuana?
Actually, the origin of pot has nothing to do with the culinary tools. The word came into use in America in the late 1930s. It is a shortening of the Spanish potiguaya or potaguaya that came from potación de guaya,
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Stop for a second - it’s July 20th, but what do the “twen-” and “-ty” in twenty mean exactly?
July 19, 2010 51 Comments Share
Think about what you take for granted. Do you ever wonder why “America” is named after Amerigo Vespucci? Why we call green green? The same goes for twenty.
Twenty is the natural number sandwiched between nineteen and twenty-one. The word comes from the Old English twegen, which means
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Sarah Palin says “refudiate,” and creates a word controversy. What’s the big problem with refudiate?
July 19, 2010 290 Comments Share
Yesterday, Sarah Palin offered her opinion on a proposal to build a mosque in the vicinity of the September 11th site. Her words:
This tweet is a pundit’s dream, a perfect storm for mud-slinging, flak,
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What is a “claret jug” and why does the winner of the British Open get one? Plus, “bogeys” and ghosts?
July 18, 2010 7 Since 1872 the oldest trophy in golf has been given to the winner of the British Open, which is also called The Open Championship.
The trophy, the Claret Jug, is made in the style of the jugs used in the nineteenth century to serve claret, a dry red wine produced in France’s famous Bordeaux region. The winner’s name is engraved on the jug, joining the names of previous champions. He is obliged to return the jug before the next tournament, and at that time, he is given a replica
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If you gain wisdom from staring at your belly button, it’s “omphaloskepsis.” Plus, “innie” & “outie” defined
July 18, 2010 46 Some of us get squeamish at the sight of them. Some of us shoot studs into them. Some of us forget they are even there.
No two are exactly alike - even for identical twins.
The belly button is the scar on the abdomen that is caused when the umbilical cord, through which the mammalian fetus receives nourishment, is removed. Unlike other placental mammals, the human umbilicus is quite conspicuous. In humans, the navel is the center of gravity of the body.
Omphalos, an ancient religious stone artifact, means “navel” in Greek. The legend goes
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Define your films: Are you sure what “inception” and “despicable” mean?
July 16, 2010 14 Comments Share
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” “Despicable Me.” “Inception.” Before you shell out the dough for a ticket, inform your decision with the meaning behind the titles.
“Inception” is director Christopher Nolan’s first film since the box office behemoth “The Dark Knight.” Nolan has a habit of using sophisticated, one-word titles for his films (besides the Batman series): “Memento,” “Insomnia,” “The Prestige. ”The general definition of inception is “a beginning.” The more interesting, specific sense of the word is the opposite of
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Steve Jobs just used the term“anechoic” in his iPhone speech. What does it mean?
July 16, 2010 20 Apple has been dealing with a technical fiasco around the release of the iPhone 4. Today, CEO Steve Jobs held a press conference to address how the company is going to fix a number of bugs with the phone and compensate consumers for the glitches.
Jobs’ talk gave tech geeks and language enthusiasts a double, unexpected treat: a glimpse into a secret testing facility,
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Bleep! What’s the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing?
July 15, 2010 196 Comments Share
U2 singer Bono infamously uttered what many consider the “worst” swear word in the English language during the 2003 Golden Globes. The U.S. government, through the FCC, responded with what they called the fleeting expletive policy, which stated that broadcasters could be fined for allowing even a single curse word on live television.
But on Tuesday, a federal appeals court in New York concluded
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The legendary beast, the chupacabra, means “goat-sucker.” Why the odd name?
July 15, 2010 8 Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Jersey Devil. Weird creatures with weird names. The chupacabra, Spanish for “goat sucker,” is in good company.
A rancher and a sheriff in Fort Hood, Texas, made headlines this week when they found and killed an odd, “real ugly” beast. Animal experts
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Why avocados are called “alligator pears” and “fertility fruit”
July 15, 2010 65 As you munch on guacamole and chips, chew on the etymology of the humble avocado. Its many names are as wacky as the fruit is yummy.
Guacamole is in the news because a study links the beloved dip to many cases of food poisoning. The reason? Raw ingredients that may not be washed properly or adequately refrigerated. Just be cautious.
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What is a bastille, and what is the violent story of Bastille Day?
July 14, 2010 24 Comments Share
Today, the world parties in the name of France. But do you know what makes Bastille Day so important not just for France but the history of all democracies?
The occasion is typically honored with military parades and copious consumption of libations (alcohol.) This mix of weapons and wooziness
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The YMCA is now officially just “the Y.” But is Y a vowel or consonant?
July 13, 2010 58 Comments Share
The YMCA has announced its first branding change in 43 years. The organization will now be known officially as the Y.
This may seem a no-brainer to Americans who have casually referred to the Young Men’s Christian Association by its familiar abbreviation
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Have you ever noticed “FICO” by your credit score? What it means
July 13, 2010 No CommentsShare When was the last time you ordered a credit report? The paper document is abstruse enough, but you have to maneuver through the morass of oddly-named companies that produce them - Equifax, Experian, TransUnion and more.
The process is abstract, but the results are concrete. There’s some new, and bad, news about those infamous numbers. More than a
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Why is Easter Island named “Easter,” and what is its native name?
July 12, 2010 7 Comments Share
This past weekend, a rare total solar eclipse was visible in the South Pacific, and Easter Island was one of the best locations on the planet to witness the astronomical phenomenon. This spot, one of the most isolated inhabited places on the planet, bears a mystique to rival the island from “Lost.”
The instantly recognizable statues on Easter Island (887 of them), called
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What does “love” mean in tennis, and how did it get that odd & lovely name?
July 11, 2010 41 There is no moment in sports more romantic than the beginning of a tennis game, when the score is “love-love” and anything is possible.
During the recent Wimbledon tennis tournament, a timeless question came to mind: What is love? Or in this case, what is tennis love?
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The dog days of summer are here, & the name comes from stars (not dogs)
July 10, 2010 17 The dog days of summer, the sultriest time of the year, have undoubtedly arrived.
Some believe that the wicked, mid-summer heat drives dogs mad, hence the expression. But as every pet owner knows, prolonged heat waves do just the opposite. The poor pups pant listlessly in the
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LeBron is called “narcissistic,” a word tied to a Greek myth of lust & death
July 9, 2010 10 LeBron James has inspired the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he left for the Miami Heat, to write an open letter to the basketball MVP that uses some very juicy words. Thank you, Dan Gilbert, for giving us a reason to gaze into the freakish history of narcissistic. The story starts with anger, but ends with a flower.
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The New York Knicks is short for “Knickerbocker.” What that means
July 9, 2010 9 The most interesting question in basketball at this moment, lexicographically speaking, has to do with the New York Knickerbockers. (Sorry, LeBron James.) Now, before you start throwing knickknacks at your computer screen, indulge a brief explanation.
Knickerbocker was a common surname among the
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What does manslaughter mean, and how is it different from murder?
July 8, 2010 41 The jury in the murder trial of former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserler returned a verdict of involuntary manslaughter today. How can a person cause the death of another without the act being considered a murder?
In the universe of legalese, words can perform in unusual ways. Manslaughter, simply defined, is “the unlawful killing of a
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What is soft about a soft drink? What does soda have to do with sodium?
July 8, 2010 44 Some call it soda. Others say soft drink, fizzy drink, soda pop, or just plain-old pop. There is no right word for the sweet carbonated beverage, although it would be wrong not to know the linguistic background behind the bubbles. A much-discussed soda ban in Los Angeles schools has increased our thirst. For knowledge, that is.
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That infamous “tattoo”: Learn why taboo & booze come with the word
July 7, 2010 17 Tattoos and superstars - like peanut butter and jelly. In just the past few weeks, singers Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus, actresses Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox, basketball sensation Chris “Bird Man” Andersen, and reality-TV dad Jon Gosselin all have showed off new tats.
The practice of tattooing dates back to the Neolithic period. The word,
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Tar balls, sure. But what part of an oil spill is called chocolate mousse?
July 6, 2010 33 Can you imagine cleaning up an oil spill for a living? You would need words to talk about the work. So what is the difference between a tar ball, a patch, a patty, a sheen and a slick? And chocolate mousse.
Starting with the term you are hearing all over the news, a tar ball is
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Google’s logo doodle is Frida Kahlo, but what was “doodle” as an insult?
July 6, 2010 9 Today is the 103rd anniversary of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s birth. Now, the Kahlo-inspired doodle version of the Google logo makes her even more of an icon.
To “doodle” is a harmless pastime, with a pen in hand, right? The original sense of the word isn’t so sweet.
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Heat wave term: This “hyper” relation to “hypothermia” is just as risky
July 6, 2010 16 Is it warm where you are? Some people reading this probably think that question is a cruel joke, as they wipe the sweat off their foreheads. Summer scorchers aren’t a joke, and our goal is to share the names and meaning of what doctors call various heat-related health risks and how to avoid any suffering while the weather is sweltering.
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How do your ideas of “socialism” & “democracy” compare to definitions?
July 5, 2010 55 Along with fireworks and barbecue, waxing poetic about freedom has always been an Independence Day tradition. Some of the old chestnuts you hear: the price of freedom is responsibility, be an informed citizen, don’t take your rights for granted . . .
What better way for a dictionary-themed blog to honor this insight than by looking at the definitions of some of the most-used political
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It’s called a “hot dog” for a gross and silly reason. Plus, “hamburger” history
July 4, 2010 83 Comments Share
This July 4th weekend, as you hear the calefaction of comestibles, consider the names of those items you are about to eat.
Brace yourself for the short and disputed history of the “hot dog.”
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, people commonly believed
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Each firework type has a name, so see how to spot a kamuro or peony
July 3, 2010 33 Comments Share
Independence Day fireworks generally elicit compulsory “ooohs” and ahhhs.” After perusing this post, you should be able to refine your appreciative exclamations: “Oooh, a peony” and “ahhh, a kamuro.”
The peony is one of the most common kinds of aerial pyrotechnic effects. It is named for a variety of plants with large,
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Before Mel Gibson’s rant, what was the word’s link to a religious mystery?
July 2, 2010 4 Mel Gibson sure seems to have a problem with vulgar tirades. Vulgar used to mean “of the common people” before it acquired the sense of “off-color.” And a tirade literally derives from the French tirare, “to pull continuously.” The actor’s ex-girlfriend is making tabloid headlines with claims that she has a recording of the troubled actor engaging in
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What plant word links the new poet laureate, the dollar bill, & a nymph?
July 2, 2010 8 The nation has new a poet laureate, W.S. Merwin, who has written more than 30 books of poetry, translation, and prose over the past 60 years. Despite what Merwin’s title says, don’t expect him to parade around the Library of Congress with a leaf wreath on his head.
The word “laureate” is derived from Latin, meaning “crowned with laurel.”Also known as the sweet bay, or just bay, the laurel tree was a
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How typhoons, hurricanes & cyclones differ (2 are named for monsters)
July 1, 2010 50 Hurricane Alex is starting to dwindle, yet it is currently drenching Northern Mexico and causing serious damage. Other storms will turn into hurricanes before we know it, potentially causing catastrophes and very likely pushing the toxic petroleum goo in the Gulf of Mexico deeper and further into the ocean.
Are hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons distinct meteorological
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July is named for this man, and there’s a good reason why
July 1, 2010 62 Kaboom! June, named for Juno, a famously jealous Roman Goddess, was fun, but July has arrived like fireworks. The new month is named for a mortal, albeit one who devised and ruled an empire.
Julius Caesar (as in kaiser and many other modern words) was a political and military genius who conquered Gaul (what is now part
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“Twilight” baby names: Do parents know what Jacob & Isabella mean?
June 30, 2010 61 Comments Share
It wouldn’t be a surprise if today, or very soon, you will be spending some time with Jacob Black and Isabella Marie Swan - more affectionately known as Bella.
“Eclipse,” the third installment in the Twilight series hits movie theaters today, with enough vampirism and lycanthropy to last until
CONTINUE READING »
Master the 3 new “official” dog breeds: What Cane Corso means
June 29, 2010 23 Today the AKC (American Kennel Club), the main organization for dog breeders in the United States, recognized three new dog breeds: the Icelandic Sheepdog, the Leonberger, and the Cane Corso. This means that breeders of these three types of canine gain access to the
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Sen. Orrin Hatch says he and Elena Kagan had a “colloquy.” Is that good?
June 29, 2010 2 When a nominee for the United States Supreme Court faces confirmation hearings, two things tend to happen. Every single word uttered by the nominee or the Judical Commitee faces intensive scrutiny. Fortunately for the
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Over the weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave a joint press conference. Obama said of the Russian President, “During his visit to Silicon Valley this week, he
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This is a trick question: What do the A, C, and T of the ACT test mean?
June 28, 2010 10 Into the heat and happy languor of summer, a chilly reminder of grades and scores is smacking students. Right now, people who took the ACT national exam in June are learning their scores. This may explain why the teens around you seem more ecstatic, despondent, or confused than usual.
You probably know how it works: kids take the ACT or
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Learn what bar code numbers mean in the wake of major cereal recall
June 26, 2010 31 On Friday, Kellogg’s recalled about 28 million boxes of cereal because consumers reported a unusual smell coming from the packaging that could potentially make people ill. In order to help identify the specific products involved, Kellogg’s referred the public to the universal product code (UPC). That’s the official name for the pattern of black lines on the side of almost everything you can possibly purchase.
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Why is this weekend’s full moon (the flower moon) so unusual?
June 26, 2010 42 Comments Share
When an exceptional full moon peeks out of the sky on Saturday morning, a whole host of lunar vocabulary will come with it.
It’s no coincidence that the word “moon” looks like “month.” They share a Germanic base - plus, the moon’s cycle resets itself on average every 29.53 days. The period of time between new moons
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“Smurf” now has four definitions - and a word error started it all
June 25, 2010 45 The summer’s blockbuster films keep coming every weekend, assailing us with men of iron, ogres, toy cowboys and Cheshire cats. But some cinephiles are already looking ahead to next summer, especially with the recent release of the very short trailer for “The Smurfs.”
Those famous blue cartoon characters (and their memorable theme song) sparked a thought: What the smurf is a smurf? Is there
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How the iPhone got its name, and what droid and kindle really mean
June 24, 2010 43 Did you wait for hours to be one of the first to own the iPhone 4? If you think people who stand in line for new devices are silly, fill in the blank: “I can’t live without my ——————” You may not be a super early adopter, but your gadget/gizmo/doohickey/thingamajig/mobile device
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If you encounter “the God particle” today, this is what it means
June 24, 2010 25 Step aside Lady Gaga. The next musical craze might soon come from the CERN particle accelerator on the French-Swiss border. (The acronym, in French, stands for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire [European Council for Nuclear Research].)
Scientists there are using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to smash
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U.S. soccer has been plagued by the offside rule. Get its meaning
June 23, 2010 49 The U.S. soccer team brought the victory drama against Algeria with a nail-biting late goal by instant-superstar Landon Donovan. What made the World Cup match even more epic was the intense hardship the U.S. has suffered from referees and the interpretation of Law 11 of the official soccer Rules of the Game: the offside rule.
So far, referees have disqualified a goal that would have allowed
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Learn the mystery of coffee’s name (and a beautiful phrase along the way)
June 23, 2010 35 Just how caffeinated do you like to be? A medical study has found that the more coffee subjects guzzled during the day, the lower their risk of contracting a rare form of head and neck cancer. People who drank at least 4 cups a day seemed to cut their risk by one-third.
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What does the palsy in cerebral palsy mean? How many palsies are there?
June 22, 2010 17 Comments Share
Zach Anner is on the cusp of becoming a huge celebrity. He’s been leading the contestants in Oprah Winfrey’s “Search for the Next TV Star” contest. His hilarious audition tape has received almost 3.5 million votes so far.
What makes Zach above-and-beyond incredible, in addition to
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Right now, oil has everyone talking “moratorium.” What does it mean?
June 22, 2010 17 After the massive gulf oil spill on April 20th, the Obama Administration imposed a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling and suspended existing efforts. Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans overturned the moratorium, citing “the immeasurable effect on the plaintiffs, the local economy, the Gulf region” and more.
It’s no coincidence that the judge’s decision invokes
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Tuesday really is named for a one-handed god named Tiw. Who is he?
June 22, 2010 164 Yes, it’s true. Tiw’s remarkable myth involves women with beards (more on that in a bit.) Regardless, the past 1,000 years or so have not been kind to this Northern European divinity.
To make a long story short, it seems that Tiw used to be a big shot, up there with Odin and Thor in Norse mythology. He may even have been chief of the gods. But culture can be fickle and
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What do you call “a woman whose husband is unfaithful?” (TV romance)
June 21, 2010 10 Like all seasons of the “Bachelor” or “Bachelorette,” the current series is ridiculous, amusing, and melodramatic. It’s also filled with hints of betrayal, egotism and eccentricity, not exactly the ingredients of a sustainable real-life relationship.
Here are a few words from the lexicon of risky romance that
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“Gaza,” “Israel,” - learn the powerful history of these words
June 21, 2010 13 The Gaza Strip - also referred to as just Gaza - has made international headlines again. On Sunday, the Israeli government announced that it will ease the overland blockage of some goods into the Palestinian territory.
The word “Gaza” comes from the Hebrew “Azzah,” loosely
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Big Vitamin B6-cancer news raises the question: What do the B and 6 mean?
June 20, 2010 33 A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that smokers with greater amounts of Vitamin B6 may be less likely to develop lung cancer. The findings are preliminary, but have caused a lot of excitement.
Behind the promising health news is a great
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What is the A in “A-Team”? And what does karate mean in Japanese?
June 19, 2010 31 This weekend, the movie box office belongs to “Toy Story 3.” But pop culture has a strange way of sticking around, like a soda bottle on the beach. Consider that two pretty silly slices of entertainment, “The Karate Kid” and “The A-Team”, have been
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What are the names of ways to use a knife? “Top Chef” hypes brunoise
June 18, 2010 7 Comments Share
The seventh season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” has begun, and part of the first episode has already made a sharp impression. During the premiere Quickfire Challenge, which is a notoriously difficult test of adroitness and haste, the chef contestants
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Today is a stock market “quadruple witching day.” What does that mean?
June 18, 2010 5 Financial markets climb and plunge for all sorts of reasons, some of which are rational and some that seem like they are based in hocus pocus. The third Friday of June is typically a quadruple witching day, which sounds like magic but actually describes a logical
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What is a Celtic? And what lakes are the Lakers named after?
June 17, 2010 46 Game seven of the NBA Finals. A familiar rivalry that actually becomes more exciting because the teams have so much basketball history.
Let’s step back from the oomph and ebullience of the Finals for a minute. How much do you know about the basics behind
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An exotic term tops Web searches: prosopagnosia. What is it?
June 17, 2010 16 Popular Web searches are predictable: celebrities, sporting events, scandals. But every once in a while, a truly exotic word rushes into the mix. Today, that term is prosopagnosia.
Prosopagnosia is a rare disorder that is informally known as
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What does BP’s oil spill fund have in common with ‘being in jail’? Escrow
June 17, 2010 18 You’re painfully aware of the deepwater oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that has produced the worst spill in U.S. history.
This week the company responsible, BP, apologized for the damage and agreed to set aside $20 billion in
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The Kinect is a game sensation, but what does the word actually mean?
June 16, 2010 25 Either you, or someone you know, is probably paying attention to Kinect, Microsoft’s new controller-less addition for the Xbox that allows people to play games with their entire bodies.
What about the word? It’s pronounced like “connect,” but why
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Soccer or football? Why the sport has two names
June 15, 2010 84 Comments Share
If you’re reading this in the U.S. or Canada, then maybe you love soccer. If you’re reading this pretty much anywhere else, then perhaps you love football.
One person’s idea of a cute habit is responsible for the most popular sport in the world having two names.
About FreeRice
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Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.
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Martha Barnette is author of "Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies" and "A Garden of Words".
musanim
Words of unknown origin
Word List
Wort-Liste
(E?)(L?) http://www.musanim.com/mam/unknown.html
Where do words come from? Most words are variations or combinations of words we knew already. This makes them easy to recognize and remember (and makes it easy to figure out where they came from). Some words created from scratch are coined by writers, which aids their popularization (and likewise makes it easier to determine the etymology). But most words of unknown origin have managed to make it into our vocabulary without either of these advantages.
What kind of word can make it against such odds? As you'll see in the list below, many have the advantage of onomatopoeia. But more than that, these are words that you love to know, love to hear, love to say.
I've given the dates of these words -- some from the Oxford English Dictionary, and some from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary (which is where you go if you click the "definition" button); these two sources don't always agree. Some of the dates are obvious, for example, that moola, pizzazz, snazzy, jazz and tizzy are all from the early 20th century.
But there are some surprises. Who'd've guessed that things were nifty as early as 1868? Or that nobody had zits before 1966? Or that you could have taken a brief jaunt as long ago as 1570?
Or that people were nincompoops back in 1676? Actually, I can kind of believe that one ... some things never change ...
---Stephen Malinowski
(E?)(L?) http://www.nausetnewcomers.org/JustFor%20Fun/origin_of_words.htm
Here are some new Phrase Origins. How many do you know!
FEATHER IN YOUR CAP | CALLED ON THE CARPET | KING OF THE HILL | THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL | BARBECUE | PORT SIDE | CURFEW | BLURB | BOONDOCKS | BOONDOGGLE | BOOZE | BRASS TACKS | BROTHEL | BUCK | BULLS AND BEARS | BUNK | BY AND LARGE | CHARLEY HORSE | COTTON-PICKING | DOLLAR | DOPE | DAGO | DRAG RACE | DUNCE | EAVESDROP | Field Day | Five-By-Five | April Fools | GLITCH | FORTHNIGHT | Fore | acre | G.I. | Goody Two-Shoes
...
But music isn't the only interest that a lot of top nerds have: I think a lot of us are word nerds too.
I blogged earlier about "feague". Glenn Vanderburg recognized Mrs Byrne's and came back with one of his favourites:
"groak", which is the definition I remember word-for-word: "to stand watching someone eat, in the hopes they will ask you to join them."
I know Damian and Tom are classics nuts, as capable of emitting Latin as English. Damian even ported "Perl" to Latin. My favourite Tim O'Reilly story involves the day, many years ago, the dumb terminals got stuck on the Greek character set. Tim was the only one not to throw up his hands in disgust. He was quite happy putting his classics degree to good use by editing a computer book in "vi" with every letter transliterated into the Greek character set.
...
"feck" (FEK) n.
We often use negative words, quite common ones, without stopping to think that they are based on positive words that are uncommon and unfamiliar. Everyday examples are words like "impeccable", "untoward", "ruthless", "uncouth", and "disgruntled". We almost never give a thought to the positive terms in the senses that form the basis of the familiar negatives: "peccable" ("liable to error"), "toward" ("propitious"), "ruthful" ("compassionate"). So it is with "feckless", meaning "ineffective", "incompetent", "feeble", "helpless".
It must be obvious that there would be no such word unless there were also the word "feck", and there is such a word, as unfamiliar or obscure as it may be. "Feck", a mainly Scottish term that is also heard in the north of England, has a number of meanings, including "efficacy", "efficiency", and by extension, "energy", "vigor". It is deemed to be an aphetic form of "effect" ("aphetic" being the adjective from "aphesis", the linguistic phenomenon of the loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable). "Feck" gives rise to the adjective "feckful", meaning "vigorous", "efficient", "powerful".
In Robert Willan's List of Ancient Words at Present Used in the Mountainous District of the West Riding of Yorkshire (1811), "feckful" is defined as "strong and brawny". Hence our word "feckless"; and it all goes back to "feck". This is a different term from the slang "feck" (origin unknown) used by James Joyce in the sense of "swipe" or "pinch". In Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) he describes persons who "... fecked cash out of the rector's room," and in Ulysses (1922) he writes of "fecking matches from counters." Nothing to do with the "feck" we've been discussing.
A word about "aphesis" (AF uh sis) and "aphetic" (uh FET ik):
"Aphesis" comes from the Greek, meaning "letting go", based on the verb "aphienai" ("to set free"), built of the preposition "ap-", a variant of "apo-" ("away") plus "hienai" ("to send"); cf. "aph(a)eresis" in my 1000 Most Challenging Words.
And from The Meaning of Liff:
"DOBWALLS" (pl.n.): The now hard-boiled bits of nastiness which have to be prised off crockery by hand after it has been through a dishwasher.
"GLEMENUILT" (n.): The kind of guilt which you'd completely forgotten about which comes roaring back on discovering an old letter in a cupboard.
"NAUGATUCK" (n.): A plastic sachet containing shampoo, polyfilla, etc., which is impossible to open except by biting off the corners.
As you might have guessed, there's no etymology in "Meaning of Liff" because they've taken all those things we needed names for (like the baked-on dishwasher nastiness) and applied them to placenames (which, after all, were just sitting around not doing much).
...
P
phrontistery
Phrontistery
English Word Lists and Language Resources
"phrontistery" FRON-tis-te-ri, n a "thinking-place" [Gr "phrontisterion" from "phrontistes" a "thinker", from "phroneein" "to think"; applied by Aristophanes to the school of Socrates
Welcome to the Phrontistery! I'm your host, Forthright. Since 1996, I have compiled word lists in order to spread the joy of the English language. Here, you will find the International House of Logorrhea (an online dictionary of obscure and rare words), the Compendium of Lost Words (a compilation of ultra-rare forgotten words), and many other glossaries, word lists, essays, and other language and etymology resources. If you have a question, comment, addition, or suggestion, feel free to e-mail me. Happy word-hunting!
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International House of Logorrhea
Compendium of Lost Words
2 and 3-Letter Scrabble Words
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Word Finding Tips
Linguistic Disquisitions
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Numerical Notation Bibliography
Paleolithic Notation Bibliography
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Numeration Books
Glossaries
Adjectives of Relation
Bearing and Carrying
Carriages and Chariots
Causation and Formation
Colour Terms
Contour Lines
Dance Styles
Divination and Fortune-Telling
Ecclesiastical Terms
Fabric and Cloth
Feeding and Eating
Fighting and Combat
Forms and Shapes
Forms of Government
Forms of Worship
Forthright's Forsoothery
Grammatical Cases
Isms
Killers and Killing
Latin Adverbs and Prepositions
Love and Attraction
Manias and Obsessions
Names for Names
Nautical Terms
Pretenders and Dabblers
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Phrontistery: Origins and Symbols
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The Ingenious Internet
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Erstellt: 2010-02
princeton
WordNet
Lexical Database for the English Language
Wordnet reference system
Cognitive Science Laboratory Princeton University
About WordNet | Use WordNet online | Download | Frequently Asked Questions | Related projects | WordNet documentation | WordNet statistics | Publications | License and commercial use | Contact, Report
About WordNet
WordNet® is a large lexical database of English, developed under the direction of George A. Miller. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are grouped into sets of cognitive synonyms (synsets), each expressing a distinct concept. Synsets are interlinked by means of conceptual-semantic and lexical relations. The resulting network of meaningfully related words and concepts can be navigated with the browser. WordNet is also freely and publicly available for download. WordNet's structure makes it a useful tool for computational linguistics and natural language processing.
...
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59505424
BY GEORGE H. MCKNIGHT, PH. D. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH IN THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK : : 1923 : : LONDON
Contributors: George H. McKnight - author. Publisher: D. Appleton. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1923.
449 Seiten online.
Zu jedem Kapitel gibt es kleine Appetithäppchen.
Questia offers free access to the first page of every chapter in a book and the first paragraph of each article for your review.
Unter "This Week's FREE Books - Click below to read the entire book" findet man jede Woche ein Werk, zum kostenlosen Zugriff.
Click on a chapter to start reading.
-Title Page
-Preface
-Contents
-Chapter I: Standard English
-Chapter II: Dialect
-Chapter III: American English
-Chapter IV: Slang
-Chapter V: Technical Words
-Chapter VI: The Native Element in the English Vocabulary
-Chapter VII: Borrowed Teutonic Elements
-Chapter VIII: Classical Element
-Chapter IX: The French Element
-Chapter X: Varied Sources
-Chapter XI: Blending of the Various Elements
-Chapter XII: New Creations and Compounds
-Chapter XIII: Folk-Etymology
-Chapter XIV: Some Figures of Syntax
-Chapter XV: Tropes
-Chapter XVI: Figures of Similarity
-Chapter XVII: Figures of Contiguity
-Chapter XVIII: Generalization and Specialization
-Chapter XIX: Euphemism and Hyperbole
-Chapter XX: Degeneration and Elevation
-Chapter XXI: Words and ArchÆology
-Chapter XXII: Words and Culture History
-Chapter XXIII: Words and Romance
-Chapter XXIV: Place-Names
-Chapter XXV: Personal Names
-Chapter XVII: Choice of Words
-Chapter XXVII: Words Past and Present
-Word Index
-Subject Index
questia
The Wonder of Words
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=16234663
An Introduction to Language for Everyman
by ISAAC GOLDBERG, Ph.D.
D. APPLETON-CENTURY COMPANY INCORPORATED NEW YORK 1938 LONDON
Contributors: Isaac Goldberg - author. Publisher: D. Appleton & Company. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1938.
485 Seiten online.
Zu jedem Kapitel gibt es kleine Appetithäppchen.
Questia offers free access to the first page of every chapter in a book and the first paragraph of each article for your review.
Unter "This Week's FREE Books - Click below to read the entire book" findet man jede Woche ein Werk, zum kostenlosen Zugriff.
Click on a chapter to start reading.
-Title Page
-Introduction
-Contents
-Foreword
-The Wonder of Words
-Chapter II: The Infancy of Language
-Chapter III: Sound Becomes Sense
-Chapter IV: The "Gesture" and the "Love" Theories
-Chapter V: Imagery and Metaphor
-Chapter VI: The Word as Magic
-Chapter VII: "A Local Habitation and a Name"
-Chapter VIII: Child and Woman in Language
-Chapter IX: How Sounds Are Made
-Chapter X: How Sounds Change -- and Perhaps Why
-Chapter XI: "Philologers. . ."
-Chapter XII: Janus Words
-Chapter XIII: How Meanings Change
-Chapter XIV: Word-History, or Etymology
-Chapter XV: What Are We Talking About? or Applied Semantics
-Chapter XVI: What is Grammar?
-Chapter XVII: Some Problems of Style
-Chapter XVIII: Purism
-Chapter XIX: Languages, Races, and Cultures
-Chapter XX: From Speech to Writing
-Chapter XXI: Forward from Babel
-Chapter XXII: To-Morrow
-Instead of a Bibliography
-Subject Index
-Word Index
questia
Unusual Words and How They Came About
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/
(E?)(L?) http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=8948096
By EDWIN RADFORD
PHILOSOPHICAL LIBRARY New York
Contributors: Edwin Radford - author. Publisher: Philosophical Library. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1946. Page Number: *.
318 Seiten online. - Allerdings sind zu allen Wörtern Hinweise zur Herkunft zu finden.
Zu jedem Kapitel gibt es kleine Appetithäppchen.
Questia offers free access to the first page of every chapter in a book and the first paragraph of each article for your review.
Unter "This Week's FREE Books - Click below to read the entire book" findet man jede Woche ein Werk, zum kostenlosen Zugriff.
Questia offers free access to the first page of every chapter in a book and the first paragraph of each article for your review.
Unter "This Week's FREE Books - Click below to read the entire book" findet man jede Woche ein Werk, zum kostenlosen Zugriff.
One of my many fun ventures has been to see if I could find certain non-standard words that I remember knowing as a child. I was not raised on anything but standard English (the only English my parents, neighbors and grandparents knew). Yet for some reason I took for granted that certain words were standard when in fact they were not, and despite the fact I had not heard anyone use them. As I got older, I went looking for where those words came from. Even the Oxford Dictionary didn't have most of them. I still haven't found about a third of them, but the others proved to be related to various Scandinavian, Lowland-Scot, East Anglian, Yorkshire and Lowland-Germanic languages or dialects. (My suspicion is that so are the others, but I haven't found them yet.) And I still have no idea where I got them from.
While I was out looking, I gathered some other words that sounded great, had a rich heritage, or had a special unique meaning. This includes words with certain letters or combinations. Such as
'qu-', (with origins)
'kn-', 'gn-' (with origins)
'tw-' (with origins)
S + consonant, and (with origins)
'-imp', (with origins)
A few of these are commonly understood but rarely used; most are rarely understood. Feel free to use them; none are my own inventions. (That would defeat my original childhood purpose.) A larger battery of words are also available for you to look through :
A through O (with origins)
P through Z (with origins)
a proto-Germanic wordlist (quite preliminary)
S
T
takeourword (tak)
Take Our Word for It
Word List
Wort-Liste
Words to the Wise Our world-famous question and answer column.
Curmudgeons' Corner Gripes and grumbles from the usual pedants.
Sez You . Wherein we graciously permit challenges to our profound erudition.
Laughing Stock Funny stuff we occasionally stumble across.
Mailing list Weekly previews of the Latest Edition, plus notification of other changes to the site.
The Etymology Book Store Here find loads of books for sale on etymology and related topics.
BLOG The TOWFI Blog TOWFI staffers Melanie and Mike post information on the site and etymological issues, and you can participate in the discussions!
The TOWFI T-shirt Store Help stamp out netymology by purchasing a TOWFI t-shirt or other goody.
Yes, we're on Facebook! We will post announcements on Facebook about new issues and other bits of information. TOWFI fans can also engage in discussions there!
Yes, we're on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter and you'll receive updates when we post new issues or have other news to share.
Issues 176 to the penultimate issue
Click the items in the right side of each table from Issue 110 to present to read them.
Issue 208 Spotlight How to speak Arabic - and not know it
Words to the Wise cool beans, Mass, scoop (journalism), out of pocket, yeehaw
10/30/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Guestmudgeon Robert has some issues...er...problems
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock No one is above suspicion
Issue 207 Spotlight Sensational Etymologies
Words to the Wise poodle, beagle, corgi, Pomeranian, mastiff
10/14/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Between her and you
Letters to the Editors various
Issue 206 Spotlight Saints and days
Words to the Wise damn your eyes/the torpedoes, at sixes and sevens/nines, abigail, upshot
9/19/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Several Pet Peeves
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock Things that make you say, "Hmmmm!"
Issue 205 Spotlight The low-down on high tea
Words to the Wise hussy, puma/cougar/mountain lion, daftar, fixing
8/31/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Several Pet Peeves
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock Things that make you say, "Hmmmm!"
Issue 204 Spotlight Clouds
Words to the Wise bootylicious, ye, bouillon/bullion, riding the rail
3/15/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Back Off
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock Restrooms and Physiology
Issue 203 Spotlight Drawing (or Drawring, if you like!)
Words to the Wise ings, dumpling, pee, pecan
2/28/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Curmudgeon Malcolm Tent is almost hysterical over historical
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock New breeds of dog
Issue 202 Spotlight The Danes
Words to the Wise the @ sign, sir, sign (singular), cob (steal)
2/14/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Guestmudgeon Lynn Nordhagen hates it when people pour...
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock Head Start to Misspelling?
Issue 201 Spotlight The Outdoors
Words to the Wise individual, The Who members' surnames, blog, mercaptan
1/30/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Curmudgeon Malcolm Tent gets it to a T
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock The MENSA Invitational?
Issue 200 Spotlight Embrace Your Braces
Words to the Wise hybrid, mule, bush league, sage, bigot
1/15/06
Curmudgeons' Corner Guestmudgeon Terry Berg complains about enverbing nouns
Letters to the Editors various
Laughing Stock What about the 22th and 23th floors?
Words to the Wise: pshaw, pot shots, garage, lagniappe
6/28/02
Curmudgeons' Corner longing for shorter words
Letters to the Editors Old Dart, qualifying absolutes, Latin plurals, dreckly (directly), to no end?, man words, alittle alot, ESL (and other) errors, cotton on to cotton, Jewish haikus source, more quarters, more aggravation, more lambaste
Laughing Stock Decisions, decisions!
Issue 160 Spotlight quarters
Words to the Wise: on the lam, quarters, [death] throes, men in female terms, indigenous
6/20/02
Curmudgeons' Corner disembarking
Letters to the Editors curses, oaths, etc., dosh again, presently, irregardless and unique, more enfeebled verbs, America from the Templars?, different from, than or to?
Laughing Stock Striking faces (ouch!)
Issue 159 Spotlight swinging in the hammock
Words to the Wise: cult and occult, inventory and invent, Jesus Christ, fiddle sticks
6/13/02
Curmudgeons' Corner available to avail
Letters to the Editors TOWFI serendipity, fond memories, cockney, more doughnuts, actually about actually, unmentionables, terminology
Laughing Stock Jewish mothers' haiku
Issue 158 Spotlight getting lost in the dictionary
Words to the Wise: choad and qif, diaspora, brown nose, doughnut
5/16/02
Curmudgeons' Corner restaurant-speak
Letters to the Editors impacted, push-back, highway-speak, actually, Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, fan mail
Laughing Stock More news
Issue 157 Spotlight now
Words to the Wise: anal retentive, bangs, diaper, jackdaw, best thing since sliced bread
5/9/02
Curmudgeons' Corner what was your name?
Letters to the Editors cricket, back to boxty, yet more on highways and definite articles, Normans, nouns to verbs, Old English in the Bible, a link
Laughing Stock The News
Issue 156 Spotlight damn foreigners
Words to the Wise: reckless/wreck, English history, boxty, [what in] Sam Hill
5/2/02
Curmudgeons' Corner nouns as verbs
Letters to the Editors much more on definite articles and highway names, sign language, six ways from Sunday, we asked for it
Laughing Stock The $25 car
Issue 155 Spotlight Where the wild things are
Words to the Wise: buck/butt naked, purlieu, dogsbody,
4/25/02
Curmudgeons' Corner ten years ago...
Letters to the Editors Germans on "Berliner", hell bent for leather revisited, classical plurals again, to input or not, vending one's spleen, definite articles and highway names
Words to the Wise: hell bent for leather, philanderer, rathskeller
4/18/02
Curmudgeons' Corner input/inputted
Letters to the Editors love apples, tomatoes, garlic, road apples, lobscouse, blind scouse, alumni, classical plurals, more berliner, irony, the last words on eggplant
Laughing Stock Venting [one's] spleen
Issue 153 Spotlight apples
Words to the Wise: take to task, peruse, celestial, kiln
4/11/02
Curmudgeons' Corner the state of Classical education
Letters to the Editors New Zealand slang; more "shorten and add y"; speccy; poor Margaret, espresso, pommy, more terms for "u-turn", congradulations, more congradulations, yet more congradulations, Berliner, more inhabitant terms, scouse, Teeries, Ramsbottom
Laughing Stock A serious health hazard
Issue 152 Spotlight inhabitants
Words to the Wise: john (toilet), awhile, espresso, pom/pommy
4/4/02
Curmudgeons' Corner congradulate the gratuates
Letters to the Editors censorship and other stuff; Australian vernacular; Laughing Stock; clichés, dashboard, curmudgeon merge
Laughing Stock Another groaner
Issue 151 Spotlight Personal matters (oh me, oh my!)
Words to the Wise: renaissance, Virgin Islands
3/29/02
Curmudgeons' Corner expressing espresso
Letters to the Editors might could; shorten and add y; fubar revisited; boogers again, dashboard, phrase coinage, *skep-
Words to the Wise: charleyhorse, cloth, coined the phrase, spats, dashboard
3/22/02
Curmudgeons' Corner coining phrases
Letters to the Editors the N word; the N word again; orris root; more on The Women's Dictionary
Laughing Stock More groaners (puns)
Issue 149 Spotlight Middle Earth
Words to the Wise: hymen/hymn, booger/bogy, alewife, happy hour, snafu
3/15/02
Letters to the Editors puns continue; enjoying TOWFI; sitar and guitar; thank you
Laughing Stock A woman's dictionary
Issue 148 Spotlight The fundamentals
Words to the Wise: America, shamus, radical, logphile/philologist, synecdoche
3/7/02
Curmudgeons' Corner What he said
Letters to the Editors crossing fingers; ID id; eurology; altar horns; corners; perch pun; punctuation, more IDs , words, in connection with
Laughing Stock very punny again!
Issue 147 Spotlight horns, corns and corners
Words to the Wise: Mrs., cross your fingers, divide and conquer, silkie
1/23/02
Curmudgeons' Corner those that
Letters to the Editors the; more au jus; various topics; Cretan/cretin; spicy; euronating, definitions
Laughing Stock very punny!
Issue 146 Spotlight Dwellings
Words to the Wise: bitch, pizza
1/16/02
Curmudgeons' Corner coulda been a contender
Letters to the Editors daemon's evolution; more au jus; more on rabbits; more misacronyms; golf again; more on peppers; huh?
Laughing Stock sounds increditable to us
Issue 145 Spotlight More Hot stuff
Words to the Wise: take the Mickey, whipping boy, Welsh rarebit/rabbit, seven seas
1/9/02
Curmudgeons' Corner on a
Letters to the Editors hot words, giddy up; Gilbert and Sullivan; several points; misunderstood clichés; Aunty Curmudgeon; he's disorientated; golf again
Laughing Stock Where excellence is not an option
Issue 144 Spotlight Hot stuff
Words to the Wise: haw and gee, trauma
1/2/02
Curmudgeons' Corner and etcetera
Letters to the Editors intensive purposes, jigs; yogh; more on church; article abuse
Laughing Stock Camping in water
Holiday Issue Spotlight Holiday Words (from a previous issue)
Words to the Wise: rain check, pray/prayer, pagan, church, caribou
12/19/01
Curmudgeons' Corner for all intensive purposes?
Letters to the Editors Tagalog, Tagalog two; Tagalog three; an old octopus revisited; Richardsnary; Wynn
Laughing Stock No parking, indeed!
Issue 143 Spotlight cant
Words to the Wise: investment, consonant and vowel, -ber, get the hell out of Dodge
12/12/01
Curmudgeons' Corner flaunt vs. flount
Letters to the Editors corundum, Tagalog plurals; lost letters and Gaul; French/Welsh; more on Gaul; double laugh; Icelandic license plate; Websense makes sense; Russian in number
Laughing Stock Are they slow, or should we slow?
Issue 142 Spotlight lost letters
Words to the Wise: pornography, Gaul, aa, quenelle
11/28/01
Curmudgeons' Corner lay and lie
Letters to the Editors Websense, Apostrophe Protection Society, Tagalog plurals; animated curmudgeon, red and mimimum?, bad syntax, Mother Goose in French (sort of), human and earth in Hebrew
Laughing Stock large women and manual automatic doors
Issue 141 Spotlight gemstones again
Words to the Wise: called on the carpet, odds, sport, human
11/14/01
Curmudgeons' Corner who's at work
Letters to the Editors collective vs. plural nouns, translation, please, keeping up with the back issues
Laughing Stock how is that supposed to work?
Issue 140 Spotlight gemstones
Words to the Wise: red letter day, Farsi, wave, pickle
11/8/01
Curmudgeons' Corner more better
Letters to the Editors collective nouns, more on mondegreens, death and the sickle, "better" dictionary, they're just wrong
Words to the Wise: goblin, cemetery, zombie, ectoplasm
10/31/01
Curmudgeons' Corner sentence adverbs
Letters to the Editors very punny, waffling about wlaffe, wl- pronunciantion, no, not more fonts!, spooling Miss Steaks, go slow and read it slowly, more merry malapropisms, Arabic anthrax
Letters to the Editors German bonza, curmudgeonly pride, renege spelling, bad or missing links, spell check verse, wl- words, malapropisms
Laughing Stock Well, which is it?
Issue 137 Spotlight Topical Items
Words to the Wise: renege/renegue, discombobulate, bonzer/bonza, midwife
10/17/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Jive for jibe, tact for tack, etc.
Letters to the Editors Notarikon in Hebrew, language links, problems with page two, cats and dogs, Hebrew and Persian, Aunty Curmudgeon, hats and cattle, Ali quotation, how to fix font problems, browser environment and back issue snags, wl- words, quadratic help, mnemonics and a joke
Laughing Stock Must've been a very long tendon
Issue 136 Spotlight Arabs, Afghans, Muslims and Islan
Words to the Wise: muggles, notarikon, roster, all fur, no nickers
10/3/01
Curmudgeons' Corner A regime of regimens
Letters to the Editors Peachy and more, more peaches, possessives, more data, Richard Lederer sez..., spelling stumpers, more on font problems, infamous Isabella, metonym?, mistakes, curmudgeons and anti-curmudgeons, we're ok
Words to the Wise: bank holiday, contractions, idiot
8/28/01
Curmudgeons' Corner The data are in
Letters to the Editors It's not genitive, ginger peachy keen, tera, zetta and yotta, TOWFI display fonts, tough ones to spell, I/me usage
Laughing Stock Now how many doughnuts is that?
Issue 134 Spotlight Our Garden (again)
Words to the Wise: stock still, petabyte/terabyte/exabyte, mortgage, minutes, wrong side of the tracks
8/15/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Me me me or I I I?
Letters to the Editors A rhetorical question, a font of fonts, refreshing the site, Lucy, Utah's seagulls, Soylent Green/Soilent Green, difficult to spell
Laughing Stock See water. See water run!
Issue 133 Spotlight Notes from our garden
Words to the Wise: deep six, consulate/embassy, tapas, teenager, biscuit/bisquit
8/8/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Insured assurance
Letters to the Editors Back issue issue, logic vs. evidence, hell in a handbasket I, hell in a handbasket II, gruntle
Laughing Stock Sweeney Todd redux
Issue 132 Spotlight On the Money
Words to the Wise: earshot/hark/hearken, midget/dwarf, Suffolk Punch, monk, meander
8/1/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Looking forward
Letters to the Editors begging rhetoric, our search engine, Dutch correction
Laughing Stock Proofreed your ads
Issue 131 Spotlight Bad Etymologist! No Biscuit!
Words to the Wise: double dog dare, steward, g-string, (run) amok
7/25/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Beg the question
Letters to the Editors Redundant redundancy, thanks, so punny, apostrophemania, Palm OS dictionaries
Words to the Wise: throw one's hat into the ring, mistletoe, Hip hip! Hurray!, hold (down) the fort, blue blood
7/18/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Irritatingly redundant
Letters to the Editors Meanings vs. etymology, several comments, Kilkenny cats, Old Testament child-rearing, jazz revisited
Laughing Stock The true meaning of words (?!)
Issue 129 Spotlight Animation
Words to the Wise: rebel, daemon, cardinal
7/10/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Digitally recorded error
Letters to the Editors New mailing list, southern hemisphere readers unite!, Peter Pan an etymologist?, all monds, ah-monds, Anglo-centric views?, cats is cats, jewfish no more, Persian in Hebrew
Laughing Stock A w(h)ine joke
Issue 128 Spotlight Cats
Words to the Wise: caught red-handed, factotum, scrod, crayon, on tenterhooks
6/26/01
Curmudgeons' Corner An L of a time
Letters to the Editors: more flies, Persian influence, uptalk, ichthyetymology, more eggs and plants
Laughing Stock The birth of a word
Issue 127 Spotlight Nightmares, death and monsters
Words to the Wise: jewfish, scoop, natty, fly (zipper), gestalt
6/19/01
Curmudgeons' Corner heighth?
Letters to the Editors eggplant in Hindi and German, more would, Texan for W, more for Macs, more on merkin, old oxenfree
Laughing Stock what happens when you use an online translator
Issue 126 Spotlight Merkins, grimalkins, and Maid Marians
Words to the Wise: attorney, joy, vice-/vise, aubergine, Mexico
6/12/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Guess what?
Letters to the Editors fahrt, Getafix, dogleg, petard
Words to the Wise: lock, stock and barrel, high jinks, bun/hot cross bun
4/17/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Ironic isn't ironic anymore
Letters to the Editors Ishtar, French gender, more Latin plurals, 10,000, spurious etymology, pepperpot, Spanish, and New Amsterdam
Laughing Stock Yes + Yes = No?
Issue 117 Spotlight Compost
Words to the Wise: peter out, Buffalo, imp, sooterkin/zooterkins, lorry
3/13/01
Curmudgeons' Corner Where have all the female words gone?
Letters to the Editors Monday in Japanese, crocs of saffron, I'll give you 40 does for that saddle, Colombian gestures, two cents for a stadia rod, Spanish linguist to the rescue, going to the circus with Kate, more cat skinning
Laughing Stock Don't call, it'll be gone by now
Issue 116 Spotlight
Words to the Wise: kudos, cobweb, conjugate, spring, more than one way to skin a cat
3/6/01
Curmudgeons' Corner He's an-al and an-noyed
Letters to the Editors Arabic Spanish, Honday in Mungarian, god words, dropping d's, broads, and broads again, evil apple pancakes, time travel, co-curmudgeons, battle-axitude, troopers and e-mail, Latin rules?, Christianity and Chinese
Laughing Stock what a shocker
Issue 115 Spotlight days of the week...Tuesday
Words to the Wise: in the doldrums, Adam's apple, trooper/trouper, battle-axe, broad
2/27/01
Curmudgeons' Corner It's a phenomena to myself
Letters to the Editors Hungarian Mondays, more Albuquerque, what about the dunce cap?, more on couln'nt and prescriptivism
Laughing Stock time travel
Issue 114 Spotlight days of the week...Monday
Words to the Wise: thalweg, Albuquerque, randy, josh, entree
2/20/01
Curmudgeons' Corner couln'nt
Letters to the Editors p's and q's, on curmudgeonry, whet your whistle?
Laughing Stock lethal rolling pins
Issue 113 Spotlight netymology
Words to the Wise: easy as pie, crud, handle, yum/yummy, geoduck
2/13/01
Curmudgeons' Corner a coal forecast
Letters to the Editors brass monkey skeptics, monkeys on cruise liners, Finnish, morning star deities
Laughing Stock Husbands and varmints
Issue 112 Spotlight table manners
Words to the Wise: cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, bring home the bacon/chew the fat, catapult, Russia, lame duck
2/6/01
Curmudgeons' Corner piquing one's curiosity
Letters to the Editors we helped, Hebrew for "morning star", git, spell checkers, more gender vs. sex, the -orama craze, scab revisited
Laughing Stock What language does your dog speak?
Issue 111 Spotlight sticks and stones
Words to the Wise: quark, git, arrogant, alien, steal one's thunder
1/30/01
Curmudgeons' Corner taking a peek at pique
Letters to the Editors vegetarian derivation?, vegetarian joke, apt names, lingua franca, more eggnogs, Lucifer returns?, we can help, we can help Mac users, too
Words to the Wise: hanky-panky and hokey-pokey, trot line, post haste, pompous, three sheets to the wind
9/11/00
Curmudgeons' Corner US spelling
Letters to the Editors More children's rhymes, hosey, Agent 99, braziers, sphagnum moss, heraldry,
Laughing Stock "No Man is an Ireland" - political boners
Issue 99 Spotlight swamp things
Words to the Wise: crony, bumbershoot, spank, bimbo, English from Basque
8/28/00
Curmudgeons' Corner Nutritious vs. nutritional and others
Letters to the Editors Sexual slang in music, punny readers, sailing details, Shakespeare's jacks, more dibs synonyms, commas revisited
Laughing Stock Dining in style
Issue 98 Spotlight the word-of-all-trades part II
Words to the Wise: dosh, creole, fair to middlin', squid, c*nt
8/21/00
Curmudgeons' Corner Growing a minimum horn
Letters to the Editors 1500s is 16th century, commas, bagging, meddlin' in middlin', jackets are old, jacks, and eight a's!
Laughing Stock Spam from Russia with Love
Issue 97 Spotlight the word-of-all-trades
Words to the Wise: humongous, soda, dibbs, fugue, bees' knees
8/14/00
Curmudgeons' Corner from between
Letters to the Editors, fuzzy wuzzy, oronyms
Laughing Stock Re-re-re-translations
Issue 96 Spotlight Mother of all tongues
Words to the Wise: library, colony, sorcerer, ex
8/7/00
Curmudgeons' Corner wherefore
Letters to the Editors English pronuciation, oronyms
Laughing Stock Spam from Russia with Love
Issue 95 Spotlight Edible words
Words to the Wise: curmudgeon, fix, hootenanny, soul, milquetoast
7/31/00
Letters to the Editors virgin, plurals, high tea, Lithuanian, injuries, Pali
Laughing Stock English as she are spoke
Issue 94 Spotlight The crippled creep
Words to the Wise: surgery/chirurgery, supper/dinner, dog days, washer, mischievous
7/24/00
Curmudgeons' Corner prepositions
Letters to the Editors virgin, more strange English, sexual slang, plurals
Laughing Stock Children's books
Issue 93 Spotlight
Words to the Wise: fork, pew, screaming meemies, preterist, troilism
7/17/00
Curmudgeons' Corner depluralization
Letters to the Editors honky, poont*ng, noise words, virgin
Laughing Stock English is a stupid language
Issue 92 Spotlight
Words to the Wise: siege, fell swoop, star (person), virgin, right track, poont*ng
7/10/00
Curmudgeons' Corner noise words
Letters to the Editors more Dutch, long lost friends, clapping, honky
Laughing Stock steamed children
Issue 91 Spotlight veg-edibles part II
Words to the Wise: loagy, sublime, clap, honky, crestfallen
6/19/00
Curmudgeons' Corner plural mispronunciation
Letters to the Editors more on product labels, belladonna returns, laughed so hard he flooded!
Laughing Stock George W. Bush, in his own words
Issue 90 Spotlight veg-edibles
Words to the Wise: thumb, eclipse, vitamin, to rare, scouse
6/19/00
Curmudgeons' Corner convincing and persuasive
Letters to the Editors more on product labels, to know you is to know you, Persian, not Arabic!, more on Azazel, it's a piece of cake, a name for the unnamed, hacking the etymology of hacker
Laughing Stock Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn
Issue 89 Spotlight wise acres
Words to the Wise: nadir, intact, panic, piece of cake
6/5/00
Curmudgeons' Corner the unnamed pet peeve
Letters to the Editors ollie ollie oxen free, Egypt, sending TOWFI to a friend
Laughing Stock Instruction (or is that DEstruction?) labels
Issue 88 Spotlight a little knowledge
Words to the Wise: chat, slavery
5/30/00
Curmudgeons' Corner role models
Letters to the Editors goats (Azazel), oxen (ollie ollie oxen free), mornings, Japanese, a fool's cap
Issue 87 Spotlight minced oaths
Words to the Wise: get one's goat, moonshine, naked as a jaybird, nihilism, ollie ollie oxen free, foolscap, Krishna, in the black/red
5/22/00
Curmudgeons' Corner hopefully it will not be momentarily
Letters to the Editors plural and not so plural possessive, yesterday in The Netherlands, back issues formula, reaching Indians, a suggested link
Issue 86 Spotlight Japanese words in English
Words to the Wise: Aryan, noodle (food), doozy, yesterday
5/15/00
Curmudgeons' Corner feral insurance companies
Letters to the Editors sesquipedalianism, it's in the roasting, so is one Jones a Jone?, Surdez you jest
Issue 85 Spotlight beer
Words to the Wise: nag, (bill of) lading, cobbler, nit, jingoism
5/8/00
Curmudgeons' Corner epicentrism
Letters to the Editors brine whine, a bitter taste, a German churl, lemoned water, in-store free-for-all, quanta, reusing absent items, corponyms, language anarchy
Issue 84 Spotlight blood-sucking parasites
Words to the Wise: ectoplasm, quay, heinous, quirk, churlish
5/1/00
Curmudgeons' Corner bitter words
Letters to the Editors more bunnies, more quantum leaps, whither the sticky wicket?, Indiastan, an edible noggin, it's Odin Tew you
Issue 83 Spotlight promotional materials
Words to the Wise: Indian, deadbeat, noodle, destiny
4/24/00
Curmudgeons' Corner close to the edge
Letters to the Editors A disgruntled anti-commercialite, write about Dutch wife and get chastised re gender!, voilà - a viola, down on the Welsh
Issue 82 Spotlight Holy Spirit
Words to the Wise: due south, sticky wicket, wet nurse, fantastic, podzol and chernozem
4/17/00
Curmudgeons' Corner Realty is reality
Letters to the Editors British pronunciation, more rabbits, French letters and cor anglaise, we're almost always right, and double Dutch alumni
Issue 81 Spotlight the Easter Bunny
Words to the Wise: asymptote, first/ second/third, [dog] pound, shepherd, poverty
4/10/00
Curmudgeons' Corner American as apple pie
Letters to the Editors Dutch terms, cricket, grim, and foundering citizens
Issue 80 Spotlight those darned foreigners
Words to the Wise: fusion and fission, nigh/near/next, along and belong, feudal, jewelry
4/3/00
Curmudgeons' Corner light years away
Letters to the Editors grim reaper returns, the etymology of Sahara, and comments on city words
Issue 79 Spotlight city words
Words to the Wise: brawl, puce, butt (heads), virtually
3/27/00
Curmudgeons' Corner associate
Letters to the Editors alfa?, more dudes, more African words, don't knock La Brea Tar Pits, a NASAism, redundancies return, the grim truth about the Grim Reaper, gorilla girls
Issue 78 Spotlight African words, part 2
Words to the Wise: agent, hearse and rehearse, Patagonia, ruthless, Grim Reaper
3/20/00
Curmudgeons' Corner literally
Letters to the Editors Tenses, phonetic alphabet, desert islands, more redundancies
Issue 77 Spotlight African words, part 1
Words to the Wise: stroke, a bone to pick, roger and wilco, cold feet, Teutonic
3/13/00
Curmudgeons' Corner can vs. may
Letters to the Editors Cowboy slang, more redundancies, dories, Thruber, and an old issue
Issue 76 Spotlight some phrases
Words to the Wise: ream (of paper), blue chip (stocks), dude, cowlick, hunky dory
3/6/00
Curmudgeons' Corner rice paddies
Letters to the Editors British hospitality; African roots; Diego clarification; spurious dago origin; thanks from Korea; more on waxy derivations
Words to the Wise: dream, smart, shy, debt, on the ball
1/17/00
Curmudgeons' Corner the reason is, is that...
Letters to the Editors Eve length, Hebrew names, more maniacs
Issue 68 Spotlight Jesus
Words to the Wise: maniac, glitch, taxi cab, guy, autumn
1/10/00
Curmudgeons' Corner happy New Year's
Letters to the Editors revisionist history
Issue 67 Spotlight English words from Arabic
Words to the Wise: Limey, widow's peak, sallyport, cahoots, hobnob
1/03/00
Curmudgeons' Corner definitely not definately
Letters to the Editors skinny-dipping of the century; brogue shoes and brogue speech
Issue 66 Spotlight handicap
Words to the Wise: spiffy, prostitute, sheriff, skinny, black
12/27/99
Curmudgeons' Corner a very special century
Letters to the Editors more Welsh stuff; the longest place name in Britain; Greek chi; alveolar and bilabial
Issue 65 Spotlight holiday words
Words to the Wise: chuckwagon and chuckhole, castle and chaste, deer, Jew
12/20/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Imput and spayded
Letters to the Editors Etymology and entomology; a D.C. perspective; Etruscan has been deciphered; niger and the EEOC; Icelandic surnames; Welsh names; it's not the end of the millennium-yet
Issue 64 Spotlight fatidencies
Words to the Wise: grape; aisle, isle and island; tautology; snake oil, word
12/13/99
Curmudgeons' Corner various examples of misuse/abuse
Letters to the Editors words on television; Norwegian surnames; squaw; more on surnames
Issue 63 Spotlight acronyms
Words to the Wise: clean as a whistle, entertainment, marble, luck, surname
12/6/99
Curmudgeons' Corner more about acronyms
Letters to the Editors Macs; where to study etymology; title changes
Issue 62 Spotlight thanksgiving
Words to the Wise: swashbuckler, eavesdrop, secretary/secret, links, sarcasm
11/22/99
Curmudgeons' Corner lecterns and podiums
Letters to the Editors Latin declensions; Russian roulette and critical thinking; rave as an acronym
Issue 61 Spotlight Russian roulette
Words to the Wise: abracadabra, exotic, bulldozer, cheese, rave
11/15/99
Curmudgeons' Corner millenia/schmillenia
Letters to the Editors more on pluck you; John Locke and tabula rasa; bring vs. take
Issue 60 Spotlight Lynch
Words to the Wise: Amazon, red tape, tabula rasa, rube, bit (1/8 dollar), skid row
11/8/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Bring vs. take
Letters to the Editors -gry, -gry, go away; monthly correction; egregious usage; Swedish cognates; wallpaper paste from Korea
Issue 59 Spotlight Guitar
Words to the Wise: catch 22, watershed, jackass, crowbar, place, double whammy
11/1/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Egregious
Letters to the Editors Latin grammar, the important people
Issue 58 Spotlight Months
Words to the Wise: caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, made from scratch, sky, dunning letter, waive, pardon my French
10/25/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Enormity
Letters to the Editors Bizarre berserkers and paying our "dues"
Issue 57 Spotlight Hectic
Words to the Wise: bizarre, synergy, peccadillo, conundrum, wax [historical], ivy league
10/19/99
Curmudgeons' Corner About
Letters to the Editors Drunk skunks, our German, commas re-revisited, hobo histories, layout, praise, and barytons
Issue 56 Spotlight Some more musical instruments
Words to the Wise: mafia, mosaic, testify, drunk as a skunk, preponderance
10/11/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Arctic in the attic
Letters to the Editors More on hobo and gaudy, our German, p's and q's, punctuation, and titans or not?
Issue 55 Spotlight Holding your breath (and your nose)
Words to the Wise: Golf, Generation X, gaudy, run the gauntlet, flair
10/4/99
Curmudgeons' Corner A mere mirror
Letters to the Editors More on the -gry hoax and our new look
Issue 54 Spotlight Woodwind words
Words to the Wise: Ballpark (figure), bogus, catawampus, chicken pox
9/20/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Gourmet delights
Letters to the Editors New site/look comments
Issue 53 Spotlight Etymology vs. real meanings
Words to the Wise: Mushroom, metaphor, moist, mind your p's and q's
9/20/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Pronouncing -phth-
Letters to the Editors An OEDer and boobs again!
Issue 52 Spotlight Continental names
Words to the Wise: Dyed in the wool, atlas, boob, elite, electricity
9/13/99
Curmudgeons' Corner Quantum leap
Letters to the Editors Eck cetera, etc.
Issue 51 Spotlight Another internet hoax: hungry, angry, and ?
Words to the Wise: abecedarium, memorize by heart, plague and ague
8/23/99
Curmudgeons' Corner This is so different
Letters to the Editors Spurious obscenity etymologies, brogue and Mick
K - M
Kendall | ketchup | kick the bucket | kill the messenger | Kilroy was here | knight | knowledge | lam | lazy Susan | leader | league | learning the ropes | lemon | leviathan | life of Reilly | light fingered | like | lime | loaf | love | Luddite | lunatic | macrobiotic | malarkey | man | marriage | marry | mascara | master | matter | May Day | mediation | meter | Mexican standoff | mile | miscellaneous | mocha | mongoloid | monkey wrench | moonstone | more than one way to skin a cat | moron | mother | Ms. | Mulligan | muse
29 January 2011 - Words and Their Stories: Medical Expressions - Everyday expressions we use to describe someone's health
22 January 2011 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4 - Ohio in the Midwest is called the Buckeye State. Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody
15 January 2011 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 3 - Third of a four-part series
08 January 2011 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 2 - Part two of a four-part series on nicknames for American states
04 January 2011 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 1 - A four-part series on nicknames for American states
24 December 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions - Don't be bugged by these terms
18 December 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3 - Working hard to bring home the bacon
10 December 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2 - Does money really make the world go round?
04 December 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1 - What does it take to have a rich life?
27 November 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Let's Do Business - Using words to make a profit in business
20 November 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Feel The Pinch - The Pains of Economic Trouble
12 November 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Proverbs, Part 2 - More expressions about a common truth or belief
06 November 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Proverbs, Part 1 - Famous sayings about love, war and other issues
30 October 2010 - Words and Their Stories: It Will Not Wash - Will your idea be a good one
23 October 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Grapevine - When information spreads by word of mouth
16 October 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Like a Rolling Stone - How an old proverb led to a popular rock and roll band, song and magazine
09 October 2010 - Words and Their Stories: In the Red - Some expressions used in business and investing
02 October 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Chickenfeed - Chickenfeed doesn't add up to much money
25 September 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Baloney - Expressions used to describe false, wrong or foolish things
18 September 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Numbers Part Two - Two heads are better than one. Part two of two stories about expressions that use numbers
08 September 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Number One - Part one of two stories about expressions that use numbers
04 September 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Apple Pie Order - When everything is just perfect
28 August 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Easy as Falling Off a Log - Terms for situations that are easy and not so easy
21 August 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Touch All Bases - Expressions from America's national pastime
14 August 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Down to Earth - Expressions about people who treat everyone fairly and with respect
07 August 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Belittle - Thomas Jefferson was the first to use this word
31 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Computer Terms - Have You Googled Anyone Lately
24 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Get Your Act Together - Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings
17 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Put Your Heart at Rest - More expressions getting to the heart of the matter
11 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart - The English language has many heartfelt expressions
11 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart - Honest and truthful things come straight from the heart
02 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Fireworks - Fireworks can mean a great show of noisy anger, or something exciting
02 July 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Have a Heart - More expressions using the word heart
26 June 2010 - Words and Their Stories: You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist - How did the expression begin? No one seems to know for sure
19 June 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Mouth Expressions - You took the words right out of my mouth
12 June 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Bird Words - Bird Words, Someone Who Eats Like a Bird Eats Very Little
04 June 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Golden Rules and Golden Oldies - Some expressions are just golden
29 May 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Dog Talk - A look at dog-related expressions
22 May 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Green Expressions - The word can mean many things, including jealousy
14 May 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Money Talks - Some business terms that will cost you
08 May 2010 - Words and Their Stories: More Clothing Expressions - My friends sometimes call me a wolf in sheep’s clothing
01 May 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Clothing Expressions - Let's see if we can name a few off the cuff
24 April 2010 - Words and Their Stories: English Expressions That Don't Pan Out - Expressions that take us back to the days of the gold rush in California
17 April 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Mayday - The French word is a call for help.
10 April 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Swan Song - It was my final effort and my finest work. It was my swan song
03 April 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston - From the City of Brotherly Love to Beantown.
27 March 2010 - Words and Their Stories: From Couch Potato to Cabin Fever - American terms to describe active and inactive lifestyles.
13 March 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New Orleans and Las Vegas - From the Big Easy to Sin City.
06 March 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Military Expressions - Terms used to describe members of the US armed forces.
20 February 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Fall Guy - Is the fall guy really the guilty one?
13 February 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Great Scott - There are many terms for expressing surprise, shock and anger.
06 February 2010 - Words and Their Stories: All About Names - Some names have special meanings in popular American expressions.
30 January 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Farm Expressions - English expressions related to agriculture.
23 January 2010 - Scott Joplin, 1867-1917: King of Ragtime Music - Joplin wrote 60 musical works during the early 1900s. Many of them are still popular today.
22 January 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Back, Shoulders and Chest - English idioms that are head and shoulders above the rest.
17 January 2010 - Words and Their Stories: A Chip on Your Shoulder - What it means when people are said to have a chip on their shoulderr.
08 January 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Chicago - A lot of hot and cold air in The Windy City
02 January 2010 - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Los Angeles - From the Big Apple to the Big Orange.
24 December 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New York City - Taking a bite out of the Big Apple.
19 December 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Santa Claus - The story of the man in the red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas.
12 December 2009 - Words and Their Stories: The Cold, Hard Reality - English expressions that will leave you out in the cold.
05 December 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Hotheaded Hot Shot - Here is your hot line to heated English expressions.
28 November 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Bigwig - Terms for people who are powerful, at least in their own minds.
23 November 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Ace in the Hole - Terms that come from card games.
14 November 2009 - Words and Their Stories: I Feel Very Blue - Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
07 November 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Wildcat - Americans use the names of animals in many ways.
31 October 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Nuts and Bolts - Mechanical English with a tight fit
23 October 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Losing It - On Words and Their Stories: It Can Be Hard When You Lose Control
15 October 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3 - Working hard to bring home the bacon.
10 October 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2 - Does money really make the world go round?
01 October 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1 - What does it take to have a rich life?
25 September 2009 - Words and Their Stories: When the Cat’s Away - These expressions are the cat’s pajamas.
18 September 2009 - Words and Their Stories: If a Student's Grades Hit Bottom, It Is Time to Hit the Books - Expressions involving the word hit.
11 September 2009 - Words and Their Stories: The Answer Is as Clear as the Nose on Your Face - Expressions involving the nose and the ears.
02 September 2009 - Words and Their Stories: All About Eyes - A look at terms related to eyes.
28 August 2009 - Words and Their Stories: More Expressions That Are Old and True - Proverbs are popular around the world.
21 August 2009 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 4 - Ohio in the midwest is called The Buckeye States. Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody.
15 August 2009 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 3 - Third of a four-part series.
08 August 2009 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 2 - A four-part series.
02 August 2009 - Words and Their Stories: State Nicknames, Part 1 - A four-part series.
26 July 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Two Heads Are Better Than One - A number of English expressions using numbers.
17 July 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Pulling a Fast One - A number of terms based on the number one.
12 July 2009 - Words And Their Stories: Hold Your Horses! - Some expressions straight from the horse’s mouth.
04 July 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Fireworks - What is all the noise about?
26 June 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Insect Expressions - Don't be bugged by these terms.
19 June 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Like a Rolling Stone - How an old proverb led to a popular rock and roll band, song and magazine.
11 June 2009 - Words and Their Stories: Get Your Act Together - Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings.
05 June 2009 - Easy As Falling Off a Log: Not Much Effort Involved! - It is easier to fall off a log than to stay on it.
29 May 2009 - Heart to Heart: Some Heartfelt Expressions - Do you wear your heart on your sleeve?
22 May 2009 - Deep-Six: Fishing for Sailors' Expressions - Terms from the sea.
16 May 2009 - Buff: Are You a Buff About Something? - Do you have a strong, special interest?
13 May 2009 - A Colorful Exhibit Tells About Amish Traditions - Also: A question from Russia about the music of Scott Joplin.
09 May 2009 - Water: Diving Into a Sea of Terms -
02 May 2009 - 'Hair' - More Than a Rock Musical - A story using expressions with the word hair.
25 April 2009 - In the Red: When a Business is Losing Money - Some expressions used in business and investing.
18 April 2009 - Computer Terms: Have You Googled Someone Lately? - Terms that come from the world of computers.
11 April 2009 - Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame - Expressions from America's national pastime.
05 April 2009 - Proverbs: Ideas About How to Live - These expressions are wise and true.
21 March 2009 - Take This Medicine: The Story of the Sign 'Rx' - How a special sign came to mean a doctor’s prescription.
14 March 2009 - Apple Pie Order: When Everything Is Just Perfect - Expressions about apples.
07 March 2009 - Back to Basics: Staying Down to Earth - Some expression about people who treat everyone fairly and with respect.
02 March 2009 - Proverbs: Some Listeners’ Favorite Sayings - More expressions about a common truth or belief.
21 February 2009 - Heard It on the Grapevine: What? Who Told You That? - When information spreads by word of mouth.
14 February 2009 - Have a Heart - Some English expressions that use the word heart.
08 February 2009 - To Buffalo: To Win by Trick or Threat - Expressions that describe winning by any means.
30 January 2009 - Belittle: Thomas Jefferson First Used This Word - The third president of the United States was not to be belittled.
23 January 2009 - Holding the Bag - American expressions that use the word bag.
17 January 2009 - Touching All Bases: Baseball Rules! - Some terms that come from the American pastime.
10 January 2009 - Circus: Some Agree It Is the 'Greatest Show on Earth' - How a simple word came to mean a place of fun and wonder.
03 January 2009 - Baloney: It's Just Not True - Expressions used to describe false, wrong or foolish things.
27 December 2008 - Hang: Don't Get Excited, Just Hang Loose - Expressions that will have you hanging on every word.
21 December 2008 - Proverbs: Famous Sayings About Love, War and Other Issues - Examples of proverbs that Americans use.
13 December 2008 - Hobson's Choice: When There Is Really No Choice at All - Making choices is necessary, but not always easy.
06 December 2008 - Dog Talk: Every Dog Has His Day - A look at dog-related expressions.
22 November 2008 - Mouth Expressions: The Experience Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth - English expressions using the word mouth.
14 November 2008 - You Do Not Have to Be a Rocket Scientist to Understand This - Rocket scientists can have problems just like everyone else.
08 November 2008 - Let's Do Business: I Made a Sweetheart Deal Last Month - Using words to make a profit in business.
02 November 2008 - Too Much Time Watching TV? You May Be a Couch Potato - Expressions about how people spend their time.
25 October 2008 - What Does the Average Joe Think? - Expressions that use common American names.
17 October 2008 - Who Put Lipstick on That Pig? - Expressions about pigs, hogs and sows.
15 October 2008 - American Election Expressions - Some examples of American expressions about voting and elections.
20 September 2008 - Let's Get Down to Brass Tacks - Getting to the bottom of a great English expression.
24 August 2008 - Fall Guy: He Took the Blame for Someone Else - Is the fall guy really the guilty one?
17 August 2008 - Doughboy: Military Expressions - Terms for members of the US armed forces.
10 August 2008 - Eureka: The Word Just Burst Out! - A look at an English expression that is losing its place in the language.
03 August 2008 - Green: More Than Just a Color - The word can mean many things, including jealousy.
27 July 2008 - Pan: The Critic Panned My Work - English expressions that don't quite pan out.
12 July 2008 - It Will Not Wash: Does It Work, or Not? - Will your idea be a good one?
06 July 2008 - Bigwig: Such an Important Person! - Terms for people who are powerful, at least in their own mind.
29 June 2008 - Fish Expressions: This All Sounds Very Fishy - English expressions that may sound fishy, but don't smell fishy.
22 June 2008 - Bird Words: Someone Who Eats Like a Bird Eats Very Little - Most of the people I work with are early birds.
14 June 2008 - Farm: It's Not Worth a Hill of Beans - English expressions related to agriculture.
07 June 2008 - More Numbers: Two Heads Are Better Than One - A number of English expressions using numbers.
01 June 2008 - Numbers: I, for One, Use These Expressions Often - A number of terms based on the number one.
25 May 2008 - Back, Shoulders and Chest: A Pat on the Back for a Job Well Done - English idioms that are head and shoulders above the rest.
18 May 2008 - Medical Terms: A Clean Bill of Health From the Doctor - Everyday expressions we use to describe someone's health.
11 May 2008 - Insect Expressions: I Don't Mean to Bug You - Putting a bug in your ear about English expressions.
03 May 2008 - A Chip on Your Shoulder: What Are You Going to Do About it? - What it means when someone is said to have a chip on their shoulder.
26 April 2008 - Touching All Bases: Baseball Rules! - Some terms that come from the sport.
20 April 2008 - Stock Market: The Business of Investing - Finance-related terms like bull market, bear market, belly up and windfall.
06 April 2008 - Colors: I'm Feeling Very Blue Today - Many American expressions are based on colors.
30 March 2008 - Hands: She is Making Money Hand-Over-Fist - English expressions that come from the hands.
23 March 2008 - Chickenfeed: It Doesn't Add Up to Much - Working for very little money...it's chickenfeed.
16 March 2008 - Cold: She Felt the Cold Hard Reality of Life - English expressions that will leave you out in the cold.
08 March 2008 - Nuts and Bolts: The Mechanics of Any Organization - Mechanical English with a tight fit.
01 March 2008 - Hot: He Was a Hotheaded Hot Shot! - Here is your hot line to heated English expressions.
23 February 2008 - Blizzard: Don't Let This Expression Snow You - A violent and heavy blizzard is not the only thing that can snow you under.
16 February 2008 - Chickenfeed: It Doesn't Add Up to Much - Working for very little money....it's chickenfeed
09 February 2008 - Money Talks: Everything Else Walks - Some business terms that will cost you.
02 February 2008 - Hit: If a Student's Grades Hit Bottom, It Is Time to Hit the Books - Colorful expressions that are a huge hit.
26 January 2008 - Nicknames: America's 50 States (Fourth of Four Parts) - Ohio in the midwest is called The Buckeye States. Rhode Island's nickname is Little Rhody.
19 January 2008 - Nicknames: America's 50 States (Third of Four Parts) - The mid-Atlantic state of Maryland is called the Free State. The western desert state of Nevada is called the Silver State.
12 January 2008 - Nicknames: America's 50 States (Second of Four Parts) - Kentucky is the Bluegrass State and Louisiana is the Bayou State.
06 January 2008 - Nicknames: America's 50 States (First of Four Parts) - Alabama is known as the Heart of Dixie. Alaska is called the Last Frontier.
02 January 2008 - Remembering Oscar Peterson, One of Jazz's Greatest Musicians - Also: Listeners in Bosnia and Nigeria ask about state nicknames. And a report on efforts to restore Ellis Island, which was known as the ''Gateway to America.''
29 December 2007 - Get Your Act Together: Organization Is the Name of the Game - Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings.
15 December 2007 - Money, Money, Money: Dinner Is on the House - Working hard to bring home the bacon.
08 December 2007 - More Money: Money Can Make People Do Strange Things - Does money really make the world go round?
01 December 2007 - Money: He Hit the Jackpot - What does it take to have a rich life?
24 November 2007 - Computer Terms: Ever Google Someone? - Hackers, bloggers and spam -- what does it all mean?
17 November 2007 - Water: She Is In Hot Water - Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself.
10 November 2007 - Losing It: It's Hard When You Lose Control - Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"
10 November 2007 - Losing It: It Can Be Hard When You Lose Control - Mary was angry with herself. She said, "Am I losing it?"
03 November 2007 - Monkey: No Monkey Business Here - Expressions about tricky people or playful acts.
27 October 2007 - Kick: This Is an Idea Worth Kicking Around - Here are some English expressions with kick.
20 October 2007 - Rocket Scientist: You Do Not Have to Be Extremely Intelligent to Understand This - Rocket scientists can have problems just like everyone else.
13 October 2007 - Wildcat: Is It a Fast Car or False Money? - Americans use the names of animals in many ways.
06 October 2007 - Great Scott: What a Surprise! - An exclamation that has lasted, surprisingly.
29 September 2007 - Swan Song: It Was My Final Effort and My Finest Work - English writers Chaucer and Shakespeare told the story of the swan's last song.
22 September 2007 - Belittle: Thomas Jefferson First Used This Word - The third president of the United States was not to be belittled.
16 September 2007 - Hang: Don't Get Excited, Just Hang Loose - Expressions that will have you hanging on every word.
09 September 2007 - Couch Potato: Life as a Full-Time Television Watcher - Terms for the active and inactive.
02 September 2007 - Top Brass: What American Workers Call Their Employers - It is all work and no play around the boss.
26 August 2007 - Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame - Rounding the bases in a game of ball.
19 August 2007 - Hobson's Choice: When There Is Really No Choice at All - Making choices is necessary, but not always easy.
12 August 2007 - Heart to Heart: Let's Get to the Heart of the Matter - Take heart, the English language has many heartfelt expressions.
04 August 2007 - All About Names: He Was a True Jack of All Trades - Some names have special meanings in popular American expressions.
29 July 2007 - Let's Do Business: I Made a Sweetheart Deal Last Month - Using words to make a profit in business.
- 22 July 2007 - Mouth Expressions: The Experience Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth - English expressions using the word mouth.
15 July 2007 - Nose: The Answer Is as Clear as the Nose on Your Face - Some people are said to be hard-nosed.
08 July 2007 - All About Eyes: Once He Caught My Eye, It Was Love Everlasting - A look at terms related to eyes.
01 July 2007 - Fireworks: What Is All the Noise About? - Fireworks can by noisy, even if there is no explosion.
24 June 2007 - More Words About Clothing: I Am Not Talking Through My Hat - English expressions that are all dressed up with no place to go.
16 June 2007 - Words About Clothing: Let's See if I Can Name a Few Off the Cuff - Clothing idioms that dress up the English language.
09 June 2007 - Bird Words: Someone Who Eats Like a Bird Eats Very Little - People who eat like birds eat very little.
02 June 2007 - Back, Shoulders and Chest: A Pat on the Back for a Job Well Done - English idioms that are head and shoulders above the rest.
26 May 2007 - Dog Talk: Life in a Dog-Eat-Dog World - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Dog-related expressions.
19 May 2007 - More Numbers: Two Heads Are Better Than One - Two Heads Are Better Than One
19 May 2007 - More Numbers: Two Heads Are Better Than One - A number of English expressions using numbers.
12 May 2007 - Numbers: I, for One, Use These Expressions Often - A number of terms based on the number one.
12 May 2007 - Numbers: I, for One, Use These Expressions Often - 2007-07-10-voa4
05 May 2007 - Medical Terms: A Clean Bill of Health From the Doctor - Medical Terms: A Clean Bill of Health From the Doctor
05 May 2007 - Medical Terms: A Clean Bill of Health From the Doctor - Everyday expressions we use to describe someone's health.
29 April 2007 - Bigwig: Such an Important Person - Terms for people who are powerful, at least in their own mind.
22 April 2007 - Ace in the Hole: Put on Your Poker Face - Terms that come from card games.
15 April 2007 - A Chip on Your Shoulder: What Are You Going to Do About It? - What it means when people are said to have a chip on their shoulder.
08 April 2007 - On a Short Leash: He Had Firm Control Over His Workers - A term for the closely supervised.
01 April 2007 - Colors: I'm Feeling Very Blue Today - Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
19 March 2007 - Fall Guy: He Took the Blame for Someone Else - Is the Fall Guy Really the Guilty One?
18 March 2007 - Buff: Are You a Buff About Something? - Do you have a strong, special interest?
11 March 2007 - Face: Time to Face the Music - Expressions as plain as the nose on your face.
04 March 2007 - Heard It on the Grapevine: What? Who Told You That? - When information spreads by word of mouth.
24 February 2007 - Baloney: It's Just Not True - Expressions used to describe false, wrong or foolish things.
17 February 2007 - Dutch: English Expressions Unrelated to Dutch People - Common expressions that have nothing to do with the Dutch people.
11 February 2007 - Doughboy: Military Expressions - Terms for members of the US armed forces.
03 February 2007 - Feel The Pinch: The Pains of Economic Trouble - Talking about financial problems.
28 January 2007 - In the Red: Better to Be in the Black - Some business terms you can profit from.
21 January 2007 - Money Talks: Everything Else Walks - Making your money talk for you.
14 January 2007 - Chickenfeed: It Doesn't Add Up to Much - Working for very little money...it's chickenfeed.
06 January 2007 - Stock Market: The Business of Investing - Investing in stocks is big business...and big money.
23 December 2006 - Santa Claus: Do You Believe? - Santa Claus is coming to town.
17 December 2006 - Green: More Than Just a Color - The word can mean many things, including jealousy.
10 December 2006 - Easy As Falling Off a Log: Not Much Effort Involved! - It is easier to fall off a log than to stay on it.
03 December 2006 - To Touch All Bases: Baseball Rules! - It is important to touch all four bases in the game of baseball.
26 November 2006 - Deep Six: It Is Well Hidden - Sailors who never want to see something again will give it the deep-six.
19 November 2006 - Circus: Some Agree It Is the 'Greatest Show on Earth' - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: We take a look at life under the big top.
12 November 2006 - Battle-Axe: Use at Your Own Risk - This term for a fierce woman is widely considered sexist, but some people say it may not be so.
05 November 2006 - Water: She Is In Hot Water - Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself.
29 October 2006 - It Will Not Wash: Does It Work, or Not? - Will your idea be a good one?
22 October 2006 - Losing It: It's Hard When You Lose Control - Mary was angry at herself. She asked, "Am I losing it?"
18 October 2006 - Get Your Act Together: Organization Is the Name of the Game - Some expressions that might be heard at business meetings.
08 October 2006 - Hit: If a Student's Grades Hit Bottom, It Is Time to Hit the Books - Popular English expressions spoken in the United States.
24 September 2006 - Money, Money, Money: Dinner Is on the House - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Third of three parts about money-related terms.
24 September 2006 - More Money: Money Can Make People Do Strange Things - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: More money-related terms.
17 September 2006 - Money: He Hit the Jackpot - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Terms about how people earn and spend their money.
10 September 2006 - Rocket Scientist: You Do Not Have to Be Extremely Intelligent to Understand This - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: How the English expression "rocket scientist" is used
03 September 2006 - Computer Terms: Good Hackers, Bad Hackers and Busy Bloggers - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Computer-related terms.
27 August 2006 - Heart to Heart: Let's Get to the Heart of Matter
20 August 2006 - Couch Potato: Life as a Full-time Television Watcher - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: English terms used to describe lifestyles in the United States
13 August 2006 - Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame - This week on WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Expressions related to baseball
05 August 2006 - Let's Do Business: I Made a Sweetheart Deal Last Week - On WORDS AND THEIR STORIES: Business-related terms
30 July 2006 - All About Names: An Average Joe Was Walking Down the Street
23 July 2006 - Nose and Ears: He Has His Nose In the Air
16 July 2006 - Mouth Expressions: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
09 July 2006 - All About Eyes: People’s Eyes Can Be a Window Into Their Hearts
25 June 2006 - More Words About Numbers: Two Heads Are Better Than One
18 June 2006 - Numbers: I, for One, Use These Expressions a Lot
11 June 2006 - More Words About Clothes: I Am Not Talking Through My Hat
04 June 2006 - Words About Clothes: Let's See If I Can Name a Few Off the Cuff
28 May 2006 - Dog Talk: Most Dogs in the U.S. Seem to Have an Easy Life
28 May 2006 - Scott Joplin: The King of Ragtime Music - Joplin wrote 60 musical works during the early 1900s. Many of them are still popular today.
21 May 2006 - Bird Words: Someone Who Eats Like a Bird Eats Very Little
14 May 2006 - Back, Shoulders and Chest: A Pat on the Back for a Job Well Done
07 May 2006 - Medical Terms: Doctors Give Me a Clean Bill of Health
18 October 2004 - WHY? WHY? WHY? - Commonly Asked Questions from Listeners - To mark the 45th anniversary of Special English, we present a special program based on questions about American life sent to AMERICAN M
13 October 2004 - #1 - What Is the Theme Music At the Beginning and End of Special English Programs? - 2004-10-13
23 January 2004 - Special English Archives - 2004-01-23 - Find scripts by Program name.
21 March 2002 - AMERICAN MOSAIC - March 22, 2002: VOA's Maurice Joyce remembered / Grand Central Terminal in New York / Oscar-nominated songs - 2002-03-21 - VOA's Maurice Joyce remembered ... Grand Central Terminal in New York ... songs nominated for an Oscar.
25 February 2002 - Click Here for Listings - 2002-02-25
25 February 2002 - Sunday - 2002-02-25
31 October 2001 - Theme Music List - Theme Music List
5 Minute Features - In the News (Saturday), Words and Their Stories (Sunday)
Words and Their Stories - An explanation of words and terms in American English.
Dear Friend of the English Language,
Along with the evolution of language - the thousands of neologisms that new technologies and new thinking have brought about, for instance - there has been a concurrent, if perhaps less recognizable, devolution of language. The English language has become more precise for some users of it while becoming more plodding for others. Not a small part of this new cumbrousness is due to the loss of distinctions between words, the misuse of words, and other abuses of language.
...
The Vocabula Review strives to combat the degradation of our language.
Equally important, we celebrate its opulence and its elegance. The English language is wonderfully expressive and infinitely flexible. There are many thousands of words and many hundreds of ways in which to use them. The Vocabula Review seeks to promote the richness of our language.
In sum, The Vocabula Review battles nonstandard, careless English and embraces clear, expressive English. We hope we can encourage our readers to do as much.
...
What follows is list of some curious word origins. Some of these are English, but some are French and German words from which we get some English words.
Newsletter:
Also, I run a mailing list called RT where I send out some new, interesting etymologies that I discover every month (and other, non-philological items as well).
For some of my favorites, see Companion, Kopf, Porcelain.
...
Am 12.06.2004 waren auf der Seite folgende Begriffe mit einer kleinen Wörtgeschichte zu finden:
Abacus | Allegory | Apple (Eng.)/ Pomme (Fr.) / Manzana (Sp.) | Apricot | Addict | Alarm | Alcohol | Algebra | Appendix | Assassin | Asthma | Ballot | Bead | Beserk | Biscuit | Boat | Boudoir | Broke (In the sense of having no money) | Bucolic | Bulimia | Butcher; Boucher (French); Beccaio (old Italian) | Cab (as in, Taxicab) | Cantelope | Cantar (Spanish) To Sing | Carnival | Catharsis | Candidate | Casarse (Spanish, to marry) | Cell | Cerveza (Spanish) Beer | Chapel |
| Charlatan | Cheers | Chocolate | Cider | Claim | Coffee and Croissant | Conejo (Spanish) Rabbit | Coward | Companion; Compañero (Spanish); Copain (French) Companion | Cretin | Cup | Currant | Curfew | Daisy | Debonair | Deer | Demon (German and English) | Derive | Deutsch (German for German) | Dexterity | Dibbs | Dollar | Elite | Escape | Essay | Exchequer | Faro (Spanish) Lighthouse | Fegato (Italian) Liver | Feo (Spanish) Ugly | Forest | Fowl | Freedom |
| Gehen (German) To go | Genuine | Gewissen (German) Conscience | Gift | Gin; Ginebra (Spanish); Genievre (French) | Gorilla | Gymnasium | Hablar (Spanish) To Speak | Hazard | Heresy | Hierarchy | Host, Hospital, Hostel, Hospice, Hospitable, Hospitality | Humor | Husband | Idea, Ideal, Idol | Kampf (German) Struggle | Kike -- a vulgar, offensive word for a Jew | Knave | Knight | Kopf (German) Head | Lemon (Eng.); Limón (Sp.); Citron (Fr.); Zitrone (Germ.); Cytryna (Pol.); Citrom (Hung.) | Lettuce; and Leche (Spanish) Milk | Liberty | Library | Liebe (German) Love | Light; and Licht (German) Light | Lindo (Spanish) Beautiful | Lobster | Lord | Lucifer | Lukewarm | Madera (Spanish) Wood | Malaria | Mayonnaise | Marcher (French) To Walk | Mark (German) The German unit of currency (pre-Euro) | Mistress | Money | Mound; and Monde (French), Mundo (Spanish) World | Muscle | Museum, Mosaic | Nacht (German) Night | Nauseau, Navigate | Nemesis | Noon | Nostril | Occasion | Office | Ojalá (Spanish) "I hope [that...]" | Old; and Alt (German) Old | Omlette | Opportunity | Orange (Eng.); Orange (Fr.); Naranja (Sp.); Arancia (It.) | Ostracize | Pagan | Pavilion | Pedigree | Peach | Pecuniary | Pearl | Pedestrian | Planet | Porcelain (French) Porcelaine | Prom | Propina (Spanish; Tip) | Pseudo- | Queen | Quintessential | Regret | Reise (German) Travel | Rich | Right | Robot | Rodent | Romance | Rum | Saffron | Sanction | Salary; Salt | Schlaf (German) Sleep | Scapegoat | Scream | Scruples | Search; Circus | Senator | Second | Silly | Sinister | Sherry; and Jerez (Spanish) | Slave | Sleazy | Soup; Soupe (French); Sopa (Spanish); Zuppa (Italian) | Starve | Spill | Stool | Strawberry (Eng.); Fraise (Fr.); Fresa (Sp.)/ Fragola (It.); Erdbeer (Germ.--"earth berry"); Eper (Hung.) | Suede | Sugar; Candy; Caramel | Sweet | Sycophant | Tag (German) Day | Tarjeta (Spanish) Card | Tête (French) Head | Thermostat | Third Degree | Thesis | Threshold | Tide and Time | Tomato (Eng.); Tomate (Sp.); Pomodoro (It.) | Trabajar (Spanish); Travailler (French); Trabalhar (Portugues) Work | Travel | Trivia | Tsar or Czar | Tyranny | Umpire | Usted (Spanish) You (formal) | Viande (French) Meat; and Vivir (Spanish) To Live | Victim | Villain | Vinegar | Walk | Wedding | Weird | Welt (German) World | Werewolf (German and English) | Window | Wine | Wit | Witness | Woman | Warm; Worm; and Wurst | Worm | Zeit (German) Time
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word-detective (wde)
The Word Detective
by Evan Morris
Word List
Wort-Liste
Word Detective, a newspaper column by Evan Morris answering people's questions about words and language.
The Word Detective on the Web is the online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language.
The Word Detective - An indexed archive (by word and date) of the monthly newspaper column on "word and phrase origins" by Evan Morris, son of William Morris, original author of the print column when it was known as "Words, Wit and Wisdom" (since 1953), and the useful reference book, The Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. Several hundred words and phrases included.
(E1)(L1) http://www.word-detective.com/backidx.html
This Index contains more than 1,300 columns posted since this site went online in 1995. For the past TEN YEARS, this index has remained a FREE resource for the net community and has been used by nearly two million readers.
Hundreds of words and phrases indexed in alphabetical order are lurking in our archive. (01.09.2005)
A
20th Century Words (review) | Above the Salt | Abracadabra | Abdabs | Abscond | Acme | Adam's Off Ox | Adonis | Adultery | Affect | Agita | Air | Akimbo | Albatross | Album | Alimony | All She Wrote, That's | Aloof | Alright/All Right | Alternivore | Aluminum/aluminium | Ampersand | Amuck | Anodyne | Anthrax | Apple of One's Eye | Argy-bargy | Arm and a Leg | Armed to the Teeth | Arms (as building name) | Assassin | Assorted Words | - -athon (suffix) | Aunt Sally | Autograph Hound | Avail | Avast | Awful/Awesome | Axe (guitar)
B
Bachelor | Badda Bing | Bad Hair Day | Badger | Bail | Bailiwick | Bain | Balderdash | Ball of Wax | Baloney | Bamboozle | Banausic | Band Box | Bane | Bangs | Bar (Exam) | Barbeque | Bare/Bear | Barefaced | Barf | Barmy | Barrack | Barnburner | Bartleby.com | Bat/Batter/Battery | Bated Breath | Bat Out of Hell | Bay, At | Bazooka | B.B. | Bean Counter | Beck and Call | Bed and Breakfast | Bedlam | Bee (spelling, etc.) | Beef (Argument) | Beefeater | Behoove | Beeswax | Beezer | Beg the Question | Beguine | Behave | Belay | Bells On (With) | Bellwether | Bender | Bennies | Berserk | Bespectacled | Bespoke | Best Foot Forward | Beyond the Pale | Biddy | Big Apple | Big as Ike | Big Girl's Shirt | Big Wheel | Bigwig | Billygoat | Bill, The | Bing | Bird in hand | Birds of a Feather | Bite the Bullet | Blackguard | Blacksmith | Blancmange | Bleachers | Blimp | Blizzard | Block and Tackle | Blockbuster | Blockhead | Bloke | Bloody | Bloody Shirt | Blooper | Bloviate | Blowpoke | Blue Blazes | Blueblood | Blue Chip | Blue Laws | Blue Moon | Blue Ribbon/Riband | Blues, The | Blurb | Board | Boarding House Reach | Bobby | Bobby Pin | Bob Dole | Bodacious | Bodge | Bogart | Bogeyman | Boggle | Bog Standard | Bogus | Bohemian | Boilerplate | Boiler Room | Bombast | Bone to Pick | Bonfire | Bonkers | Boobytrap | Book | Boondocks | Boondoggle | Boot | Boot Sale | Booze | Bore | Bought the Farm | Bound | Boxing | Boxing Day | Boycott | Brainiac | Brass Monkeys | Brass Monkeys Again | Brass Tax | Brand New | Brat | Bread and Butter | Break/Brake | Break a Leg | Break One's Duck | Bridewell | Bridge (the game) | Brodie | Broke | Bromide | "Brook No Quarter" | Brouhaha | Brown Study | Bubble, on the | Bucket, Kick the | Buckle | Buckley's Chance | Buddy | Buffalo | Buggy | Bulldozer | Bully Boy | Bumper Crop | Bumpkin | Bunk | Bupkes | Buck | Buckeye | Buck Stops Here | Building | Bullpen | Bullseye | Bulls and Bears | Bully Pulpit | Bumbershoot | Bumps Under Nose | Bum's Rush | Bunco | Bungalow | Bungee | Bunny | Burton, Gone for a | Bus Boy | Bushed | Bushel and Peck | Busker | Busman Holiday | Busting Chops | Busting Chops Part 2 | Butcher | Butter | Butterfly | Buy the Farm | BVD | By and Large | Bye | By the Way
C
Cabal | Cabbage | Cabbage Night | Cad | Cahoots | Cakewalk | Calculus | Calf Rope | Call the Shots | Canard | Candidate | Candle, Hold a ... to | Candle, Worth the | Candy | Can of Corn | Canuck | Canute | Capers | Capricious | Carat/Karat | Carious | Card, He's a real | Carp | Carrot and Stick | Carry a Torch | Carry Water | Carte Blanche | Cartoon | Case Quarter | Cataract | Catawampus | Catbird Seat | Catch 22 | Cat Out of the Bag, Let the | Cats and Dogs, Raining | Cats in Zanzibar, Count the | Cats' Pajamas | Catspaw | Catsup | Cattycorner | Cattywampus | Catwalk | Chad | Chairman | Champing | Chap | Chaperon | Charger | Charlatan | Charleyhorse | Chase, Cut to the | Chat | Chaperon | Cheesecake | Cheese It | Cheese It Redux | Cheesy | Cheapskate | Cherish | Cherrypick | Chestnut | Chew the Fat | Chew the Scenery | Chimera | Chinese Fire Drill | Chip (on shoulder) | Chit | Chock full | Chogie | Chops | Chortle | Chowder | Chowderhead | Chuckwagon | Chum | Chump Change | Churchkey | Clam, Happy as a | Clean Your Clock | Cleave | Cliffhanger | Clip | Cloche | Clock/Watch | Clothes horse | Clout | Clone | Cloud Nine | Club | Coach | Cobweb | Cock and Bull | Cockamamie | Cock A Snook | Cockles | Cockpit | Cocktail | Codswallop | Cohort | Cold Feet | Cold Shoulder | Cold Turkey | Coleslaw | Colon | Colors, Names of | Comme Ci, Comme Ca | Comprise/Compose | Con Man | Concernful | Conn | Conniption | Consult | Cookadum | Cookie | Cook the Books | Copacetic | Cop a Plea | Coppish/Capeesh | Corker | Corny | Corporal's Guard | Cotton (verb) | Could Care Less | Coventry, to send to | Cracker | Crotchety | Cumshaw | Continually/Continuously | Cool | Cooter Brown, Drunk as | Cop | Copacetic | Copper Fastened | Coppish | Coruscating | Cottage cheese | Couch (verb) | Counting Sheep | Cowabunga | Crabby | Crabs and Ice Water | Cracked up to be | Crackerjack | Crackpot | Cranking | Cranky | Crazy | Crestfallen | Crib | Crikey | Crimeny | Crocodile Tears | Croker Sack | Crony | Cropper, Come a | Crowbar | Cry Uncle | Cuckhold | Culch | Cul de sac | Cummerbund | Cunning | Curates Egg | Curmudgeon | Curry | Curry Favor | Cut and Dried | Cut and Run | Cut Bait, Fish or | Cut the Fool | Cutlass | Cuts No Ice | Cyberspace
D
Daft | Dapper | Dark Horse | Darling | Dashboard | Date | Davy Jones' Locker | Daylights | Days of the Week | Deadline | Deadpan | Dead ringer | Dear John Letter | Deceased | Decimate | Decimate again | Deep Six | Denmark, Something Rotten in | Derbies | Derring-do | Dessert | Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Devil's Advocate | Devil Strip | Devious Derivations | Demean/Demeanor | Despot | Deus ex Machina | Dewdroppers (book review) | Dibs | Dick | Dickens, the | Dicks Hatband | Die Is Cast, The | Diggings | Dimple | Dining with Duke Humphrey | Directions (North, South, etc.) | Discombobulate | Disinterested | Dismal | Dismantle | Dite | Dive | Dixie | Dog and Pony Show | Dog Days | Dog Eat Dog | Dog, Hair of the | Dog in the Manger | Doggo, Lying | Dogrobber | Dogsbody | Dog's Dinner/Breakfast | Doggerel | Dog Is Hung, Until the Last | Dog, Putting on the | Dog's Life, A | Dogwatch | Doily | Dollar Bill Symbols | Dolly | Domino | Donnybrook | Don't Go There | Doodle | Doornail, Dead as a | Doozy | Dope | Dope (Coke) | Dopp Kit | Dord | Dotage | Double Dutch | Doughboy | Doughnut | Down (computers) | Down the Pike | Draconian | Draft | Drag | Drum (apartment) | Drunk as a Skunk | Dry Run | Ducks and Drakes | Ducks in a Row | Ducks in a Row Again | Duck in Thunder | Duck Soup | Dud | Dude | Dudgeon | Duffle | Dumbbell | Dun | Dunce | Dungarees | Durance Vile | Dutch Treat | Dutch Uncle | Dyed in the Wool
E
Ear of Corn | Earmarked | Ears Pinned Back | Eat Crow | Eavesdrop | eBay | Effect/Affect | e.g. and i.e. | Egg in Beer | Egg On | Egg on Your Face | Eighty-Six | Elements of Legal Style (review) | Elephant and Castle | Endorsation | Engineer | English/Body English | Epitaph | Ept | Esq. | Euchre | Even/Odd | Eyes Peeled | Eyeteeth | Exception Proves the Rule | Explode
F
Factoid | Fair Dinkum | Fair to Middling | Falsehood | Fanfare | Fan Mail from Some Flounder | Fantods | Fastfood | Fat Lady Sings, Until the | Faze | Feckless | Feedback | Feek | Feist/Feisty | Fell Swoop | Feral | Fiasco | Field Day | Filibuster | Finest (police) | Fink | Fired | First Water (Of the) | Fine-feathered Friend | F Words, assorted | Fisking | Five by Five | Flash in the Pan | Flat | Flesh Out | Flummoxed | Flutter | Fly Tipping | Four Flusher | Frank | Free Lunch | Fettle | Fib | Flabbergast | Flammable | Flank Speed | Flapjack | Flea Market | Fleer | Flender | Flight (of stairs) | Flip | Flotsam/Jetsam | Fluke | Flummadiddle | Flummox | Fly | Fly by night | Flying Colors | Fogey | Foiled | Folly | Foolscap | Footloose | Foot the Bill | Fortnight | Fossick | 4F (draft classification) | Foxed | Frame | Frank & Ernest | Fray | Fresh | Friend in Need | Frisbee | Frisk | Fritz, On The | Frog | Frog March | From Scratch | Fuddy Duddy | Fudge | Fungible | Fussbudget | Fusty | Fuzz
G
Gadget | Galleywest | Gallows | Galoot | Galoshes | Gamut | Gandy Dancer | Gangbusters | Garbroth (Mean as a) | Gargoyle | Garnish | Gaslight | Gaudy | Gauntlet/Gantlet | Gazump | Gedunk | Geek | Gee-Gee | Geezer | Gender-free Pronouns | Geoduck | Germ | Gerrymander | Get-go | Get One's Goat | Goatrope | Ghost in Machine | Gibbous | Giblets | Giddy | Gig | Gigalo | Gild the Lily | Gimlet | Gimmick | Ginger | Ginormous | Gist | Git | Gizmo | Glaikit | Glee Club | Glossary | Gnu | GNU/Linux | Gob | Gobbledygook | Gobsmacked | Going Jesse | Goldbrick | Golf | Golf Terms | Gone South | Good Books | Good Night | Goody Two-Shoes | Goofy | Goon | Gordon Bennett! | Gore | Gormless/Feckless | Gort | Gossamer | Gossip | Gotham | Go to the Wall | Gouge, the | Grain of Salt | Grammar/Glamor | Grapefruit | Grass | Grassroots | Grasswidow | Graveyard Shift | Gravitas | Gravy Train | Greenhorn | Green Room | Greyhound | Gridiron | Gringo | Grinney | Grog | Groom | Grotesque | Gry Part 1 | Gry Part 2 | Gubernatorial | Guff | Guinea Pig | Gullible | Gumshoe | Gunny Sack | Gurney | Gussied Up | Guy | Guy Wire | Gyp
H
Haha | Hairy | Halcyon | Ham | Hamburger | Handicap | Hands Down | Hand Over Fist | Handwriting on the Wall | Hangar | Hanker | Haphazard | Happy as Larry | Happy Camper | Hara-Kiri | Hard Cheese | Hardware | Harlequin | Hat in the Ring | Hatter, Mad as a | Hat Trick | Hawk | Haywire | Head | Healthy | Heat (sports) | Hector | Hedge | Heebee Jeebies | Heinous | Heirloom | Heist | Hell Bent for Leather | Hell in a Handbasket | Hello | Hello2 | Hell Sued for Murder | Heyday | Hick | Hickey | Highfalutin' | High Jinks | Hightail | Hijack | Hillbilly | Hip | History/Herstory | Hitchhike | Hobnob | Hobo | Hobson's Choice | Hocus Pocus | Hog on Ice | Hogwash | Hogwild | Hoi Polloi | Hoity-Toity | Hold the Line | Holiday Books 97 | More Holiday Books 97 | Honeycomb | Honeymoon | Honkytonk | Hoodlum | Hoodwink | Hooker | Hookie | Hook or Crook, by | Hooligan | Hoopie | Hoopla | Hoosegow | Hoosier | Hoosier Part 2 | Hootenanny | Hopscotch | Hornswoggle | Horse Apiece, A | Horse Latitudes | Horse on Me | Horseradish | Hose | Host | Hotbed | Hotshot | Huckleberry | Hullabaloo | Humbug | Humdrum | Humongous | Hunkydory | Hurrah's Nest | Hush Puppies | Hussy | Hustings
I
I and I | Idaho | Idaho Part 2 | Indian Giver | Indian Summer | Idiosyncrasy | Ikea | Incent | Indefatigable | Indentured | Indian Summer | Infantry | Influenza | In line/On Line 2 | Inscrutable | Internecine | Irish Bull | Irish Twins | Irk | Ishkabibble | Issue | I Swan | Italics | Its
J
Jackanape | Jackleg | Jack O'Lantern | Jackpot | Jaded | Jake | Jakebrake | Jaybird, Naked as a | Jaywalk | Jet | Jibe | Jig | Jimmies | Jingo | Jinx | Jeep | Jockey Box | Joe (coffee) | John Doe | Jones | Joshing | Jubilee | Juggernaut | Jumbi | Jumbo | Jump the Gun | Jump the Shark | Junket | Jury rig
K
Kangaroo | Kangaroo Court | Katie Bar the Door! | Keep Up with the Joneses | Kefuffle | Kemosabe | Kettledrum | Kewpie | Kibitzer | Kibosh | Kick over the Traces | Kick the Bucket | Kilter, Out of | Kings X | Kiosk | Kipe | Kipper | Kit and Caboodle | Kite | Kitty | Kludge | Klutz | Knickers | Knucklehead | Kowtow | Kudos
L
Labyrinth | Lace | Lager Lout | Lagniappe | Lally Column | Lam, on the | Lam, on the (redux) | Lame Duck | Landscape | Lapidary | Larruping | Lascivious | Late | Laughingstock | Laurels | Lazy Susan | Lead Pipe Cinch | Learn the Ropes | Lede | Leery | Leg, Pulling Your | Level Playing Field | Life of Riley | Like Flies | Limelight | Line in the Sand | Liverpudlian | Living Room / Kitchen | Lobby | Log | Loggerheads, At | Lollygag | Lollypop | Long (verb) | Long in the Tooth | Loon, Loony, Lunatic | Loop, Knocked for a | Lothario | Lousy | Lucky | Lukewarm | Lurch
M
Macabre | Macaroni | More Macaroni | Machete | Mack Daddy | Madcap | Mafia | Maggot | Magnanimous | Mahuscus | Main Squeeze | Malapropisms | Malarkey | Marcelled | Marmalade | Maroon | Martinet | Mascara | Maverick | Mawkish | Mayhem | Mayday | Mazda | Meal Names | Meander | Media | Meld | Melting Pot | Mentee | Mesmerize | Mess | Mettle | Mickey Finn | Miffed | Milktoast/Milquetoast | Mind Your Ps & Qs | Minx | Mistletoe | Mitten, Give the | Moggies | Moider | Moil | Mojo | Mollycoddle | Momentarily | Mondegreens | Mondegreens again | Moniker | Monty, The Full | Mook | Moonstruck | Moot | Mopery | More so | Morning | Mortarboard | Mortgage | Mosaic | Mosey | Motel | Moxie | Mox Nix | Mufti | Mug | Mugwump | Mullet (haircut) | Mulligan | Mumchance | Murphy's Law | Mush | Mushfake | Music, Face the | Mustard, Cut the | My Bad | Myrmidon
N
Namby Pamby | Name Is Mud | Napkin | Nap of the Earth | Nauseous | Nebbish | Neck of woods | Net Word Links | Newfangled | News | New York Minute | Nibs | Nice | Nick | Nick of Time | Nifty | Nightingale | Nightmare | Nimby | Nimrod | Nincompoop | Nitpicker | No Account | No Bones | No Cigar (Close, but) | No Flies On... | Nog | No Holds Barred | Nonplussed | Nonplussed, Again | Nook and Cranny | No Room to Swing a Cat | Nose, Cut Off Your to Spite... | Nose of Wax | Nose Out of Joint | Nosey Parker | Nostalgia | Nuclear (pronunciation) | Nut | Nuts (whacked) | Nutshell, In A | Nylon
O
Ockham's Razor | Octothorpe (# sign) | OED CD-ROM | Off the Handle | Off the Cuff | Olay | Ominous | One-Armed Paper Hanger | On Line/In Line | On Point | On the Ball | On the Carpet | On the Nose | Oops | Orange | Ornery | Other Shoe Drops | Out in the Wash | Outlandish | Out of Pocket | Out of Pocket again | Over a Barrel | Over the Hill | Over the Top | Overwhelm | Oxymoron
P
P's and Q's | Paddy Wagon | Painter (rope) | Pajamas | Pan | Pandemonium | Panhandle | Pantaloon, Pants | Paparazzi | Parachute | Paraphernalia | Pariah | Party Line | Patent | Patient | Patsy | Peachy | Peacoat | Peanut Gallery | Pear-shaped | Peccadillo | Peck's Bad Boy | Pecksniff | Pedigree | Peeve | Pejorative | Penguin | Pent Up | Pep | Per Se | Persiflage | Persnickety | Pet | Petard | Petcock | Pettifogger | Pharmacist | Philadelphia Lawyer | Phillips Head Screwdriver | Phony | Picayune | Picket | Pickle | Pickled as an Owl | Picnic | Pied Piper | Piehole | Pigeon Pair | Pig in a Poke | Pig Latin | Piker | Pillar to Post | Pillow | Pinch, in a | Pine | Pineapple | Pink Slip | Pinky | Pins and Needles | Pip | Pipe Down | Pipe Dream | Piping Hot | Pipsqueak | Piqued | Pitcher | Pith Helmet | Pixilated | Plagiarism | Plaid/Tartan | Plastic | Platonic | Pleased as Punch | Plew | Plug (Promote) | Plugged Nickel | Plumber | Plus Fours | Plutocracy | Poach | Podiatrist | Po-faced | Politics | Polecat/Poltroon | Police | Pollyanna | Pommies | Pompatus | Pontificate | Pony | Ponzi Scheme | Poobah | Poodling | Pookah | Poop Deck | Pork Barrel | Port and Starboard | Portico | Posh | Posh II | Posh, Yet Again | Possum/Opossum | Posthaste | Potable | Potboiler | Pot, Go to | Pothole | Potshot | Practical Joke | Prat | Prelude | Press, the | Primrose Path | Privy | Proactive | Prom | Proof (alcohol) | Proof of the Pudding | Pug | Pule | Pullet | Pull the Wool Over One's Eyes | Pundit | Pushing the Envelope | Put a Sock in it | Put Paid To | Putting on the Dog |
Q
Quack | Quaff | Quid | Quintessential | Quire | Quirk | Quiz | QT, on the
R
Rabblerouser | Rack and Ruin | Racket/Racquet | Radio | Raft | Ragamuffin | Ramshackle | Rammy | Rangy | Rapscallion | Rap Sheet | Rasher | Ravel/Unravel | Ravenous | Real McCoy, The | Realtor | Reckless | Redd Up | Redhanded | Red Cent | Red Herring | Red Letter Day | Redolent | Red State, Blue State | Red Tape | Regime Change | Register | Rehearse | Reindeer | Remember | Rendition | Repent/Penthouse | Res Ipsa Loquitur | Restaurant | Reticule | Revolution | Rhubarb | Riddle | Rifle | Right (vs. Left) | Rigmarole | Ring (of truth) | Rink | Riot Act, Read the | Roast or Bake? | Rock and a Hard Place | Rockbottom | Rodeo | Roger | Role vs. Roll | Roll Up! | Rookie | Root | Rope Yarn Sunday | Rosie, Ring Around the | Rotgut | Roughneck | Rubber Game | Rubbering | Rubric | Rue | Rule of Thumb | Rumpus | Runcible
S
Sabotage | Saccharin | Salad Days | Salisbury Steak | Salmagundi | Sally Port | Saloon/Salon | Salver | Sam Hill | Sanction | Sandbag | Sandboy, Happy as a | Sandwich | Saunter | Sawbuck | Scab | Scads | Scallywag | Scapegoat | Scarf | Scapegrace | Schadenfreude | Schneid | Scissorbill | Scoleric (Sclerotic) | Scotch (verb) | Scot Free | Scotious/Stocious | Scut | Scuttlebutt | Sea Change | Seafaring Terms | Seat of Your Pants | Seconds Flat | Seeded | Seedy | Seersucker | See the Elephant | Segue | Serendipity | Serif | Sesquipedilian | Shake a Stick at | Shampoo | Shamus | Shanks Mare | Shebang | Sheeny | Shellac | Shenanigans | Sherbet | Shiftless | Shill | Shindig | Shingles | Ship of Fools | Shoddy | Shoe-in | Shower (bridal, etc.) | Shrift | Shrink | Sic | Sick as a Dog | Sideburns | Sidekick | Silhouette | Silly | Simoleon | Sincere | Sine Die | Sirloin | Sixes and Sevens | Skeezix | Skell | Skidoo, 23 | Skid Row | Skieve | Skiff | Skinflint | Skin of One's Teeth | Skinny | Skittish | Skive | Skivvy | Skosh | Skunkworks | Sleazy | Sleep Tight | Sleep Tight ii | Slew/Slough | Sliced Bread | Slumgullion | Smart Aleck | Smithereens | Smoke and Mirrors | Smorgasbord | Snake Oil | Snarky | Snipe | Snob | Snollygoster | Somersault | Snook, Cock A | Snuck (vs. Sneaked) | Snuff, Up to | Soapbox | Soapbox 2 | Sober | Soccer | Sockdolager | Socked In | Socks Off, Knock Your | Sofa | Software | Soldier | Son of a Gun | Sophistry | Sorry | Sorry, Charlie | Soup and Fish | Soup to Nuts | Soup to Nuts Again | Soup Up | Southpaw | Spade, Call a | Spam | Spatchcock | Specious | Spend a Penny | Spondoulick | Spendthrift | Spick and Span | Spiff | Spin Doctor | Spinster | Spirits | Spitting Image | Spring | Sprog | Spooning | Spud | Square Meal | Squeegee | Squelch | Squib | Stakeout | Stan (as in Pakistan) | Staple | Stark Naked | Staunch | Stay the Course | Step (-brother, etc.) | Stevedore | Stick in the Mud | Stool Pigeon | Stinch | Stinking Rich | Stir Crazy | Stoked | Stop | Story (of a building) | Stove Up | Strand | Strawboss | Streaking | Strikhedonia | Srudel | Stump | Stumped | Stupid | Sty/Steward | Stymie | Sub Rosa | Succedaneum | Succotash | Sundae | Sunshower | Superb | Surcee | Suss | Sussy | Svengali | Swag | Swain | Swannee | Swansong | Swashbuckler | Sweat, Perspire, Glow` | Sweepstakes | Swindle | Swoop, One Fell | Sybarite
T
Tabs On | Tack | Tacky | Take the Biscuit | Talking Through One's Hat | Tarmac | Tarnation | Tattersall | Tattoo | Tawdry | Taxicab | Tchotchke | Teen | Tee, to a | Teetotaler | Teddy | Tenterhooks | Terrible/Terrify/Terrific | Thanksgiving Words | There, There | Therm | They, Their, Them (vs. Him/Her, etc.) | The Works | Thimblerigger | Three Sheets | Thumbing Nose | Ticket, That's the | Tickety-Boo | Tidbit | Tie One On | Time and Tide | Tinker's Damn | Tip | Tissue of Lies | Toady | Toast (to propose a) | Toaster | Toast Soldiers | To Boot | Toe the Line | Tomato | Tomfoolery | Tommy | Ton | Tongue, cat got your? | Tongue in Cheek | Tontine | Tonto | Tony | Toodle | Topnotch | Topsy | Topsy-turvy | Touch and Go | Tout | Towhead | Train | Trenchcoat | Trivia | Truck | Tryst | Tuckered | Tule Fog | Tump | Turncoat | Turnip Truck | Turkeybird | Turnpike | Turn the Tables | Tussy-Mussy | Tutu | Twee | Tweezers | Twenty-Three Skidoo | Twerp | Twig | Two Cents Worth | Two to Tango | Tycoon
U
Ululate | Umbrage | Umpire | Uncle, Bob is Your | Uncle, Say | Understanding | Undertaker | Unrequited | Up in Annie's Room | Upper Crust | Uppers | Upshot | Uxorious
V
Vacation | Vain | Vaudeville | Vet | Veterinarian | Vice | Vig/Vigorish | Village Idiot | Vindaloo | Visiting Fireman | Vitriol
W
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wordorigins (wor)
Origins of Words and Phrases
by David Wilton
Word & Phrase Origins
A Way With Words
Etymology of common words and phrases
History of the English language
Word List
Wort-Liste
Wordorigins.org is devoted to the origins of words and phrases, or as a linguist would put it, to etymology. Etymology is the study of word origins. (It is not the study of insects; that is entomology.) Where words come from is a fascinating subject, full of folklore and historical lessons. Often, popular tales of a word’s origin arise. Sometimes these are true; more often they are not. While it can be disappointing when a neat little tale turns out to be untrue, almost invariably the true origin is just as interesting.
A Way With Words is our weekly electronic newsletter. It's free. A Way With Words addresses the topics of language and linguistics for the lay person. It's not just about word and phrase origins, but slang, grammar, writing style, puns, book reviews, names, and anything to do with words and language.
Last Updated 10 June 2005
This is the list, some 400 words and phrase origins. The words and phrases are selected because their origins are inherently interesting or because some bit of folklore, sometimes true and sometimes false, is associated with the origin. The etymologies of common words with straightforward explanations can be found in any good dictionary and I do not attempt to reproduce them here. Many, if not most, of the words have been added as a result of questions or suggestions from readers of the site.
The Big List (16.03.2007)
This is the list, some 400 word and phrase origins. The words and phrases are selected because their origins are inherently interesting or because some bit of folklore, sometimes true and sometimes false, is associated with the origin. The etymologies of common words with straightforward explanations can be found in any good dictionary and I do not attempt to reproduce them here. Many, if not most, of the words have been added as a result of questions or suggestions from readers of the site.
The Big List (01.09.2005)
A: All Your Base Are Belong To Us | America | Apron strings, Tied To | at sixes and sevens
B: Bailiwick | Baker's Dozen | Balling the Jack | Balls to the Wall | Bandwagon | Barbecue | Baseball | Bated Breath | Bedlam | Beefeater | Beeswax | Belfry / Bats In The Belfry | Bigwig | Bimbo | Bit / Byte | Bit / Two Bits | Bizarre | black box | Blackbox | Blackguard | Blackmail | Blimp | Blind Tiger / Blind Pig | Blockbuster | Bloody | Blue / Blues | Blue Moon | Blurb | Bob's Your Uncle | Bogart | Bogey | Booby | Boondocks | Boondoggle / woggle | Booze | Brass monkey, cold enough to freeze the balls off a | Brass Tacks | Break A Leg | Broad | Brothel | Brownie Points | Buck (Dollar) | Buckley's Chance | bull & bear markets | Bullpen | Bulls and Bears | Bumper Crop | Bunk | Busman's Holiday | buy a pig in a poke | Buy The Farm | By and Large
C: Cabal | Call a Spade a Spade | Cancer | Capitol/Capital | Catch-22 | Caucus | Cesarean Section | Chad | Chairman | Charger Plate | Charley Horse | China | Chow | Church Key | Cinch / lead pipe cinch | Cloud Nine | Coin A Phrase | Cold...Brass Monkey | Cold Turkey | Cold War | Colonel | Commando | Condom | Cop | Cotton-Picking | Cracker | Crackerjack | Crap/Craps | Curfew | Curmudgeon | Cut the Mustard | Cut to the Chase | Cyber-
D: Dago | Dark and Stormy Night | Davy Jones Locker | Deadline | Debt/Trespass/Sin | Devil to Pay | Dirt Poor | Dixie | Dog Eat Dog | Doh / Duh | Dollar | Dollars to Doughnuts | Dongle | Doozy | Dope | Dork | Doughboy | Doughnut | Drag Race | Dressed to the Nines | Drink The Kool-Aid | Dry Run | Dukes | Dunce | Dutch Treat | Dyke
E: Eavesdrop | Eeny, Meany, Miney, Moe | Egg On | Eighty-Six | Elephant, To See The | Ethnic Cleansing | Eureka | Evolution
F: Face the Music | Faggot | Fair to Middling | Fat Lady Sings | Field Day | Fifth Column | Filibuster | Fire | Five-By-Five | flea market | Flying Colors | Flying Saucer | Fortnight | Free-lance | freelance | Free Lunch | French Kiss | fritz, on the | frog march | Frog-march | Fudge | The Full Monty | Fuzz
H: hack | Hacker | Hackney | Handicap | Happy as a Clam | Harlot | Hat Trick | Hawk a Loogie | Heathen | hell in a handbasket | hellbent for leather | Hell-Bent for Leather | Hell in a Handbasket | Hello | Hermetic Seal | Hero | Hobson's Choice | Hock a Loogie | Hocus-Pocus | Hogan's Goat | Homecoming | Honeymoon | Honky / Hunky / Hunyak / Honyock | Hooch / hootchy-kootchy | Hoodwink | Hooker | Hooky | Hooligan | Hot Dog | Hotshot | Huckleberry | Humble Pie | Hunky-Dory | Hustings | Hysteria
I: In Like Flynn | Indian Giver | Indian Summer | Ivory Tower | Ivy League
J: Jack Robinson | Jackleg / Jackknife | Java / Joe | Jaywalk | Jazz | Jeep | Jerk / jerkwater / jerk-off / jerky | Jerry-Built / Jury Rig | Jinx | Jody/Joe The Grinder | John Bull | Jones | Joneses, Keeping Up With The | Jump The Shark
K: Kangaroo / Kangaroo Court | Katy, Bar the Door | Keeping Up With The Joneses | Keep Your Nose Clean | Keister | Kibosh | Kick The Bucket | Kilroy Was Here | Kit and Caboodle | Kitty-corner | Knickerbocker / knickers | Knight | Ku-Klux Klan
L: lam, on the | Lead-Pipe Cinch | Leatherneck | Left Wing | Lent | Let the Cat Out of the Bag | Life of Riley | lobby / lobbyist | Lock and Load | Lock, Stock, & Barrel | Lollygag | Long in the Tooth | Lord | lorem ipsum… | Lukewarm | Lynch
M: Man/Woman | Martini | Mayday | Mayhem | Milquetoast | mind your p’s and q’s | Misdemeanor / high misdemeanor | Mojo | Moll | Mondegreen | Morphology | Mortgage | Muckety-Muck | Mulligan | Murphy's Law
N: Narc | Neck of the Woods | Nerd | new / News | New York Minute | Nigger | Nightingale | Nightmare | Nose (Keep Your Nose Clean)
O: Off The Wall | Old Army Game | On the Fritz | On the Lam | Orange | Outside the Box | over a barrel
P: P's and Q's | Pagan | Pandemonium | Pay Through The Nose | Peanut/Peanut Gallery | Peloton | Phat | Phony | Piccaninny | Pig | Pig in a Poke | Pipe Dream | Pizzazz | Plugged Nickel | Poindexter | Point Blank | Poker | Politically Correct | Poop Deck | Port / Larboard / Starboard | Pot-boiler | Pound Sand | Posh | Pros From Dover | Pull the Wool Over His Eyes | Pushing the Envelope | Pussyfoot
Q: Q.T., On The | Quiz
R: Rabbit Test / the rabbit died | Rain Cats and Dogs | rain check | Raincheck | Rap / Rap Sheet | read the riot act | Real McCoy | Redhanded | Redneck | Reggae | Rhubarb | Ring Around the Rosie | Riot Act | Roger | Rope-A-Dope | Rube Goldberg | Rule of Thumb
S: Sabbatical | Sabotage | Salad Days | Sam Hill | Sawbuck | Say "Uncle" | Scab | Scapegoat | Scot free | Screw the Pooch | Scuttlebutt | sea change | Sea-Change | Secretary | Seed | Shark | Shit | Short Shrift | Shrink | Sideburns | Sin/Trespass/Debt | Sixes and Sevens, At | Skedaddle | Skid Row | Sleep Tight | Smart Alec | Smoking Gun | Soccer | Soho | Son of a Gun | S.O.S. | Southpaw | Spam | Spic | Spick And Span | Spitting Image | Spud | Square Meal | Squaw | Star | State of the Art | Station Wagon | Stool Pigeon | Swan Song | Sweeps
T: Tabloid | tail wagging the dog | Taliban | Taps | Teetotal | Terrorism | Testify | that’s white of you | think outside the box | Third Degree | Three Sheets to the Wind | Threshold | Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater | Tinker's Damn | Tip | Toe The Line | Tongue In Cheek | Tow-Headed | Trench Mouth / Trench Foot | Trespass / Debt / Sin | Triage | Trip The Light Fantastic | Trivia | Truck Farm | Turkey | Twenty-Three Skidoo | Two Bits/Bit
U: Uncle Sam | Under the Weather | United Nations | up to snuff | Upset | Upsydaisy | Up To Snuff
V: Vampire | Vaudeville
W: Wag the Dog | Wake | Weapons of Mass Destruction | Weird | Welch | Whistleblower | White of You | Whole Nine Yards | Whole Shebang | Widow | Widow's Peak | Windy City | With a Grain of Salt | Wog | Woman/Man | Wop | World War #
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