Search found 23 matches

by tapoensgen
Sun Dec 10, 2023 4:13 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Wax
Replies: 1
Views: 7360

Re: Wax

Re word history: is it not more likely that this word comes from the German wachsen, which has the same meaning?
by tapoensgen
Mon Aug 28, 2023 5:55 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Aptronym
Replies: 3
Views: 1802

Re: Aptronym

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Franklin Adams coined it as an anagram of patronym, to emphasize "apt", see https://www.britannica.com/art/aptronym
by tapoensgen
Wed Mar 29, 2023 5:27 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Mien
Replies: 1
Views: 1417

Re: Mien

In German there is Miene, which appears in such sayings as gute Miene zum bösen Spiel . Until the 18th century Miene was spelled Mine. Contemporary French uses mine "facial expression" and Old Breton has the word min "mouth". As to the origin in Latin, an alternative to the origi...
by tapoensgen
Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:32 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Harbor
Replies: 1
Views: 1170

Re: Harbor

While it makes sense that beorg originates or was borrowed from bherg, the relationship to borrow seems somewhat remote and I would imagine this emanates instead from the German borgen, with the same meaning "lend". We find the descendants of bherg in German we find the verb bergen "r...
by tapoensgen
Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:49 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Bourgeois
Replies: 1
Views: 3411

Re: Bourgeois

One should add here that the class of the Bourgeoisie evolved from the German word "Bürger", i.e. someone who lives within a Burg. Bürger ( singular and plural are identical ) were the citizens of the German speaking countries, as opposed to the folk who lived (unprotected) outside the Bur...
by tapoensgen
Mon Dec 11, 2017 12:43 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Ait
Replies: 2
Views: 4322

Re: Ait

An ait on the River Thames is often also called an eyot. There are a few idyllic ones in the Thames near where I live, in the London Borough of Chiswick.
by tapoensgen
Wed Apr 02, 2014 5:35 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Asphalt
Replies: 3
Views: 5424

Re: Asphalt

It ought to be mentioned that in Britain and Ireland asphalt is typically called tarmac, relating back to that innovative scot MacAdam, who (re-)invented this form of road surfacing.
by tapoensgen
Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:55 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Grub
Replies: 6
Views: 12615

Re: Grub

Actually, grub is by no means Cowboy slang word only. It is commonly used in Britain to describe basic food, not necessarily bad. For example "pub grub" for the sort of basic fare you might be served in pubs (no longer so basic these days). One might also hear frequently people referring t...
by tapoensgen
Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:16 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Sack
Replies: 4
Views: 6828

Re: Sack

Oops! What happened to 'sack' as in 'loot and plunder a captured town'? :roll: That one seems to have a different root, as does the wine. Just a coincidence in spelling and pronunciation, I'm wondering what happened to the last 15 Super Bowls that we are playing one from 1999. At least one of the t...
by tapoensgen
Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:59 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Hamburger
Replies: 4
Views: 6558

Re: Hamburger

Today's word history appears to me very flimsy at best. The Tatars or Tartars where not a people at all. The term refers to an area within the Mongol Empire (so not Russia) inhabited by a number of peoples - Turkic, Mongol and Cossack. They, and indeed other horse people where known for softening me...
by tapoensgen
Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:39 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Badger
Replies: 5
Views: 7728

Re: Badger

Somewhat insular description of the animal as being "of North America". The vast majority of badger species (and numbers) have their habitats outside of the North America.
by tapoensgen
Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:41 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: punctuate / punctuation
Replies: 6
Views: 8599

punctuate / punctuation

This might be a wonderful and apt Good Word. It seems fairly obvious that it originates from the Latin punctum . However, a different theory suggests that its root lies with the Irish punc meaning dot . As we know (or should know), Irish monks were very early educators, missionaries and bible transl...
by tapoensgen
Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:19 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: KILTER
Replies: 3
Views: 6415

Re: KILTER

I could speculate on an origin, where Kilter (and Kelter) may be derived from the German "Keltern" (trampling grapes in the winemaking process), which stems from the Latin calcare - treading or trampling. As trampling of feet is a rhythmic process, being "out of kilter" would sug...
by tapoensgen
Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:13 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: copacetic
Replies: 3
Views: 6635

copacetic

Philip, I agree with you entirely. I speak fluent German and my Yiddish isn't bad either. Copacetic is an entirely ungermanic word in all its syllabic components and that would typically extend to Yiddish as well. Etymologically, it is also highly unlikely for such a word to find its way into the ja...
by tapoensgen
Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:59 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: copacetic
Replies: 3
Views: 6635

copacetic

I am fairly certain that the origin of copacetic is related to the extensive use of syncopation in jazz music. Since syncopation refers to something irregular in music - broadly speaking - copacetic is effectively an antonym, i.e. something smooth. I confirmed this theory of mine with an elderly for...

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