Listening to a snatch of the cricket commentary the other day, I was informed that the contest in Adelaide was gruelling. I confess that from our cold but snug cottage I couldn’t quite see how sunny Australia managed to gruel, but gruel it did. Gruel is one of those odd …
I know it is a bit late, but let us talk about Hogmanay Hogmanay, the Scots New Year, is one of those words that sounds irretrievably non-Latinate, unless you remove the hogm, in which case it sounds exactly like the French word année, or year. Hogmanay is a mysterious word …
Start with something simple. We’ve got the verb give, which we all know, and the thing that you give is a gift. They’re quite obviously related. This is Not Interesting. Then you’ve got people who use the word gift as a verb, as in “I gifted it to him.” That’s …
The word “distressed” might seem straightforward, but a closer look reveals a rich and surprising history. Financial applications of “distressed” are particularly relevant today. We often hear about “distressed companies” and “distressed assets” during economic downturns. Interestingly, these terms were used as early as the 19th century! An 1866 Times …
Alphonse Allais, a French artist and humorist who straddled the late 19th and early 20th centuries, carved a unique niche for himself with his playful and often absurd approach to both art and language. Allais’ work defied artistic conventions and embraced the unexpected, as evidenced by his infamous 1883 exhibition. …
The word “extravaganza” boasts a rich history, journeying from its specific literary roots to encompass the extravagant displays of today. Originally borrowed from Italian, “extravaganza” first described a 19th-century writing style known for its excessive elaborateness. Victorian stage plays served as prime examples, often featuring fantastical elements and whimsical interpretations …
The other day I happened to use the word skinflint, and even as the word was popping out of my mouth, it occurred to me to wonder where on earth it had come from. Does it meant that you’re flinty-skinned? Or that you have such a lean and hungry look …
Japan is a wonderful country, a place of poetry, because their words are so beautiful. Japan itself is Chinese for sun rising, Nippon is Japanese for the same, and their language is filled with such word-pictures. Take karaoke, which I once associated only with those who possess less shame than …
In the sterile hush of hospitals, amidst beeps and murmurs, there exists a word with surprising charm: “phlebotomist.” This tongue twister, with its Greek roots meaning “blood-taker,” doesn’t readily roll off the tongue. Yet, within its syllables lies a hidden elegance, a beauty unveiled upon closer examination. Imagine, if you …
It was, I believe, a certain M. Étiemble who devoted a whole book to the condemnation of what he called Franglais — the long-term debauching of French by commercial English (strictly speaking, commercial American). However such a liaison may be refused benefit of academy, nothing can prevent its becoming a …
