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Q: "The Byzantine rules around state and factional quotes..." What does this mean and imply? Ragnar.
A: 'Byzantine' means 'complicated and difficult to understand' -- and comes from the ancient Byzantine empire, which is seen as being the scene of complex conspiracies and power plots.
Q: Thought you might like to consider, for a lighter tone - “marmalade”. My father told me (way back in the 50’s) that the word came from a corruption of French. Mary Queen of Scots (the mother of James VI of Scotland - the first king of both England and Scotland) had exiled herself to France. Apparently she was pretty ill at one time and off her food so she was tempted to eat with an orange jam of some sort because “Marie est malade” (Mary is sick). Pronounced “mari es malad” and corrupted by English speakers to “marmelade”. A bit farfetched I know, but how else would orange jam come to be called “marmalade”? Over to you! Peter
A: A lovely story -- but 'marmalade' comes from the Portuguese word of 'quince' as the earliest recipes for marmalade were based not on oranges but on quinces.
Q: Dear Kel - I am 72 years old, and I don't recall the response 'Absolutely' being used much at all in the 1960s to 1990s. It is used so frequently by interviewees these days that it is becoming meaningless. Is climate change real? 'Absolutely'. Are renewables the cheapest form of power? 'Absolutely'. And so, on it goes. Peter.
A: I have noticed the same phenomenon, and I have suggested it is time for 'absolutely' to be put on the banished words list. Here's my guess as to why this is happening -- we live in an age in which people assume they will not be believed, so a simple 'yes' will not suffice, and an 'absolutely' is used in an attempt to be persuasive.
Q: "Has the Cat got Your Tongue"? or simply "Cat Got Your Tongue". Any idea as to where this originated. Best Regards, John
A: The origins of the phrase are not clear, but the first written usage occurred in 1881. The illustrated magazine Bayou’s Monthly, Volume 53, wrote, “Has the cat got your tongue, as the children say?” The origin of the phrase ‘has the cat got your tongue?’ isn’t known. What is certain is that it isn’t derived as a reference to the cat o’ nine tails or people’s tongues being fed to cats in ancient Egypt. Both of these have been suggested and there’s no shred of evidence to support either of them. There’s no derivation that involves any actual cat or celebrated incident of feline theft. Like the blackbird that ‘pecked off his nose’, the phrase is just an example of the light-hearted imagery that is, or was, directed at children. The early examples of the expression in print all come from the USA, which reinforces the falsity of the Egyptian or Royal Navy punishment origins. Final conclusion: origin unknown (but, probably, a playful phrase used with children).
Q: Re: 'senescence' -- I totally agree with you Kel. The media just uses “old and “age” when talking about Joe Biden. It is all about “ fitness "like you say. It is obvious to all, that this man has a serious problem, and hopefully he will be off the centre stage to be cared for in a dignified manner. Sheila.
A: Thank you, Sheila. And my thanks to everyone (the many, many who wrote) sharing my concerns about rising 'agism' in our society.
Q: Hi Kel, can you please investigate the origin of the saying “a brass razzoo” meaning no money, very apt in todays’ situation. Being English I can’t remember where I first heard it. My Australian wife didn’t know the meanings first. Regards, Peter
A: It's recorded from 1919 -- and it began life as Australian slang. A 'razoo' is an imaginary coin (of very small value). There has never been a coin called a 'razoo' -- or any name resembling that. It possibly began life in the trenches of WWI in France. If that's the case, then 'razoo' may have begun as a jocular Aussie version of a 'sou' (the smallest French coin).
Q: I was wondering if you knew the origin of the word boondoggle? We use it regularly to describe a wasteful business trip, especially when taken on the public dollar, but curious how the word came to be. Thanks, Rob
A: It's American in origin. Although it's only recorded from the 1930s one theory is that it goes back to the work of cowboys--who when they were underemployed, sitting around the bunk house with no work to do, would 'boondoggle' -- make odds and ends of out left over bits of leather. Scouts have called their braided leather lanyards 'boondoggles' -- so iI guess that was the sort of thing that got made.
Q: Hi Kel, Another word for you EAVESDROPPER. Leigh
A: It goes back to the late 1400s when it was a criminal offence: "one who listens to conversations by pressing their ear against the wall of a house (that is, under the eaves of a house)."
Q: Hi Kel, over the last few years we've been bombarded with not only words such as "hubris' and 'hyperbole', but phrases such as 'belling the cat' and 'gaslighting'. Rick
A: (1) 'Hubris' comes from an old Greek word for the excessive self-confidence and pride. (2) 'hyperbole' is deliberate exaggeration for effect. (3) 'belling the cat' is used these days for revealing the truth, saying the unsayable -- it comes from an old Aesop's fable. (4) 'gaslighting' is trying to get you to change your mind by persuading you that you can't trust your mind -- that you are going a bit loony!
Q: Where does the word/meaning Peachy come from please? Regards, Raymond
A: We use it these days as a word of approval -- to say that we like something, or that it's okay. This usage comes from American from around 1900. At first it was applied to an attractive woman to mean that she had a 'peach like' complexion -- and then it was used more widely.
Q: Re: 'hillbillies' -- it has all been done before. Spenser's Mountain comes to mind (although they did change the setting in the film) and then of course there was Deliverance which more or less hit the spot. In addition to that there are also L'il Abner and The Beverly Hillbillies. Hillbillies also exist in the Ozarks and produced some significant "folk rock" musicians in the 60's/70's. I have to admit that I hadn't ever thought of Ohio in the context of hillbillies, but it does seem that the Appalachians drift into that state. I am wondering if Sargeant York qualifies. Best Regards, Terence.
A: And they produced Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and great bluegrass music!
Q: “I'm having a conniption” versus “I’m having a conniption fit”? We use it regularly when our kids are arguing with us and then we get in an argument about which phrase is correct! We need an arbiter so we can focus on the issue at hand. Sarah and Duncan
A: It means, as you know 'hysteria or excitement.' It's American, from the 1830s -- and the original version is 'conniption-fit.' Later the 'fit' part was dropped, and it was sometimes used in the plural as 'conniptions.'
We use it regularly when our kids are arguing with us and then we get in an argument about which phrase is correct! We need an arbiter so we can focus on the issue at hand
Q: Hi Kel. our neighbour is reading a "Dad and Dave" book and there is a Jew Lizard in the book.
From the internet it says it is an Eastern bearded dragon. Can you give some background to this please. Many thanks, Margaret
A: It's an Australian term, recorded from 1833 and applies to a number of lizards with spiny scales on their throats thought to resemble a beard -- perhaps because Orthodox Jews have long beards.
Q: Dear Kel, the word “agency” has recently crept into Canberra political commentary after Brittany Higgins repeatedly used it during her recent court-related appearances. “My agency” for example. I don’t understand what “her agency” does or enables her to do. Can you enlighten me, please? Regards, Rosalind
A: My assumption is that she was using it in the sense of 'the ability or capacity to act or exert power' (Oxford) So, 'agency' can be used to mean 'the authority to act.' My assumption is that she is complaining that this is what has been affected.
Q: Ragnar asks if 'don't let the bed bugs bite' goes back to the time of Shakespeare.
A: Etymologist Barry Popik claims the rhyme actually originated in the USA in the 1860s, and in some versions the biting referred to mosquitoes. One version from the 1860s is ‘Good night, sleep tight, wake up bright in the morning light, to do what’s right, with all your might.’
In a novel called ‘Boscobel’ written in 1881 by Emma Mersereau Newton, a boy says to his parents, ‘Good night, sleep tight; And don’t let the buggers bite.’ And in the 1884 book ‘Boating Trips’ by Henry Parker Fellows, a little girl says ‘Good-night. May you sleep tight, where the bugs don’t bite!’. The precise phrase ‘Good-night, Sleep tight, Don’t let the bedbugs bite’ first appears in the 1896 book ‘What They Say in New England: A Book of Signs, Sayings, and Superstitions’.
Q: Abe asks about the expression 'fly in the ointment.'
A: It comes from the Bible -- Ecclesiastes, chapter 10, verse 1: "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour."
Q: Hi Kel, I read with interest, your article on Save Our Place Names and totally agree. I'm getting so fed up with this, wanting to change the names of everything. As you said, so many places already have indigenous names, so leave the others alone. What annoys me most is places like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc, that is the name of the city. Those cities, or any town as we know it, did not exist before white settlement. Activists would probably argue that it is the area, but it's the name of the city/ town, and it wasn't there before 1788. We can't let this keep going on, we have so much to be proud of, and no one would enjoy the lifestyle they have today, if not for all the great things that have happened to "our" beautiful country since then.
Regards, Raelene
A: You put it very well.
Q: What is origin of double cross? Where did the word Coot come from? My Dad used to use that word regarding someone he considered in negative sense. Susie.
A: (1) double cross came out of sports betting -- when a competitor accepted a bribe to lose a match, and then went ahead and won anyway: they 'crossed' their followers by accepting the bribe and then crossed the conspirator by winning. (2) 'Coot' started out as the name of a number of water birds, and then (based on the idea of being a 'bird brain') was applied to a simpleton.
Q: Hi Kel, seeing as you get the occasional 'expression' to interpret for us, I have always been curious about the one ' popped his clogs' . How is this connected to dying? Cheers, and thanks in advance, Riana
A: 'Popped' probably comes from 'pop off' meaning 'died'. Originally 'pop off' meant to leave quickly or suddenly, and I guess that makes it applicable to death. The 'clogs' part probably refers to shoes -- since most people die in bed, with their shoes off.
Q: I thought that following today’s cyber outage, the meaning and origin of “cyber” might be worth looking at. Aileen.
A: The longer word 'cybernetics' is older (1960s) than 'cyber' (1990s). It comes from an ancient Greek source word (kuberentes) meaning 'steersman.'
Q: I think that “perhaps” is becoming obsolete. I hear “maybe” all the time. That’s kind of funny as the word “may “ seems to be vanishing. Why is this happening? Is it laziness? It’s not as if “maybe” has fewer syllables than “perhaps”. Charlotte.
A: I will listen for this. I hadn't noticed the death of 'perhaps.'
Q: The CFMEU leadership is getting some mention these days, if you have not yet covered "Thug" it might have some multicultural interest. Noel
A: Originally it meant a member of the society of Thugs in India (behind which is a Sanskrit word meaning 'cunning, dishonest.' Thugs were known for winning the confidence of travellers, whom they would then murder, especially by strangulation, in a sudden surprise attack, before taking their belongings. They were suppressed under British rule in the 1830s and considered eliminated by the late 19th century. In an influential tradition in the 19th century, they were considered to be devotees of the goddess Kali, killing their victims in a ritually prescribed manner. However, many modern historians have questioned this, as well other aspects of historical accounts of Thugs and their practices.
Q: Hi Kel, following the US Presidential Election is always interesting and more recently there has been use of the word "bloodbath". Can you tell me its meaning please. Carole
A: (1) a battlefield on which a lot of blood is spilt; (2) an aggressive confrontation or contest; (3) in the business realm, and large financial loss. Trump used the word in the (3) sense.
Q: I am interested in the derivation and usage of the expression "ridgy-didge”. And also "underdog". Russell
A: 'Ridge' seems to mean 'gold' -- and may refer to the milled edges of some gold coins. 'Ridgy didge' is a rhyming reduplication of this. 'Underdog' goes back to the days of dog fighting for money. The 'underdog' (from the late 1800s) means the beaten dog in a dog fight.
Q: Re: 'multiculturalism' -- One hundred - plus, plus. PLUS percent correct. You are indeed a cobber to us. Thank you for your encouragement done with gentle and direct information through confirmed authority and facts. - Rosemary
A: Many thanks. Clear thinking (which comes from clear language) really matters.
Q: May I please ask the history of the word "lukewarm"? Thank you, Suzanne
A: All we know for certain is that it is an ancient word (late 1200s) and comes from a period when 'luke' or 'lew' meant 'mild' or 'warm.' The rest of the story is lost in the mists of time.
Q: Hi Kel, I was watching Yes, Prime Minister and the character Sir Humphrey Appleby mentioned the "nanny state". Is this the first recorded use of the term? I would love for it to be but would be grateful if you could please let me know. Thank you, Susan
A: 'Nanny state' is older than I would have imagine -- recorded from 1952. It means a government that is 'overprotective or interferes unduly with personal choice' (Oxford). The source word 'nanny' is recorded from the late 1700s (perhaps from an affectionate form of the names Anne or Agnes) -- and it always meant a woman who cares for children. So, a 'nanny state' means a government that treats its adult citizens as children.
Q: Hi Kel, could you please define a HERO and what they must do to become a HERO – e.g. Donald Trump! Love listening to you on the John Stanely show. Kind regards, Di
A: A 'hero' is a person 'distinguished by the performance of courageous or noble actions' (Oxford English Dictionary). It's recorded from around 1522 and comes from a classical Latin source word. I keep expecting the Republicans to produce a campaign ad using that iconic picture of a blood-spattered Trump, under the American flag, defiantly pumping his fist, with the slogan 'American Hero.'
Q: There seems to be some confusion about nouns which remain the same in both the singular and plural, I.e. sheep, goods and premises. I find it clumsy in the extreme to hear of ‘a good’ for goods and who refers to a ‘premise’! John
A: It's an interesting observation. There are a bunch of English words that are identical in the singular and the plural. Knowing that is just part of knowing correct English syntax and morphology. We should blame our schools, which stopped teaching how the English language works some 40 years ago.
Q: G’day Kel, on 2GB this morning they were talking about the cost price of coffee around the city. To an accountant’s brain there is a difference between the purchase price and the cost price. To the cafe the cost price is what he paid for the materials etc and add profit margin to establish the selling price. However, to the customer the cost price is what he pays the cafe for the coffee. Now I’ve confused myself. I’m sure you, Kel, can make sense of this. Good Luck! Geoff
A: Speaking as a wordsmith (not an accountant or an economist) 'cost price' (an expression first recorded in 1800) means 'the price at which goods are bought by a dealer or retailer (as opposed to a customer)'. A retailer who sells things at 'cost price' makes no money (and will go out of business). The retailer needs to buy at 'cost price' and then sell at 'retail price' or 'purchase price.' Surely even journalists should understand this!
Q: Please sign me up to SOP. Whilst we are discussing these place name changes, I am astounded by the use of apostrophes and silent letters, K'gari (formerly Fraser Island and now pronounced Gar e) is a perfect example. If we must change names, then please spell them phonetically as there's obviously no previous spelling. Love your emails and seeing you each Wednesday night on Credlin. Thanks Kel. Cheers, Zoe
A: You make a good point. The Geographical Names Board in each state has agreed there should be no apostrophes in placenames (hence 'Cooks River' not 'Cook's River', and the Sydney suburb of 'Carrs Park' not Carr's Park' and so on). So, these new names violate one of the agree principals for geographical place names.
Q: Dear Kel, I look forward every morning to word of the day. My query is, Will/Shall. It annoys me hearing people use ‘shall’ when I think it should be ‘will’. Please, how should they be used?
Maybe it’s a good question for Wednesday with Peta. Thanks, Barbara
A: I will suggest this to Peta. Briefly, 'will' indicates a plan, or intention, or prediction -- while 'shall' (like 'should') indicates a commitment or an obligation. And common usage of 'shall' seems to be dying out in the English language these days.
Q: Re the word assassination, I note it's made up of the word 'sass' (meaning impudent) sitting inside a word that's close to asinine (meaning extremely stupid or foolish). The 'ation' at the end makes it into an action. It makes sense that people on the receiving end of an assassination would see it that way. Robert
A: 'Assassin' came into English from Arabic. It is completely unrelated to either 'sass' (which is a variation on 'sauce') or 'asinine' (behaving like an ass).
Q: When one talks about people performing so well, they are variously likened to be like a Trooper or Trouper, can you please advise which word is correct, as they are obviously two different meanings. Thank you, Ted
A: 'Trooper' and 'trouper' are alternative spellings of the same word -- both refer to someone who is a member of a team (of soldiers or of actors or whatever). Calling someone 'a real trooper' (however you spell it) means they are reliable and make a contribution to the team.
Q: Hi Kel. Could you please tell me, at what level of fame does a murder attempt, become an assassination attempt? What's the line in the sand and who decides it? Cheers, Ev.
A: In the case of the attempt on Donald Trump it was the FBI who declared that it was an 'assassination attempt.' And that is often the case -- law enforcement uses the term when a public figure is attacked. But English is a democratic institution, and it is usually ordinary people who instinctively see a murder of a public figure as an 'assassination' (as the case of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy).
Q: Dear Kel, is it my imagination or has “like” replaced the use of “such as”, “for example”, “as if” and various other more appropriate words? It’s driving me, like, crazy!! Regards, Charlotte
A: You are quite correct, and I have written about this at length. because it is (a) driving me nuts, and (b) just plain wrong!
Q: Kel, I have just invented a new word "elite-ocrats", to describe the people who tacitly encouraged the attack on Donald Trump and now seek to distract scrutiny by themselves by saying they are grateful he wasn't killed and trying to blame the security service.
Hope you like it. Tim
A: Interesting new word. Unfortunately, the first part goes back to Latin and the second part to Greek, and such mixtures are usually frowned upon. By the way, the Latin source for 'elite' is the same as the source of 'elect' -- and the trouble with today's 'elite' is that they elected themselves! They are a self-appointed elite!
Q: Kel, why do careers have a meteoric rise? Meteors fall towards earth, and their appearance is that of falling; indeed, one synonym is “falling star”! Cheers, Bill
A: One reason why the expression now seems wrong is that we’ve lost a key part of the image in the minds of these early users (back in the 1800s). For them, something meteoric began unexpectedly and spectacularly but soon sputtered and died. People had in mind the sudden appearance and transient brilliance of a meteor streaking across the night sky. By implication, a meteoric rise was swiftly followed by a meteoric fall that led to extinction of talent or reputation. Both rise and fall here are themselves figurative, with no implication of physical direction, though part of the idea behind it may have been that a meteor appearing low in the sky seems to rise as it travels towards the zenith.
Q: Hello Kel, I was wondering about two words my Scottish parents used (my spellings)
I have added my understanding from the context. (1) "slitter" - a spill or dribble on the front of my shirt (2) "bringe" - clumsy - idiot. Kind regards, Richard
A: Thanks for these -- I love learning new words. The Oxford knows 'bringe' as meaning 'clumsy violent action' and 'slitter' as 'to slip or glide' -- so you can see where the meanings your parents used the words for come from.
Q: Kel: have you recently covered lay/lie/etc? -- the confusion over these words and cognates seems to be growing. It's upsetting me so much that I think I need to lay down... Pete
A: It's a while since I've covered these. The core meaning of 'to lay' is 'to put in place' (so we lay the table); the core meaning of 'to lie' is 'to go put a prone position' (so we 'lie down'). The confusion arises because the past participle of 'lie' is 'lay'. That doesn't help! But we can always run the test of asking 'does this mean being prone, or being in put into position?'
Q: Hi Kel, I think it may be that populism surrounds a particular person or movement that isn’t necessarily bound by the traditional two-party system but is democratically elected by the people - Giorgia Meloni and her party springs to mind. The definition of democracy that so many writers bang on about seems to be the traditional two-party (red v blue) system of democracy, which doesn’t allow for parties built on a particular personality - Pauline Hanson’s One Nation springs to mind. However, in saying that, Donald Trump heading the Republican party seems to be bucking the trend. Do you agree or disagree? Cheers, Adam
A: The word 'democracy' only means 'rule by the people' (the 'demos') -- it does not imply a two-party system. Any system where the governing body (the parliament) is chosen by popular election counts as a 'popular democracy' (and, I would add, as 'populism'). The European pattern of government by an alliance of smaller parties still fits the meaning of the word 'democracy'.
Q: Good Sir, I offer up a new word for your consideration. The word is: Bidenesque (adjective) in the style of or as in resembling President Joe Biden. Example: He blurred his meaning in a Bidenesque way. So, nobody knew what he intended to say. Michael
A: Excellent new word -- sure to catch on.
Q: How about you have a look at how 'hate' and 'phobia' have been kidnapped to prevent free speech...although I strongly suspect you are 10 steps ahead of me and have already done so! Sylvia
A: I haven't written about them for a long time, so it is probably time to do so again. 'Hate' is now used to mean 'disagreement'. It is both an abuse of the English language and (as you say) an attempt to shut down free speech.
Q: My word of the day would be gerontocracy because that is the current state of play over there. Pelosi and McConnell make Schumer look like a spring chicken and that is before you get to Biden and Trump. The main independent candidate is in his 70's. It is like the final days of the Soviet Union. Terence
A: That's an excellent word of the day -- 'gerontocracy' (government by the old). I think I should write a piece on it soon.
Q: Hi Kel, why 'topsy-turvy' popped into my head I don't know, It is in the dictionary but who knows from where it originated. You probably do. Cheers, John
A: It means, of course, inverted (turned upside down). It's recorded from 1530 and is a rhythmic play on 'top' and 'turn' -- when you 'turn' the 'top' you invert it ('topsy-turvy')
Q: Hi Kel, I heard today that BHP is cutting back and thousands of jobs might be “up in the air”.
Where and when did that saying emanate? I would think with jobs being lost; it would be more like “down in the dumps”. Steve (Maroochydore)
A: (1) 'Up in the air' -- comes from 1848. My guess would have been from the art of juggling (where the balls of knives or clubs will come down is uncertain). But the Oxford says it comes from the early days of hot ballooning--expressing uncertainty as to where the balloon will comes down. (2) 'Down in the dumps' -- very old (1500s) from your low, depressing spirits getting you don among the rubbish.
Q: Re: 'plancenames' -- they'll never be happy - so put your foot down now! They will probably even want to change the name of New South Wales and Australia itself. Though I have to admit the name "New South Wales" has always sounded a bit awkward to me - New Wales or New Cambria would have been better. Cheers, Abe
A: The problem with large areas (such as New South Wales or the whole of Australia) is that there were more than 200 local languages at the time of settlement -- so there was never one name for any very large area.
Q: One other bug bear for me is the tendency now to have those transliterated Aboriginal names with an apostrophe in the middle for some reason (e.g. K’gari and this new one). As the Aboriginal languages were never written languages I am confused as to why this is necessary at all. It seems to be an unnecessary and fashionable affectation to place these in new names being conjured up from spoken languages passed down. I assume it is being done to make the language appear more advanced, distinct or exotic (a la Bruce Pascoe style). Well, it is not working for me. Carl
A: All very odd.
Q: Origin of 'spur of the moment'? John
A: From the early 1800s, from horse riding. Some riders had spurs on their riding boots to urge their mount to sudden speed. When something happens to urge to sudden action, that is something you do on the 'spur of the moment' (the implication sometimes is --without much thought!)
Q: Hi Kel -- here's one for you: "Migration." Once upon a time we distinguished between In or Out. That is, Immigration and Emigration. These days, perhaps journalists aren't sure which is which - and now you need to read the context to see what they mean. Cheers, John
A: A good observation. The people we once called 'immigrants' are now called 'migrants' (whether legal or illegal). And I suspect most people under 30 have never heard the word 'emigrant'. If I told one of them 'I am going to emigrate to Canada' they wouldn't understand the sentence!
Q: Following a news item about Joe Biden speaking at Nato - reporter said he was reading from teleprompter not “off the cuff”. Just wondered where this expression came from. Cheers, Jan
A: It seems to be American in origin, from the 1930s. In those days men wore white shirts with starched, stiff cuffs and collars. The expression came from the notion of a man scribbling some notes on his white shirt cuffs to refer to when giving ad-libbed remarks. Later, the origin was forgotten and 'off the cuff' came to mean speaking without notes.
Q: Hi Kel, can you please help me how to pronounce the word ‘moythered’? I do so enjoy your postings. Eileen (Whanganui, NZ)
A: It is pronounced like 'murdered' with the first syllable changed to an 'oy' sound. Think of it as 'murdered' pronounced by someone from Brooklyn or the Bronx.
Q: Hi Kel, Is antisemitism and racism basically the same thing? Pete (Tambourine Mountain)
A: Yes. One is broader than the other. 'Racism' is treating people on the basis of their race, while
anti-Semitism' applies that only to the Jewish race. There is one other difference: 'anti-Semitism' is always negative (a desire to harm Jews) while 'racism' can mean either harming people or else giving them special advantages based on race.
Q: Hi Kel, I saw the word "swingeing" in a recent Financial Times article. It has a certain onomatopoeic quality like singeing and sizzle. Cheers, Miles
A: It goes back to the 1500s, and to an old verb that meant 'to beat, whip or flog' -- and probably ties into a related word in Old English. These days "swingeing" is used to mean big, powerful or immense.
Q: I was told recently by a friend of mine who works in the University Library that she called a person a ‘whipper snapper’ and was subsequently reprimanded for doing so under the guise that it is disrespectful. Good grief!!!!! I call lots of children ‘look at this little whipper snapper’. Surely it is a term of endearment NOT disrespectful. Your thoughts and where did it come from? Dawn
A: It is true that when 'whippersnapper' came into the language (late 1600s) it meant: "A diminutive or insignificant person" (possibly a person who needed the whip snapping to get them going). But over time the 'diminutive' part of the meaning took over. It has certainly meant children since the start of the 20th century. The person doing the reprimanding is an idiot!
Q: Where does "If I'm Arthur or Martha" originate? Lorraine
A: This is an Australian coinage. According to the Australian National Dictionary it first appeared in print in the Sydney Truth newspaper in1948 -- although some claim to be able to trace it back to The Inverell Times in 1941. It started as a reference to confused sexual orientation, (chosen because of the memorable rhyme), but it rapidly became a broader expression for being in a general state of confusion.
Q: Kel, whilst pursuing my professional practice as a lawyer I DRAFTED thousands of documents for clients which surely makes me a DRAFTSMAN (PERSON!) and yet I see the word DRAUGHTSMAN used to describe my activity. I am not a beer drinker, but if I were maybe the latter would be an appropriate description of my passion. Can you put me on the path to enlightenment? Cheers, Greg
A: When the word came into English (1200s) they were alternative spellings of the same word. (This was back in the era when spellings were fluid and not fixed.) In modern usage they are more clearly delineated -- but if you are not a cold breeze blowing under the door you are probably not a draught. But in America that same breeze is a draft. The more I read about this the more I think it depends on context, rather than on rigidly fixed spellings.
Q: Hi Kel, have you ever done Neocons? David.
A: No, Excellent suggestion. I'll do some research and write it up.
Q: Why are there two spellings of the lock up -- 'gaol' and 'jail'? Chris
A: The word came into English from an Anglo-Norman (Old French) word in 1300s. And both spellings appeared almost simultaneously -- 'gaol' from the original French spelling, and 'jail' from the sound of the word. For centuries both spellings existed side by side because at least until the time of Dr Johnson (1700s) English spelling remained highly irregular. After that time, it settled down (using Johnson's great dictionary as the authority on correct spelling) and the preferred spelling became 'gaol.' But in America, when Noah Webster wrote his dictionary, he chose the 'jail' spelling as more logical. In the 20the English (and Australian) newspapers switched from 'gaol' to 'jail' to avoid the risk of typographical error scoring an own goal.
Q: Perhaps you should look at the term " Projection " -- a tool that the left of politics use often. Chris.
A: Good idea. I'll do some research and write it up.
Q: Hi Kel, where does “Peaches and Cream” originate? I believe from the complexion of the British. You are a very wise man. I have learnt so much from your in-depth knowledge. Kind Regards, Faye
A: The Oxford says that 'peaches and cream" means: 'a fair complexion characterized by creamy skin with downy pink cheeks.' it's recorded from 1893 as a complimentary metaphor. The Americans use it differently. They use 'peaches and cream' to mean 'a fine, easy, or delightful thing; a highly pleasant state of affairs.' (From 1920.)
Q: What is the origin of the expression that someone is pulling the wool over their eyes? Cheers
Adam
A: Of American origin, the phrase 'to pull the wool over someone’s eyes' means to deceive someone by telling untruths. The earliest instance is found in The People’s Press (Pennsylvania)in 1835. The origin is uncertain, and the only serious suggestion I have discovered is that it comes from sheep who are half blinded (can't see where they're going) if the wool over their eyes is allowed to grow too thick.
Q: When she went to the mid-winter ball Peta Credlin looked pretty “flash” -- where does that come from? Thanks again, Tom
A: It's a piece of convict slang. It's recorded in the first dictionary ever written in Australia, called A Dictionary of the Flash Language by James Hardy Vaux. It told his story in my book Flash Jim: the convict who wrote a dictionary. Originally to be 'flash' meant to be 'in the know.' Then it became any member of the 'flash crew' (meaning convicts and criminals who were especially clever and smart). Later it became the word we are familiar with--dressed up smartly.
Q: what is the history of, "Dog in the manger" and knowing it "off pat"? Daryl
A: (1) 'Dog in the manger' means denying someone else something that is of no use to you. It comes from one of Aesop's animal fables, about a dog that lay in a manger (a food trough) and stopped the other animals from eating the hay that it couldn't eat itself. (2) 'Off pat' (or 'down pat') -- has meant 'well-rehearsed and memorized since the 1600s. It seems to have developed from the earlier meaning of 'pat (both the noun and the verb) -- conveying the idea of a 'light touch.' But how the earlier and later meanings connect is hard to see.
Q: Kel, can you elucidate on the origin of “not on your Nellie”. All the best, John.
A: The great Eric Partridge says it means 'not on your life' and is rhyming slang for 'not on your Nelly Duff' -- where 'duff' rhymes with 'puff' meaning your breath, the breath of life. And there never was a real person called 'Nelly Duff' -- she was just invented to create this piece of rhyming slang.
Q: Hi Kel, your tale about dolorifuge reminded me of a time in Italy in 1998 when I had broken an ankle. My wife spoke quite good Italian but not me other than 'giorno' and 'grazie' and 'per favore'. When she wasn't at the hospital with me the Italians kept asking me 'Dolores?' and, in my ignorance, I thought they wanted my wife's name so I would reply 'No, Henrietta'. Subsequently, my wife told me the word 'dolores' meant 'pain'. Then I understood why they didn't give me pain killers - either I was an idiot or a very tough Aussie. I certainly could have done with some dolorifuge! The treatment I received, I hasten to add, was excellent albeit different to that in an Australian hospital. Cheers, David.
A: A wonderful story! And, yes, overseas medical care can be excellent sometimes. My wife once needed treatment at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Singapore -- and they were great.
Q: You mention that "centrifuge" is the only word that sprang to mind. But is this the same suffix that gives us the word "refuge"? And if so, how do you make a word by putting together a prefix and a suffix? Regards, Jonathan.
A: 'Refuge' is another '--fuge' word that involves fleeing or taking flight from. The 're--' suggests 'turning back' (which was part of the original notion of seeking refuge). Another prefix-plus-suffix word is 'return' -- so this is a legitimate way to construct a word.
Q: Thanks Kel. Subterfuge sprang to my mind just before centrifuge. How do we pronounce dolorifuge? I certainly want to use it. Best wishes, Neroli
A: 'Subterfuge' eh? Clearly you have a more devious brain than I have! And this one also fits the pattern of '--fuge' words since the Oxford says its original meaning was: 'a device or stratagem used to escape the force of an argument, to avoid blame.' So, still a matter of putting something to flight. The pronunciation is doh-LOH-ruh-fyooj.
Q: A small rant about a pet peeve. e.g...."Donald Trump has landed at .... or Julian Assange has landed...." as reported by journalists on movements of celebrities. DT or JA did not land.... their aircraft did. They were on the aircraft that landed! They themselves did not land and taxi along the runway! Each time I hear such, I have the urge to draw a cartoon of said celebrity's body lining up and descending through the clouds to the safety of an earthly airport runway and taxiing along to the aircraft parking bay. Such a lazy use of language! Rant over, but I don't feel better! Suzanne (Daintree QLD)
A: I sympathise with your irritation. However, this usage is grammatically justifiable as synecdoche -- where a part is substituted for the whole ("A figure of speech in which a more inclusive term is used for a less inclusive one or vice versa, as a whole for a part or a part for a whole." Oxford) When we say, 'Washington has responded...' instead of 'The American government has responded...' we are using synecdoche. I think saying that a passenger has landed instead of 'a plane carrying this passenger has landed...' fits under that (grammatically correct) heading.
IQ: I heard Ms Peta Credlin use the word "lionise" (or "lionize") in relation to Julian Assange. It's a great word but I've never heard it before. Can you kindly explain the origins and intended meaning of this word. Sincere thanks, Liv
A: 'Lionize" means "to treat (someone) as a celebrity" -- in the sense of a person of note who is much sought-after, a sense said to have been extended from the lions formerly kept in the Tower of London that were objects of general curiosity that every visitor in town was taken to see.
Q: Regarding quotation marks for quotes, and the use of italics for quotes and book titles (for instance) I have my own rules, but what is the convention for single and double quotation marks, and italics? Raymond
A: Different publishers have different house style guides on these matters. However, it is common to recommend single inverted commas for quotations, and then double inverted commas for quotations inside quotations. Books, newspapers, magazines, film and play titles are usually put in italics, but short story titles or the titles of articles are usually within inverted commas.
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