BAILOUT

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Dr. Goodword
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BAILOUT

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:23 pm

• bailout •

Pronunciation: bayl-æwt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. An attempt to save a sinking boat. 2. A financial rescue. 3. An emergency parachute jump from a damaged airplane.

Notes: As Congress works feverishly on a plan (Emergency Economic Stabilization Bill) to bail the nation's largest financial institutions out of the state of bankruptcy they find themselves in, we might take a look at this word for its implications. Bailout is the noun from of the complex verb to bail out. It has a broad, general meaning that lends itself to confusion.

In Play: Although many in the US are angry at the current bailout plan, it is the US public's thirst for credit, combined with loose rules governing banking, that experts say led us to our current situation. The current plan is a general refinancing plan for banking institutions. The US government will buy mortgage-backed securities at a low price to sell later when they are worth more. Additionally, the government will obtain stock in the companies that receive loans, stock that also can be sold later for profit. The bailout, therefore, should make money for the government and cost the taxpayer nothing.

Word History: Bailout is, of course, the action noun based on the verb bail out. The verb bail comes from a nautical noun bail "bucket or pail". A bail in this sense comes from French baille "a bucket, a pail" from Late Latin baiula "water carrier", which probably came from Classical Latin baculus "stick". (The diminutive of baculus is bacillus, a germ that looks like a little stick.) It is possible that the semantic shift from "stick" to "pail" occurred in the days when water was carried in pails on the ends of a stick placed over the shoulder. However, this is mostly speculation.
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Stargzer
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Re: BAILOUT

Postby Stargzer » Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:49 am

• bailout •

Pronunciation: bayl-æwt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: ... 3. An emergency parachute jump from a damaged airplane.

...
Unfortunately, many of those involved in causing all the problems bailed out with a Golden Parachute. Would that they were given a parachute made of real gold and tossed out of a plane!
Word History: Bailout is, of course, the action noun based on the verb bail out. The verb bail comes from a nautical noun bail "bucket or pail". A bail in this sense comes from French baille "a bucket, a pail" from Late Latin baiula "water carrier", which probably came from Classical Latin baculus "stick". (The diminutive of baculus is bacillus, a germ that looks like a little stick.) It is possible that the semantic shift from "stick" to "pail" occurred in the days when water was carried in pails on the ends of a stick placed over the shoulder. However, this is mostly speculation.
A different bail has a different etymology:
NOUN: 1. The arched hooplike handle of a container, such as a pail. 2. An arch or hoop, such as one of those used to support the top of a covered wagon. 3. A hinged bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the platen. 4. The pivoting U-shaped part of a fishing reel that guides the line onto the spool during rewinding.

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English beil, perhaps from Old English *bēgel or of Scandinavian origin; see bheug- in Appendix I.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

engineer27
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Re: BAILOUT

Postby engineer27 » Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:44 pm

A different bail has a different etymology:
(etc.)
Stargzer, is this origin of bail related to the name of the little crossbar that sits on top of the wicket in the game of cricket?

Stargzer
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Re: BAILOUT

Postby Stargzer » Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:48 pm

A different bail has a different etymology:
(etc.)
Stargzer, is this origin of bail related to the name of the little crossbar that sits on top of the wicket in the game of cricket?
No, it appears to be related to the other bail, being a stick:
bail[sup]4[/sup]

NOUN: 1. Chiefly British A pole or bar used to confine or separate animals. 2. Sports One of the two crossbars that form the top of a wicket used in the game of cricket.
ETYMOLOGY: Old French dialectal, probably from Latin baculum, stick. See bacillus.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


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