Your comments and questions:

---

Q:  Gday Kel, You may have already covered this one, but a favourite term used by reporters is the word “backflip.” They use it to characterise a reversal of policy by political parties, as you know. The trouble is that when someone does a backflip, he [sic] ends up facing the same way as when he [sic] started! I’m pretty sure that’s not what reporters want to communicate.

The old terms, “about-face” (military) or even “volte-face” (French), can be used. Also available are “flip-flop” and “turnabout.” Might be worth a mention? Cheers, Peter

A: The great abusers of 'backflip' are journalists -- this is a lazy, journalistic cliche. Think about it for a moment. 'Backflip' (coined in 1893) means "A backward somersault" (Oxford) -- and that involves an acrobat spinning 360 degrees in the air and landing on their feet facing the way they were when they began.  So, a 'backflip is not a reversal of position. And, yes, 'about face' would be a much better expression. But lazy journalists don't put their brain into gear, don't use any mental muscle, and so don't understand.

Q:  Kel, "sanction" is a curious word as it seems to have two meanings at odds with each other ... to ratify versus to penalise. Best Regards, Terence

A: 'Sanction' (from a French source word) came into English as a technical legal term (in the 1500s). It means, in effect, drawing a line. So that which is within the line is permitted, whatever is outside the line in banned. So, a 'sanction' imposed on Iran by America says, "this is outside the line and is banned." But when something is 'sanctioned' (meaning 'permitted') it is inside the line and is allowed. 'Sanction' can mean both, because it refers to the legal line that is drawn.

Q:  Please can you explain the saying -"As happy as a sandboy"- what is a sandboy and why are they happy? Thanks Alison

A:  The sandboys of the expression actually sold sand. Boy here was a common term for a male worker of lower class (as in bellboy, cowboy, and stableboy), which comes from an old sense of a servant. It doesn’t imply the sellers were young.  The selling of sand wasn’t such a peculiar occupation as you might think, as there was once a substantial need for it. It was used to scour pans and tools and was sprinkled on the floors of butchers’ shops, inns and taprooms to take up spilled liquids. Later in the century it was superseded by sawdust.  Their prime characteristic, it seems, was an inexhaustible desire for beer. Charles Dickens referred to the saying, by then proverbial, in The Old Curiosity Shop in 1841: “The Jolly Sandboys was a small road-side inn of pretty ancient date, with a sign, representing three Sandboys increasing their jollity with as many jugs of ale”.   So sandboys were happy because they were drunk. At first the saying was meant ironically. Only where the trade wasn’t practised — or had died out — could it became an allusion to unalloyed happiness. 

Q:  Hi Kel, where did the word gab come from? A few examples of its usage are gabfest, and gift of the gab. John

A: 'Gab' is a very old word. In From the 1700s it usually meant 'talk' (sometimes foolish or empty talk). And that's the meaning it still carries today. So, a 'gabfest' is a conference with a lot of talking and 'gift of the gab' is the ability to speak fluently (and perhaps persuasively). But where the original word came from remains obscure. It may have come from an Old French word, or possibly from an even old Germanic source word -- the experts are unsure. 

Q:  I find that the word "insane" has taken on dozens of new meanings. A unique automobile might be described as "insane." Even professional journalists describe riots and misbehavior as "insane". Absurd and illogical government policy has become "insane". Why can't people use more accurate descriptors? Rod

A: That's a good observation Rod. Yes, 'insane' is now being used as a term of approval -- as "insanely good value." An absurd misuse of the word.

Q:  I am a Certified Practicing Valuer of over 30yrs experience. Frustrated by the current misuse of the word "SQUARES" by commentators. A Square is 100 sq ft or approx. 9.3 sq metres NOT 1 square metre! The term was used in the past, and presently by home builders, to describe the size of a house. I was surprised to recently hear a lady REI representative on Ross Greenwood's show describe a house as being on so many hundred "squares" -an absurd prospect. Should know better. Jeff 

A: Yes, they should! Thanks for setting us straight.

Q:  Kel, can you please sort out the difference between 'effect' and 'affect' please? What does 'ruthless' mean? If you are without 'ruth' what are you missing? Dennis

A: 'Affect' is the verb and 'effect' is the noun. (He was affected by drinking too much--and the effect was he fell over.) 'Ruth' is an old word meaning compassion. So, someone who is ruthless lacks compassion. 

Q:  Given the malleability and elasticity which the word "genocide" has acquired since 7/10/23, do you think that it would be too much of a stretch (pun intended) to call the government's energy policy a genocide against the availability and affordability of energy as well as against the viability of industries in this country? Leon

A: Yes, it would be too much of a stretch. 'Genocide' is a real word with a real meaning. It is not elastic. It means what Hitler did in the death camps. We mustn't cheapen it by stretching it other, lesser, things. We must not fall into the trap of the halfwits who chant pro-Palestinian slogans.

Q: After the Voice referendum I suggested to our local community association, which is very influential, that we drop the Welcome to Country at the start of every meeting.  You would have thought I had suggested that we poison the local water supply.  One member said “she was insulted” and resigned later from the committee and I was told, forcefully that, despite the fact that our electorate had voted no, our “booth” had voted “yes” and I would just have to accept that. The Secretary is still doing it at each meeting and has even expanded it to a homily to all descendants of aboriginals in our electorate! Gee! Peter

A: I have written about this in the current issue "Quadrant" (should now be at your newsagent).

Q: Jim asks about the meaning of 'metal road.' He says that driving in New Zealand he saw signs saying, 'metal road ahead'--so what is a 'metal road.'

A:  Metal roads are those that have been surfaced with a hard material such as metal, asphalt, or concrete. They are much more durable than unmetalled roads and can last for many years with proper maintenance. The Cambridge Dictionary says: 'A metalled road is covered with small or crushed stones.' From the 1500s 'metal' has been used for earthen materials such as clay, slate, shale or gravel. Calling such material on roads 'metal' started in Scotland in the 1700s.

Q:  Dear Kel, reading a book on the history of Malta and it says that the Treaty of Amiens was based on the policies of the British Government and a "pie crust promise" by Napoleon Bonaparte. None of my reference books mention this figure of speech. What is a "pie crust promise"? Carolyn 

A: I can't find the source, but a "pie crust promise" is one that is easily made and easily broken. 

Q:  Growing up I remember my mum saying someone (usually an older male was a "silly old coot" Can you tell me where this one came from, please. Lynda 

A: There was a water bird called the 'coot' (the best known being the 'bald coot') under this name from around 1382. So, to call someone a 'silly old coot' is to call them a bird brain!

Q:  The word "agreement" seems to have been compromised by some people substituting it with a so-called word "agreeance". Your thoughts please. Warren.

A: The modern use of this word seems to result from a confusion between 'agreement' and 'compliance' -- and to be used by the semi-literate. However, quite by accident they have stumbled across an ancient Scottish word ('agreeance') that was in this way from 1525.

Q:  Hi Kel, could you please give a definitive meaning of indifferent, also how did it come into usage? Thanks. John

A: The core meaning is 'not inclined to one thing or another.' Or as the Oxford puts it (in its very precise way): "Without difference of inclination; not inclined to prefer one person or thing to another; unbiased, impartial, disinterested, neutral; fair, just, even, even-handed." So, it means a kind of neutrality. You can use this in lots of ways. For example, if you said you were in 'indifferent health' you would mean that you were not exactly healthy or ill, but somewhere in between. And it has had pretty much meant this since it came into English in 1413. Behind it is Latin word meaning 'making no difference.'

Q:  Where did “Well, spare me days” come from? Regards Brian 

A: This is an Aussie coinage, from around 1916. It was born as (and still is) an exclamation of surprise. 'Spare' originally meant 'protected from injury' and hence 'unharmed'. So, the phrase might have been born as a cry that I don't want to see that inflected on us! Hence, 'spare' us.

Q:  There’s one particular thing that really annoys me and I’m wondering whether I have a right to be annoyed or not. It’s the phrase “I would say…” that is used by people, usually in high places, particularly politicians, as a prelude to answering a question. (Penny Wong is very good at it). If they would say something, then why not just say it? Why can’t they just answer the question? Nev

A: It is a padding phrase -- often used while compiling the next sentence in their head. Any politician who would just answer question directly, would become a powerful communicator. Come to think of it -- that's what makes Jacinta Nampijimpa Price to effective. 

Q:  Why do media report of accidents always tell us Someone ‘collided with a tree’. I thought to collide both subjects had to be moving. In the case of a disaster i.e. earthquake, people are always scrambling to rescue survivors. Perhaps they might be desperately trying to find them. Keren

A: (1) "Collide" -- This is one of the most persistent myths in journalism—that ‘collision’ can’t be used when a car, travelling at high speed, hits a tree (which was just standing still, minding its own business). In fact, the most confident (or smart alec) journalists will insist there’s another word that should be used instead— ‘allision.’ And they are perfectly correct that the word ‘allision’ exists and has been used (since 1615) to mean ‘the action of striking something against something else.’ Mind you, if we wrote a story about the ‘allision’ between a car and a tree we would confuse most of our readers and listeners—and fail to convey that there had been an accident at all.  (2) "Scramble" -- literally means to move hastily (and in disorder). It is a pointless journalistic cliche. Eggs can be scrambled, but not rescues, which are often well organised and systematic. 

Q:  In the context of us hearing the term ' cost of living crisis' ad nauseam, what about the origin of trying to 'make ends meet'? Or 'tighten our belts'? Where did they come? Rick

A: (1) 'Make ends meet' comes from double entry bookkeeping -- where the "end" (the bottom line) of each column (expenditure and income) should "meet" (should agree -- should be the same). (2) 'tighten our belts' refers to the waistline -- and the notion of eating less because we have less income. The result will be weight loss and pulling your belt on notch tighter. Both are now used figuratively.

Q:  I am wondering about the words “death throes”. I’m sure I’ve always seen it written as death throws. Which is correct? Annette

A: The correct form is 'death throes', and it goes back to the days of Old English, to around 1300. These days we often use it figuratively for anything which is coming to a conclusion, but originally it was literal -- meaning those who died in violent pain. The ancient word 'throes' meant a violent spasm. It was especially applied to the contractions of childbirth (and death in childbirth in those days was not uncommon).

Q:  Kel My parents often said to me ‘Don’t shillyshally’ when I was slow in getting ready. Where did that word come from? Cheers Ian 

A: It means being indecisive. It's recorded from 1700 as a corruption of the self-questioning phrase: 'shall I, or shall I not?'

Q:  Hi Kel, on a Sky News segment, they were discussing a cliffhanger election result still in the balance and too close to call. One presenter said, " we're back to even stevens ". Where did that phrase come from? Thanks. John

A: It began as an American colloquialism from around 1837. It's simply a rhyming reduplication -- and the English language is (and always has been) very fond of rhyming reduplications: they catch on, and people repeat them. The earliest example is a piece of journalism that was trying to capture the sound of uneducated speakers. So, that may be where it was born.

Q:  Someone recently told me that the plural of spouse was spices. I had not heard this before, I always thought it was spouses. Can you please clarify Regards Rosalyn 

A: I suspect someone was pulling your leg. Back in the 1400s 'spices' was (rarely) used as a plural for 'species' but is now completely obsolete. It has never been, and is not now, a plural for 'spouse.' I suppose they intended a play on words: 'mouse' becomes 'mice' so 'spouse' becomes 'spice' -- except that it doesn't!

Q:  Here is a word that I have never heard before.  Came from an article in Quadrant re Johnson’s reported comment on patriotism and scoundrels! "Patriotism having become one of our topicks [sic], Johnson suddenly uttered, in a strong determined tone, an apophthegm, at which many will start: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”. But let it be considered, that he did not mean a real and generous love of our country, but that pretended patriotism which so many, in all ages and countries, have made a cloak for self-interest. I maintain, that certainly not all patriots were scoundrels. Being urged (not by Johnson) to name an exception, I mentioned an eminent person [Edmund Burke], whom we all greatly admired." I would love to know the sources of that word! Cheers, Peter

A: "apophthegm" means "a terse pointed saying" -- which certainly covers Dr Johnson's words. It's recorded in English from 1570. Behind it lies an Ancient Greek word apothegma which may have reached English via Medieval Latin. The Greek original meant something like speaking one's mind clearly (perhaps bluntly!)

Q:  Hi Kel, I came across a word today that had me wondering of its origins. The word is "Brouhaha", as in some sort of ruckus or confected protest. Daryll

A: It's recorded from around 1890 and comes from an exactly similar French word with exactly the same meaning "commotion." Some experts claim it started in the French Medieval theatre where it was a cry issued by the devil when he came on stage -- and threatening to bring commotion on the scene. If that is correct it was probably an invented word -- coined by an actor or producer to sound threatening and alien and hellish.

Q:  Can you tell me where the saying "Armed to the Teeth" comes from. Thanks.  Charles

A:  One widely accepted theory is that the phrase originates from the Middle Ages. During this period, the expression “to the teeth” was used to mean “completely” or “fully,” much like “from head to toe.” Therefore, an individual fully armed with weapons from head to toe would be considered “armed to the teeth.” This aligns with the medieval context of knights, who were heavily armored and equipped with weapons all over their bodies. 

Q:  Hi, Kel, I've been hearing the words "laser like" -- where did this terminology start from?  Thank you, Margaret. 

A: 'Laser" comes from the initials of the term "Light Amplification by the stimulated Emission of Radiation" (coined in 1960). The resulting beam is extremely narrow and focussed.  Calling any highly focussed activity 'laser like' appears to be an Australian coinage -- and as far as I have been able to discover was first used in the Robodebt Royal Commission in February 2023.

Q: Tony asks why swimmers are called 'budgie smugglers'?

A: In the 1990s a number of people were caught at Australian airports trying to smuggle exotic (and valuable) Australian birds out of the country, concealed in their clothing. From this, in 1998 men's tight Speedo togs were nicknamed 'budgie smugglers' -- implying that the bulge in the groin was bird not bloke.

Q:  Hi Kel, when did the ABC first start being referred to as " Aunty ", and why? Thanks, John

A: From the beginning the ABC was modelled on the BBC. When 'Auntie' started being applied to the BBC in 1953 it was quickly transferred to the ABC -- which at the time was seen as a similarly old fashioned rather twee institution. (Very different from the raging socialism of today's ABC!) In 1977 Ellis Blain called his memoirs of broadcasting for the ABC Life with Aunty.

Q: I keep hearing the two indefinite articles "a" and "an" being misused -- please explain the rules. Brian

A: "a" is used before a consonant or a consonant sound. E. g. "uniform" starts with a vowel but is said with a consonant sound (as a "y" -- yooniform) so it takes "a".  And even the soft consonant 'h' should take 'a' not 'an'. So, it is wrong to say, 'an hotel' or 'an historian.'  "an" is used before a vowel sound -- so any word starting with an a, e, u, i, o, u sound takes "a".

Q:  As the etymology of our name "Liberal" indicates, we have stood for freedom ... We took the name 'Liberal' because we were determined to be a progressive party, willing to make experiments, in no sense reactionary but believing in the individual, his right and his enterprise, and rejecting the socialist panacea. I am beginning to get the impression that it was Howard who polluted this clear-sighted view with "conservative" ideas ... or lack of them. Best Regards, Terence.

A:  I don't agree. Menzies always saw classical liberalism as a combination of freedom and responsibility. Without responsibility freedom becomes licence, and another political philosopher altogether: Libertarianism. And the 'responsibility' component of classical liberalism always meant an emphasis on the rule of law and being responsible for protecting our civilisation. That's certainly where Howard stands -- in the Menzies tradition.  

Q:  I'm appalled at how many people say "disinterested", when what they really mean is "uninterested".  Am I right to be annoyed? Peter

A: Yes, probably. 'Disinterested' means impartial, unbiased, having no concern ('interest') in the matter. 'Uninterested' means bored, lacking any interest in the proceedings. The differences are clear -- but the Oxford makes the point that in informal conversation 'disinterested' is increasingly being used when 'uninterested' is meant. It may be too late to correct it now.

Q:  We were talking about Malcolm Turnbull and the words "white ant" and "fifth column" came up. We are all avid watchers of the Wednesday Words Matter so it would be good if you could explain the origin and differences with Peta please. Alan 

A:  (1) "White ant" -- goes back to the early 1600s as a popular name for termites. It comes from an almost identical Portuguese expression formiga branca.  Termites are more closely related to cockroaches than to true ants but resemble ants in living in large colonies. In Australian slang 'white ant' is used in two ways: meaning either (a) the supposed destruction of the brain by white ants, implying loss of sanity, sense, and intelligence or (b) to undermine or subvert from within (both from the early 1900s). (2) "Fifth column" -- comes from the Spanish civil war. One of Franco's generals (General Emile Mola) had Madrid surrounded by four columns of infantry in 1936 and boasted he had a 'fifth column' of citizens inside the city who would rise up and support him.  

Q:  Derivation of the verb to “snaffle”? Gerry

A: The verb 'snaffle' meaning 'to take' dates back to at least 1725. Originally (1533) 'snaffle' was a noun meaning 'a simple form of bridle-bit, having less restraining power than one provided with a curb.' From this (for reasons that are not clear) 'snaffle' came to be a slang or colloquial term for a highwayman (1699). And from that source it is clear why it came to mean 'to snatch or take.'

Q:  Where does the expression “the cat’s out of the bag” come from?  Ida

A: From an ancient confidence trick in which a huckster at a village fair would offer to sell a nice, fat little piglet to a gullible local, and having taken his money hand over the piglet in a bag or sack. But when the local got back home and opening the bag all he found inside was a wriggling cat. Except sometimes the trick went wrong and the cat escaped. That was letting the cat out of the bag. This confidence trick also gave rise to another expression. Because the bag or sack was also called a "poke" (a word we still use, because a 'pocket' is a small poke). And buying something you could not see was buying 'a pig in a poke.'

Q:  Hi Kel, I keep hearing "net zero" and I have no idea what it actually means. I also think it is used to excess by people who also don't know the correct meaning. Margaret. P.S. Peta Credlin is the best. 

A: "Net zero" refers to the management of greenhouse gas emissions -- to achieve an overall balance between the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere (for the purpose of mitigating the effects of global warming).  ‘Net zero emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere.  Mind you, there is much debate and dispute about what will happen if we don't reach net zero -- it may well turn out not to be the end of the world after all!

Q:  Hi Kel, what is the origin of motza please? John

A: It comes from the Yiddish word for unleavened bread.

Q:  A comment on 86. From Fox News, also Mafia slang 8 miles out and 6 foot under. Pam Bondi wouldn’t be up in arms about assassination otherwise. What cements this term as valid is CNN uses the restaurant definition repeatedly. Honey

A: The earliest citations that have been found are all from bars and cafes. But I think the rhyming slang origin (86 = nix) makes the point that "86 47" means "nix Trump" and that suggests kill Trump. 

Q:  Can you explain 'flotsam and jetsam'?  James

A: They started as maritime legal expressions: 'flotsam' being those parts of ship's wreckage that float, and 'jetsam' being those items from a ship thrown overboard (jettisoned) or that washed ashore.

Q:  Hi Kel, some media are often noting a "spike" in something (usually crime). Do they mean that the incidence sharply increased then quickly decreased (a spike shape in a graph of the statistics) or do they really mean, as I suspect, a rise in the number of incidents? What do you think, are they using the wrong word? Regards, Glen. 

A: Yes, I think they are. Since they are using "spike" to mean "rise" aren't they?

Q:  Hi Kel, why do we describe buying a round of drinks as a shout? Craig

A: This is an Australian expression, recorded from the 1850s. It probably started in crowded and noisy bars and pubs where one literally shouted to get the attention of the barmaid or inn keeper.

Q: Rick has written to ask if inverted commas are overused these days?

A: The answer is yes, they are--either in print, or as "air quotes" in spoken English. They are used to imply disbelief in the word stuck inside the quotes -- to suggest the word is being misused or misunderstood. These inverted commas are often smug or sneering in their attitude.

Q:  Jeffrey asks:  Isn't "Woke" is just a cute-sounding euphemism for cultural Marxism?

A: Yes, it is. When the Marxists realised that their political and economic programs did not work (which they saw in hideous experiment of the Soviet Union) they switched their focus.  Since political Marxism enslaves people and economic Marxism impoverishes people they switched to cultural Marxism. This based on Marx's belief that society can be divided into only two categories: the oppressors and the oppressed. This absurd oversimplification has led to the Woke insistence that all that matters is the social group you identify with, and preferencing the social groups they say should be preferenced.

Q:  Helen asks: "When did the terms: Aunty and Uncle enter into the Aboriginal lexicon?"

A:   While the exact time these terms entered the Aboriginal lexicon isn't well-documented, they have long been used as terms of respect for elders. Clearly, they did not exist before 1788 -- because they are English words, and there is no evidence of equivalent words in any Aboriginal language being used before European settlement to address elders. Interestingly, the same terms ("auntie" and "uncle") are used in other cultures. This usage is common in India and some Asian countries. So clearly when these words were discovered upon encountering English they were embraced as useful terms.  

Q: Richard has written asking us to explain the distinction between 'less' ad 'fewer.'

A:   Generally, fewer is used with countable numbers ("fewer than 100" / "12 items or fewer" -- which the supermarkets always get wrong!) On the other hand, less is used of vague amounts ("less trouble" or "less time"). However, this is not a strict rule and there are accepted instances of less being used with countable amounts such as "250 words or less," and especially with money ("less than $20") and distance ("less than 3 Ks"). Note that in all these cases, the things considered are often thought of as amounts rather than numbers.  

Q:  What is the origin of the term "time immemorial" and what is its definition?  I have read somewhere that it has had a set commencement date attached to it but can't remember much more about it. Thanks, Paul

A:   The phrase ‘since time immemorial’ is used to refer to a time in the distant past that was so long ago that people have no knowledge or memory of it – the phrase is also used in legally significant contexts to convey a sense of timelessness, and describes the time required for a custom to mature into common law. In the Statute of Westminster 1275 it was given a date: 6 July 1189 (the accession of King Richard I). After this date, English legal memory – i.e. the period over which the law’s recollection extends – is said to have officially begun. 

Q: John asks for the origin of "done and dusted."

A: Lots of guesses have been offered -- for instance that it comes from the days when ink was dried on a page by sprinkling sand on it. But "done and dusted" is only recorded from the 1930s. Another suggestion is that it comes from the time when sawdust was dusted over the floor to keep the floor clean (and then swept up at the end of the day). This happened both in butcher's shops in and in pubs. That's possible. Be we remain uncertain and open to other suggestions. 

Q:  Ian asks for the origin of two expressions with closely related meanings: 'ridgy-didge' and 'fair dinkum'.

A: (1) "Ridgy-didge" -- an Australian coinage from the first half of the 20th century. Eric Partridge says the "ridge" part comes from the milled edge on some gold coins. While the didge" bit is simply a rhyming reduplication of that sound. (2) "Fair dinkum" is also Australian -- from the late 1800s. "Dinkum" started as an English dialect word meaning "work", so originally 'fair dinkum' meant a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

Q:  Liberal has never "meant conservative". In the UK Liberals aligned with the middle classes and in Australia Menzies idea was the "forgotten people". In my youth I recall the "wets and dries" or the "capital L and small l" liberals, but the "conservative" thing is a recent import". Terence

A:  Menzies intended the Liberal Party to incorporate the ideas of the British Tories -- the Conservative Party. In that context the word 'conservative' means a commitment to preserving (i.e. conserving) the best of the values of western civilization and passing them on to the next generation. So Menzies had two streams of thought combined in his Liberal Party (a) classical liberalism [with its focus on freedom -- free trade, free markets, free speech, free people and so on] based on the thinking of John Locke, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill; and (b) conservatism [drawing on Edmund Burk's defence of the values of civilization which he saw being demolished by the French revolution]. 

Q:  What is the origin and meaning of "Affirmation"? With Albanese about to be sworn in, on his first term he chose to swear an affirmation instead of on the Bible. However more recently with the death of the Pope he publicly made it clear that his Catholicism was important to him. Can we now expect him to be sworn in on the bible? Ben

A: "Affirmation" came into English via French from a Latin source word and is recorded from 1400. It means a solemn commitment or declaration. Taking an oath on the Bible is the most ancient and common form of making serious commitment under English law. In 1695 the Quaker's Act was passed by the British parliament because Quakers refused to take an oath. Under that act they were allowed to make a 'solemn affirmation and declaration' instead.  The Australian Constitution requires that those elected to the Senate and the House of Representatives swear or solemnly affirm their allegiance to the Crown. Both use the same words, but the oath adds the words 'So help me God.' 

Q: What is the origin of "not on your nellie"? Bill

A: It began life as rhyming slang. The full expression was "not on your Nelly Duff" -- which meant "not on your puff" -- "puff" meaning "breath" or "life." So, the expression means "not on your life." It seems to have begun as air force slang in the Second World War and was popularised after the war by comedian Frankie Howerd. 

Q:  Hi Kel, where does the phase a king's ransom come from??? Thanks, Colin. 

A: In the days of medieval warfare prisoners were often captured for "ransom" meaning "the sum or price paid or demanded for the release of a prisoner or hostage." For a king this was (obviously) a very large sum of money. The expression is recorded from the 1300s. 

Q:  Many people write or say, 'must of been.' I was taught 'must have been.' Was I taught correctly? Harold

A: Yes, you were taught correctly. People who say that would never write it. They are being thoughtless and mentally lazy.

Q:  My question, as a former sports journalist and ongoing fan, is the use of the word "kick" in AFL commentary, especially on TV. Players are described during a match as being a "good kick", such as "Isaac Heeney is lining this up, he should score a goal as he's a good kick", or "Plugger is an excellent kick". I am constantly annoyed by this. Is this using a verb as a noun? If I am a good writer, am I now a "good write"? Please assist me. Tim

A: English has been turning verbs into nouns, and nouns into verbs for centuries (Shakespeare did it!). However, that doesn't mean that any noun can become a verb at any moment. English is a shared language, and it all depends on what the rest of the family of English speakers are doing. That said, your example irritates me -- and why is it always sports commentators who push the English language in strange directions? 

Q:  Hi Kel, what is the origin of the terms 'Port' and 'Starboard' in ships and aircraft? Cheers, John

A: 'Port' is left and 'starboard' is right ("The side of a vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft which is on the right when it is facing forward" -- Oxford). This appears to come from a Germanic source word where 'starboard' originally referred early Germanic vessels which had sing side rudders -- so 'starboard' was originally 'steer-board.' 'Port' comes from classical Latin via French -- with the source words meaning 'door' or 'gate.' So, the port side was against the jetty or landing and goods were loaded and unloaded through the 'port' side. 

Q:  When we go overseas to live or visit, we say we are going 'abroad'. How did this saying come about? Philip

A: It came into English around 1300. The core meaning of the source word 'broad' is 'wide.' So, from this, around 1450, 'aboard' came to be used to mean 'far from home' from the notion of being widely separated from home.

Q:  Many are calling the Liberals’ result a ‘drubbing.’ What is the origin of this word? Adam

A: The verb 'to drub' (recorded in English from 1634) means 'to beat with a stick.' The noun 'a drubbing' (from 1650) means a beating or a thrashing. It's uncertain where it comes from. but most likely from an Arabic source word, which came from travellers in Turkey. 

Q:  Hi Kel, you will remember Paul Keating claiming that the Malaysian Prime Minister was "recalcitrant." He was insulted. I thought it just meant difficult to deal with. Is there more? Cheers, Rick 

A: The word goes back to 1797 and came into English from a very similar French word (behind which there's a bit of classical Latin). And in both those source the meaning of the word was "stubbornly obstinate and uncooperative." It's clear why he was offended!

Q: Bob says that he heard that the Liberals needed a 'Michael Douglas moment' in this campaign and asks what this means and where it came from?

A: Michael Douglas starred in a 2023 movie called "The American President' -- at the end of which he makes a powerful finale speech when the presidential character he was playing was under attack and he powerfully and persuasively saved his presidency. 

Q:  Hi Kel, the other day I was speaking with my daughter who lives in Colorado. Amy mixes with the corporate crowd and we discussed the term "negging". The art of paying someone a compliment that's not a compliment. John

A: It clearly comes from the word 'negative' and has been around since at least the 1990s. Originally it meant something like rejecting or refusing to consider what someone has to say. But as it developed it changed a little. According to the Urban Dictionary it now means "a negative remark wrapped in a back-handed compliment. "

Q:   Hi Kel, In the 1950s my mother would say "don't be obstropolos" when I would not respond to her request -- where's that from? Regards, Ossie 

A: 'Obstropolos' is older than you might think -- recorded from 1727. It appears to be a jocular, comic variation on another word: 'obstreperous' (which is older, and comes from a Latin source meaning 'troublesome'). The Oxford suggestions that 'obstopolos' originally meant 'having an obstreperous mouth -- probably also with punning reference to classical Latin ōs "mouth". 

Q:  How about explaining 'POST' as in 'first past the post'. I studied Constitutional law about 50 years back and I could never get my head around the idea of 'first past the post' -- in which (with no distribution of preferences) someone might win with just 34% of the vote, even though 66% of voters don't want them!  Brad

A: A large field of horses can be running towards the same finishing 'post.' The idea behind 'first past the post' as a voting system is that one winner scores the prize, just as the horse who runs first past the post collects the whole of the prize money.  So, whoever is in the lead (by either much or little) will win. Our preferential system intended to mean that the winner has collected the majority of votes overall (including first, second, and third, preferences).

Q:  Can you please explain why so many politicians and news reporters amongst others pronounce “t” as “d”. For example, “important” pronounced as “impordant” and “cattle” pronounced as “caddle”. And so, the list goes on. It really annoys me. Thanks Kel. Meryl

A:  The prime minister is one of the worst offenders. He always pronounces 'important' as 'imporDant.' The "why" questions are the hardest to answer. All I can say is that this is an American vocal habit. They buy 'budder' and travel to 'Idaly.' So folk have picked it up from them.  

Q:  Hi Kel, the origin and meaning of " part and parcel ". Thanks, John

A: The word 'parcel came into English from Anglo-Norman French in the 1300s. It comes from a source word related to words such as 'particle' and 'part.'  That makes part and parcel a tautology, since both words in effect mean the same thing. English loves this kind of doublet: nooks and crannies, hale and hearty, safe and sound, rack and ruin, dribs and drabs. Many derive from the ancient legal practice of including words of closely similar meaning to make sure that the sense covers all eventualities: aid and abet, fit and proper, all and sundry.  Part and parcel is a member of this second group — it appeared in legal records during the sixteenth century. We use it to emphasise that the thing being spoken about is an essential and integral feature or element of a whole.