Q and A - Your Questions Answered

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Q: John writes to say that we are captives of Left-wing ideology without realising we are being held captive, and asks if the expression 'Stockholm syndrome' covers this?

A: 'Stockholm syndrome' names the inclination of captives to develop a psychological bond with their captors. It comes from a bank hold-up in Stockholm in 1973 where the robbers held four bank employees hostage for six days. 'Stockholm syndrome' names positive feelings from hostages toward their captors. I suppose it's possible that people on the payroll of governments, or on welfare payments, or receiving tax breaks, might end up celebrating their captivity and their captors. 

Q: Jeffrey writes, 'What is the origin of the phrase "Take a punt" given that punt is a boat propelled by a pole?'

A: This is a case of homonyms -- two words that resemble each other but are (in reality) unconnected. The boat 'punt' goes back to the Latin word for a flat-bottomed boat (our word 'pontoon' comes from the same source). 'Punt' meaning a bet is an Australian coinage. It first appears in print in 1965 in John O'Grady's little book of Aussie English -- but it was undoubtedly part of the spoken language for a long time before that. This may come from a much older word 'punt' used to name someone who plays against the bank in card games, which (in turn) seems to come from an older French word 'ponter' which meant 'to lay eggs (perhaps betting against the bank was always seen as a very fragile thing to do?)

Q: John asks, 'Where did the term " tall poppy syndrome " come from?  

A:  This whole ‘tall poppy’ language is certainly ours—it is an Australian coinage. It first appeared in print in 1841 in a Victorian newspaper (the Portland Guardian published in the city of Portland on the far south-west coast of Victoria). I was had a talkback caller on my radio show claim that this expression is not Australian at all—it goes back to ancient Rome, he said. The truth is that the last king of Rome, Tarquinos Superbus, did have a policy of weakening a captured city by slaughtering its leading men. But this was never called anything to do with ‘tall poppies.’ However, the journalist, or editor, who wrote the story in the Portland Guardian may well have known the story of Tarquinos and had this in the back of his mind when he wrote about how ‘tall poppies’ were treated. But the English compound noun ‘tall poppy’ is definitely an Australian coinage. The longer expression ‘tall poppy syndrome’ is much later, but it is also ours—coined in 1979 to mean disparaging and denigrating successful people. This had to be a much later coinage because ‘syndrome’ was not applied to a combination of opinions and behaviour until 1955.  

Q: Robyn asks for a guide to the correct use of "we" and "us."

A: Both are forms of the second person plural pronoun -- 'we' is in the subjective case and 'us' is the form used in the objective case. So, if the pronoun is being used as the subject of a verb it should be 'we' and as the object of a verb it should be 'us.' However, this has long been broken in conversational English and there is some evidence that it is starting to break down in written English. Perhaps we are reaching the point when we should not get too distressed about this.

Q: Matthew writes, 'Where does the word 'deadly" originate. I know it's associated with aboriginal slang, but I came to Australia from Ireland 40 years ago and it was and still is a common word used in Ireland to describe something great.' 

A: 'Deadly' is recorded as an adjectival intensifier in Australia only from 1979. The Australian National Dictionary says the word is now used chiefly in Australia and Ireland (and especially in Aboriginal English). However, there is evidence that 'deadly' has been used for a long time to mean 'extreme or excessive' -- as in 'deadly dull' or 'deadly serious.' Used in this way it seems to go back to at least the 1500s. And this intensive use of 'deadly' probably comes from its original meaning of 'fatal' -- which is about as intense as anything can get!

Q: Julie asks, 'Where does the word "shemozzle" come from please?'

A: It looks like what it is--a Yiddish word (or is based on a Yiddish word). The original is ''schlimazel' and the earliest meaning was 'an unlucky person.' Over time the meaning broadened, and it came to mean 'an unfortunate or chaotic situation.' First recorded in English in 1885. For some reason this is common in Australia (and New Zealand) but almost unknown in the United States. It is missing from Leo Rosten's brilliant 1968 book The Joys of Yiddish (based on New York Yiddish).

Q: Darryl asks for the origin of 'offside' and 'onside' in sport.

A: They both turn up about the same time -- around 1833 -- and seem to originally come from rugby football as played at Rugby School. The original form of the expression appears to have been 'off your side' -- in other words, out of the place where you were meant to be. In that form ('off your side') it appears in Tom Brown's Schools Days set at Rugby School. 'Onside' was coined as a contrast. What counts as onside or offside varies from sport to sport. However, the use of 'offsider' meaning your helper or assistant is an Australian coinage from the days of bullock driving. The bullocky walked at the head of the bullock in the right-hand side of the harness, his assistant walked on the offside -- so he was the 'offsider.'

Q:  Donna asks, 'What is meaning of, "Bald as a Badger"?'

A: It means completely bald -- totally hairless. Badgers, however, are not bald, but have a thick coat of fur, so where does it come from? Possibly as a corruption of an earlier expression 'piebald' which has been used since the 1500s to mean a mixture of motley colours. Badgers have dark grey fur -- and a white stripe running from the tip of their nose to the base of their neck, so they are 'piebald' in the old sense. However, 'bald as a badger' seems to only go back to the 1800s, and another suggestion is that it arose because badger hair was used for shaving brushes. Personally, I suspect it was coined and caught on only because of the alliteration between the two Bs. 

Q: Angela asks, 'What does this mean "Every dog has its day"? '

A: It means that eventually everyone gets a chance to succeed. This seems to be another one that Shakespeare either coined or popularized. It is in Hamlet, Act 5, scene 1. Mind you, the problem with Hamlet (as someone once said) is that it's full of quotes. Hamlet gave us, 'Shuffle off this mortal coil', 'Brevity is the soul of wit'. 'The play's the thing', 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark', 'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy', and (of course) 'To be or not to be.' The English language took wings when Shakespear wrote Hamlet!

Q: Darryl writes, 'Who coined the phrase "Bigger than Ben Hur" and how did it come about when describing something that is massive. Does it have anything to do with the movie starring Charlton Heston?'

A: It is much older than the 1959 movie with Charlton Heston. In 1880 Lew Wallace's novel 'Ben Hur' was published. In 1998 it was turned into a massive, spectacular stage play complete with live horses on stage. They even found a way to stage the famous chariot race. It was so impressive that the expression 'bigger than Ben Hur' was coined to name anything of epic proportions. 

Q: Edwina writes, 'I enjoy your segment each week on Credlin. I have an issue when a platform seeks to clarify an issue and they produce a document and call it an "explainer". Should it be an explanation?'

A: I am entirely with Edwina on this. Calling an 'explanation' an 'explainer' is nonsensical. The word 'explainer' has been around since 1579 -- and it has always meant a PERSON not the explanation offered. Yet another example of contempt for the English language. I suspect this particular bit of the uglification of English comes from what is called 'Management Speak' -- the tortuous and self-important language used by highly paid consultants. 

Q:  Richard writes, 'The word “shag” has come into the public forum since the Albanese interview was screened. How did this word originate in the vernacular version?'

A: It happened a long time ago. 'Shag' has been used to mean 'copulate' since at least 1770. The Oxford suggests this arose as a development of an earlier verb 'to shag' meaning 'to toss about' -- and I suppose a bit of that happens in copulation! That older verb goes back to around 1380 and is possibly a variation on the verb 'to shake.'

Q: Suzie writes, 'This might seem odd, and we all know what it means, I was just wondering where it originated: when we are “sick to death” of whatever.'

A: The expressions 'sick to death of' and 'sick and tired of' both emerged at about the same time -- in the early 1800s. But about 200 years earlier 'sick' on its own was used to mean being 'thoroughly tired or weary of a thing' -- meaning a mental weariness.  And 'sick' has long been used not to refer not to a medical condition but to being disgusted or fed up. So, both 'sick to death' and 'sick and tired' are just emphasised extensions of that idea. 

Q: John asks, ' What does the "rhyme" part of "no rhyme or reason" refer to?'

A:   The expression means something makes no sense -- either poetically or logically. It's first recorded as long ago as 1460. The Oxford says it probably comes from a Middle French expression which had exactly the same construction and meaning. This had been around since the 1200s. It might trace back to a post classical Latin expression that referred to poetry needing both rhyme and metre or modulation which was called 'reason.' So, it might have started as a criticism of poor poetry that lacked one or both of these things -- and then broadened out to mean any language that made no sense. 

Q: Janice writes: 'In today’s Australian Judith Sloan uses that expression “a country mile”.  We assume a country mile is longer than a city mile!'

A: The term 'country mile' goes back to at least 1661. And it seems that a mile in the countryside was once regarded as being longer than a standard mile. What is unclear from my research is whether there were, in fact, two different measurements or it was just a case of the travelling a mile in the countryside always felt longer. However, my best guess is that there was once a real difference -- perhaps similar to the two different measurements we now cover by the word 'ton'. In Great Britain a 'ton' is 2240 lbs while in the United States it is 2000 lbs. (These are called a 'long ton' or a 'short ton' when they need to be distinguished.)

Q: Mary asks, 'What is the origin of “touch wood” …. e.g. for good luck.'

A: It comes from an ancient superstition that said spirits dwelt in trees. In Greek mythology they were called 'dryads' -- other mythologies had other names for them. 'Touch wood' was summoning the help and support of the tree spirits. 

Q: Mark says he has noticed a trend in weather forecasts to talk about temperatures that are 'negative 3 degrees' instead of 'minus 3 degrees' and asks what is going on?

A: I am as baffled as Mark. There can be no good reason (either linguistic or logical) to replace a two-syllable word with a three-syllable word. Is this an example of verbal inflation? Or just of ignorance about the normal and traditional ways to report weather? I think we can just file this one under stupid.

Q: Sheridan writes: ' Is ‘social housing’ the same as what we used to call ‘housing commission’? The reason I ask is that the Prime Minister keeps saying he will build a lot of social housing homes and this will help young people get into the market to buy their own homes.  But isn't "social housing" government owned homes that people in need rent cheaply?'

A:  There does seem to be a muddle over this language. The term 'social housing' was coined (in Britain) in 1928 and has always meant 'public housing.' It always designated homes for the poor or disadvantaged available at controlled rents. Margaret Thatcher did something revolutionary when she set up a scheme for people in 'social housing' to be allowed to buy the homes they were in. 'Social housing' has never meant homes for young home buyers to purchase as a first home. This is yet another economic expression that the prime minister seems not to understand.  

Q: David asks, 'Where does “cometh the hour, cometh the man” come from?'

A: From Shakespeare (the source of so many familiar phrases). In Henry V, Act 4, scene I, the king utters those words.   At the time, it was a metaphor for leadership—suggesting that when a nation faces a crisis, its best leaders emerge. The phrase blends Old English and Shakespearean style, using an archaic verb (“cometh”) to emphasize timeless wisdom. Over the centuries, it changed from a literary device into a motivational slogan for seizing an opportunity. 

Q: Hamilton writes: 'I am driven crazy by morons and government using ‘12 pm’. I would love to hear you debunk this travesty of the calendar on Sky which I watch. I love your comments. I am a retired lawyer and used to teach clear English drafting to incompetent lawyers.' 

A: This is an acute observation. People (and governments!) seem to have forgotten that 12pm means noon, and that 12am means midnight. It would make a great deal of sense to simply drop the '12' expressions and use 'midday' or 'midnight' instead. 

Q: Glenys writes: "My dear mum would say to us sisters that there was no point in getting the ‘mulligrubs’ when things didn’t go our teenager youthful ways.  Where does 'mulligrubs' comes from?"

A: This a very old regional English dialect word. Since 1599 this has meant 'a fit of depression or low spirits.' The Oxford thinks this comes from the earlier verb 'to grub' meaning to dig into the ground. Perhaps this became a picture of being in low spirits.  The 'mully' part is less clear, but the Oxford thinks it might be related to the old word 'megrim' which these days means a migraine, but originally just meant melancholy. 

Q: Robert wrote to propose what he says is a new word in the context of the World Cup -- "nillest" which would label the team with the largest number of "nill" scores. He wants us to comment on whether this is a good idea or not.

A:  The word “nillest  once existed in Old English as the negation of "will". You have said that someone "willed" something or "nilled" it. It survives in the idiom "willy-nilly" (a contraction of "will he or nill he"). So, there could be an award at the end of the World Cup for the "nillest" team!  

Q: Malcolm asks for the origin of 'tall tale' -- what has height got to do with it? Also, "stringing someone along"? 

A: 'Tall tale': One use of 'tall' as an adjective is that it can mean 'over blown' or 'disproportionate'. 'That is what a 'tall tale' is. The expression was coined in America in 1846. 'Stringing someone along' is draw out their agreement -- as if physically drawing them along with a string. Again American, this time from 1869.

Q: Marcus asks about the word 'gallivanting.'

A: This one appears around 1823 as a humorous version of 'gallant'. Used as a verb (from the early 1600s) this meant to behave like a 'gallant' -- especially in the sense of being showy, flashy and irresponsible. The jocular version of this word, 'gallivanting', had much the same meaning 'gadding abvolt in a showy fashion.' 

Q: Dennis suggests that I explain the difference between and acronym and an initialism -- especially for those journalists who seem to be muddled about this.

A: An acronym is a group of initial letters that can be pronounced as a word -- Anzac, Nato, scuba and so on. And group initials that cannot be pronounced as a word (LGBTQI, NRMA, RSVP and so) are called an initialism. They are not acronyms -- don't sound ill-educated by mislabelling them!

Q: Ian asks where 'bell the cat' comes from.

A:  From an Aesop's fable. The mice wanted a bell hung around the neck of their enemy the cat -- so as to always know where it was. But -- who (among the mice) would be brave enough to 'bell the cat' (to creep up and hang the bell around the feline neck)? These days when someone is brave enough to reveal the truth about what's going on (to 'blow the whistle') they are said to have 'belled the cat.' 

Q: Eleanor quotes a sentence from an Alexander McCall Smith novel about a man walking his dog -- “They walked round the path widdershins rather than deasil, which they would do tomorrow “.  And she asks for the meanings of 'widdershins' and 'deasil.'

Q: 'Widdershins' means anticlockwise and 'deasil' means 'clockwise.'  ‘Widdershins’ is recorded in English from 1513, with the original meaning of ‘in the direction opposite to the usual, the wrong way.’ The first part of the word means (roughly) against, and the second part comes from a German source word meaning ‘journey.’ Hence, to go ‘widdershins’ is to go the wrong way. Very early in its life in the English language ‘widdershins’ was used to mean travelling in the opposite direction to the sun. Since the sun goes from east to west, going ‘widdershins’ was going from west to east. But back in those days many times pieces were sun dials—and that extended the meaning of ‘widdershins’ to mean ‘anticlockwise. 'Deasil' is recorded from 1771 and comes from a Gaelic source word (found in both Old Irish and Welsh meaning 'righthandwise, turned toward the right,' that is 'clockwise.'

Q: Peter asks for the origins and the meaning of 'London to a brick.'

A:  It means a bet at very long odds. It is an Australian coinage from 1909 (from the Hobart Mercury of that year). If I bet you the whole of London against your one brick then I'm very sure of the certainty, of the odds, of my bet!  It was for a long time associated with legendary race caller Ken Howard, but it was not Ken's original coinage -- it predates him by some decades.

Q: Pam writes: "I was thinking about Anthony Albanese and the expression ‘mealy mouthed’ came to mind. Wondering about its origin. Congratulations on your segment with Peta Credlin which is always fun."

A: It means 'not outspoken' or 'afraid to clearly say what one thinks.' It comes from the notion of not speaking clearly at all -- as if one had a mouth full of powdery, floury meal (finely ground grain).

Q: Ray asks for the origin and meaning of 'boondoggle' which he finds quite puzzling.

A:  It means useless or pointless activity. It appears to come from the Old West in the USA when ranch hands with down time on their hands would, rather than being completely idle, fashion decorative items out of leather. These small items were called 'boondoggles' (for no reason that anyone has yet been able to discover). The word only appeared in print in 1935 (in The New York Times) but there it was said to go back to 'pioneering times' and to have originally meant something like 'gadgets' which fits in with the idle time in the bunkhouse story. 

Q: Aileen writes that since Pauline Hanson's appearance at the National Press Club there has been much confusion of the meaning of the words 'race.' 'ethnicity' and 'culture.'

A: Aileen is probably right about the confusion. 'Race' is purely biological--it identifies who a person is descended from. And individuals matter much more than who their great-grandparents might have been, 'race' is the least significant characteristic of anyone. 'Ethnicity' is geographical and social -- it means membership of a national or regional grouping. 'Culture' refers to growing up -- the customs and values in which a person grows up (is 'cultivated'). I fear some people deliberately muddle these in order to confuse the debate, and fling abuse at One Nation.

Q: Johnny asks about the expression 'brainwashing.'

A: The word is recorded from 1950--at first in America--and seems to come from the Korean war (1950-53), where Chinese captors subjected American servicemen to a process designed to 'wash away' their established ideas, and replace them with implanted ideas. The word itself might have begun as an English translation of a Chinese word with the same meaning. So, it was the Chinese who first called what they were doing 'brainwashing.' Nowadays it is certain appealing ideologies (such as the Climate ideology) that seem to 'brainwash' those who are attracted to them. Some, indeed, seem to be not only brainwashed but dry cleaned and pressed!

Q: Suzie writes: " I found myself using ‘sticky beak’ yesterday and thought of you. I know what we mean when we say this – but where on earth did it come from?"

A: This is an Australian coinage, first recorded in Sydney Evening News in October of 1914. And it was a clever Aussie way of referring to someone who sticks their nose (i.e. their 'beak') into other people's affairs. 

Q: Ian asks: "Do you think that there is anyone in the Federal cabinet who is not a snollygoster?"

A: Do you mean to say they are all "shrewd, unprincipled persons, that is -- politicians"? Can that really be true? Surely you can't include that wise man with qualifications in both engineering and economics Chris Bowen?  You shatter all my illusions!

Q:  What is a “blue stocking”? I am understood as the term for a house very clever lady academic.? 

A:   Of, belonging, or relating to a series of assemblies or salons held c1750 by a group of London society ladies, notable for the informal dress worn by the male attendees and for the intellectual conversation engaged in by women and men equally.   The expression came to be used generally in allusion to social assemblies or literary salons hosted by Elizabeth Montagu, Elizabeth Vesey, and Frances Boscawen, among others, which were characterized by social informality and intellectual exchange. The emphasis on the encouragement of female intellectuals in this circle led to the association of the term blue stocking (and its derivatives) specifically with the involvement of women in the intellectual world.  

Q: Craig writes: 'I heard a term the other night that I had not heard in ages. Can you please tell me the origin of "Spitting Chips"?'

A: 'Spitting chips' is Australian in origin, first recorded in 1899 -- when it appeared in an article in the Perth Sunday Times. It meant from the beginning an utterance of anger or annoyance.   But none of the experts can tell me how it came to be coined. What sort of 'chips' is the angry person supposed to be spitting? Any suggestions would be welcome.

Q: Suzanne wants to know about 'crossing the Rubicon.'

A:   'Crossing the Rubicon' means passing a point of no return. In 49 BC Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon river in northern Italy at the head of the 13th Legion. This was taken by the Senate in Rome as a declaration of war (as Caesar intended it to be) -- since Roman law forbade generals leading their troops onto Roman soil.  

Q: Tom asks for the meaning of 'collywobbles.'

A:  It means butterflies in the stomach (or a similar disorder) -- probably from a combination of 'colic' and 'wobbles.'  

Q: Michael complains that 'awe' and 'awesome' and regularly misused these days -- and asks, 'how can we educate the masses'?

A:  That probably can't be done. Any sense of 'awe' seems to have departed from our gross society -- and the use of 'awesome' to mean 'very good' is not so deeply embedded I think we have lost this battle.  'Awe' came into English from a Scandinavian source word in the 12th century with the meaning of 'a feeling of fear or dread, mixed with profound reverence.' 'Awesome' originally meant that which is likely to provoke such feelings. But fear, dread and reverence are missing from our shallow, unthinking, unfeeling 21st century society.

Q: Clive asks about the origin and meaning of "Come Hell or High Water."

A: It seems to have an American origin, from 1868, with the meaning of 'despite difficulty or disaster.' It may have had a maritime origin, but this is unclear.  It first appeared in a Nashville newspaper, and Nashville is located on the Cumberland River (a tributary of the Ohio River, which, in turn, flows into the mighty Mississippi). So, it may come from the era of the big paddle steamers. It undoubtedly caught on and survived because of the alliteration between the two Hs.

Q: Bob writes ' Not sure if it's been asked but where does the saying "Bob's your uncle" come from?'

A: Yes, it has been asked before -- is there is not clear and certain answer.  The most common theory is that it comes from an act of political nepotism. The Victorian prime minister, Lord Salisbury (first name Robert) appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour to a succession of posts. Balfour got these jobs because 'Bob was his uncle.' Now Salisbury became prime minister in 1902, and the Oxford does record the expression until 1937. Although Michael Quinion says it might have existed by about 1924 -- but that still a big gap between Arthur Balfour getting those jobs and the expression appearing. Michael concludes that everybody who has looked into the history of the expression has ended up baffled. 

Q: Clark asks for the origin and meaning of 'ham-fisted.'

A: It means 'Having large or clumsy hands' -- meaning hands are large and awkward as a leg of ham on the bone. It first appeared in 1928 when the Daily Mail said it applied to 'pilots who are heavy on controls, or generally clumsy.'

Q: Judith writes: "Don't get your knickers in a knot" I grew up with this saying, but it would not be one the next generation would comprehend.'

A: This is British slang from the mid-20th century. It means, of course, don't metaphorically tie yourself up in knots over something unimportant -- don't get your intimate apparel into a twist. Would the younger generation not understand this? Surely, they would! 

Q: Bob writes: 'Where did "cove" come from? My Dad would say I "don't trust that cove", referring to a sales rep or a person.'

A:  Convict slang. It's found in James Hardy Vaux's dictionary of the "flash language" spoken by convicts. (So ultimately it came from the slang of thieves in England.) They  used it to mean 'the man in charge'. Over time it changed to mean just any man. 

Q: Warwick asks for the origins of the word 'hangover.'

A: It means, of course, the unpleasant after-effects of alcohol. It's an American expression first recorded in 1895. There are some nonsense stories told about this -- e.g. that in certain frontier inns there were ropes that the dead drunk would be draped over until they recovered in the morning. Very inventive, but completely untrue. Before its application to booze 'hangover' existed to describe anything that was 'left over' -- that was a remainder of some sort. That usage comes from earlier in the 1890s. And that's where it comes from.

Q: Tamara asks: ' What does "money for jam" mean & where did it come from?'

A: It means a profitable return from very little effort. There is an alternative version 'money for old rope' with the same meaning. Both come from 1919, and are thought to have begun as military slang. The point is straight forward -- 'jam' (or 'old rope') costs almost nothing, so if you can get a good return for it, you're on to a good thing.  

Q: Jeremy asks if the expression 'ditch the witch' in sexist? He says that has been told that the word can apply to both males and females.

A: This is one where the answer is: up to a point Lord Copper. The word itself is ancient -- going back to the days of Old English. And it was never a nice thing to call anyone, since it was always meant using magic in harmful ways. The Oxford has the following helpful note: 'Witch is not clearly associated with women more than men in early use, but it is employed as a term of abuse or contempt for a woman from the 15th cent. onwards ' In other words, in the 21st century 'witch' is definitely a term of sexist abuse.

Q: Suzie asks for the origin of the expression 'upper crust'?

A: It started in the 1400s as a reference to bread, but over the years it spread to refer to anything that was at the top of something, So the outer mantle of the earth came to be called the 'upper crust', and then it was applied to your head with 'upper crust' being a slang term for the human head. Then in 1823 it was used as s sneering putdown of people who thought they were better than anyone else - who had 'swelled heads.' That ironic implication seems to have gone these days, and 'upper crust' now just means 'upper class.'

Q: Darren writes about the word 'overwhelmed' and its jokey inversion 'underwhelmed' -- and asks what it means to be 'whelmed'?

A: The word 'whelmed' means 'to be engulfed, or to be capsized'. So, it basically means the same as 'being 'overwhelmed' -- which is just a more severe example of the same thing. 

Q: James asks: 'If you have a "train of thought" does mean you have a destination?'

A:  'Train' really refers to a series of things linked together -- so if you have a series of connected, rational thoughts you have a train (regardless of whether you know where you'll end up or not!) 

Q: Aileen writes: 'Can you please explain the correct pronunciation of 'negotiate'? In recent years, it seems to have become 'nego-see-ate', but (and I'm showing my age here) it always used to be pronounced 'nego-shee-ate' What has changed? '

A: I think both pronunciations have been with us for some time. If you'd like me to make a ruling, bang down my judge's gavel and pronounce sentence -- I'm quite happy to declare 'nego-SHE-are' as correct, and any deviation from that as wrong. My reason is that the '-tia'- in negotiate' is the same as the '-tia'- in 'partial' and is pronounced the same way.

Q: Clark wants to know the origin of 'raining cats and dogs.'

A:  It was a joke from the late medieval period. Drains (in those days) ran down the middle of streets -- and after a major rain storm the dead bodies of stray cats and dogs would come drifting down the public drains. Hence the joke -- it must have been raining cats and dogs. 

Q: John writes to ask if there is a word for the fear of being thought racist -- not actually racist, he adds (he knows he's not that), but the fear of people thinking that he's racist (perhaps from how they interpret his words)? 

A: I think probably the best word is 'anthropophobia' -- which seems to mean 'fear of other people' / 'fear of society'. (It was coined by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant in 1799.) Since John knows that he's colour blind (that he judges people by the content of their character not the colour of their skin) what he is afraid of is what others think. Which, I believe, is not worth worrying about -- but if it does worry you, then you have 'anthropophobia.' 

Q: Bill asks about the different uses of 'mind' -- as in 'I haven't made up my mind' contrasted with 'mind how you go.'

A:  'Mind' as a noun refers to the rational power that you exercise using what Hercule Poirot called 'the little grey cells' -- it's what you think with. And the verb 'to mind' means 'to think'. So 'mind how you go' means 'think about how you go -- don't do anything thoughtlessly.' The different uses fit together. 

Q: David writes about the word 'fulsome'. His dictionary tells me this is a negative word meaning excessive and insincere, but these days many people (especially politicians) seem to use as a positive expression. He asks me for my ruling on this.

A: 'Fulsome' has a long history -- and was very negative for much of that time: it's first syllable 'full' being read as meaning 'foul.' But -- 'fulsome' is almost certainly a word on the cusp of change (if it hasn't changed already!) 'Fulsome' (regardless of its history or etymology) has been used to mean 'unrestrained, exuberant, effusive, lavish, wholehearted' since around 1922. And that meaning has now (almost certainly) taken over.  

Q: Ian asks: 'What is the difference between talking and speaking?'

A: I'm scratching my head trying to come up with an answer to that. They are almost exact synonyms -- but not quite. 'Speaking' means 'uttering words' while 'talking' means 'engaging in conversation.' So, it looks as though 'talking' is more reciprocal than 'speaking.' Mind you, we don't always get that right. In our conversations, our so called 'listening' component can often consist of a period of silence while we think what we are going to say next!

Q:  Don asks, 'What is the difference between "Closed Up" and "Closed Down"?'

A:   Interestingly there is no difference -- they are exact synonyms. This is because of the imprecise nature of 'up' and 'down'. This vagueness can be seen if you try to work out the difference between 'uptown' and 'downtown.' Anywhere except on the side of a hill, they make no sense.   Officially 'closed up' means 'brought to an end' while 'closed down' means 'shifted to a closed position.' Which makes my point!

Q: Sue asks: 'could someone explain what "intergenerational equity" is and where the term came from?'

A:  It seems to date back to 1964 -- when it was coined by sociologists.  'Intergenerational equity' is a one division that comes under the wider name of DEI -- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The aim of DEI is to identify a group as being 'disadvantaged' and then give that group special rights under the law to overcome their perceived disadvantage. It's based on the Marxist analysis of society into just two groups: (1) the Oppressors, and (2) the Oppressed. 'Intergenerational equity' identifies people based only on age -- concluding that those below a certain age are Oppressed, and their Oppressors are people older than them. The standard Marxist response is to legally disadvantage the Oppressors (older people) in order to relieve the disadvantage of the Oppressed (younger people). If this strikes you as a load of codswallop, that's because that's what it is.

Q: Clearly in a grim mood, Johnny asks for the origin of 'gallows' -- the implement from which convicted killers were 'hanged from the neck until they were dead.'

A: This goes back to the days when the Anglo Saxons spoke Old English. In its earliest form the source word that gives us 'gallows' probably meant a pole. And as an apparatus for inflicting the punishment of death it has always been in the plural because it consisted of two uprights and a crosspiece from which the condemned man was hanged.