Addition to Word History:
Proto-Germanic *khnauwjaz developed into knausrig (miserly) and Knauser (a miserly person)

@MTC - You are so right about the hussy, alas this (or rather she) has been dealt with by Dr. B. already.

Dear Dr. B - how about this very English word?

I am not so sure that I can totally agree with some of the word history here. English thunder and German donner originate from the Nordic / Germanic god of thunder Thor / Donar. Of course we still honour this particular god every Thursday / Donnerstag / Donderdag. This origin clearly pre-dates the L...

As our Chancellor of the Exchequer (two more Good Words right there) opened the Budget (that's actually the correct term) yesterday, I thought it might be a good opportunity for Dr. Goodword to expand a little on this great and versatile word.

I think this explanation needs expansion. Although the word's origin lies with the Germanic Schlag, the development of the its meaning is important. In fact it derives from shlak, being the chips and splinters coming off iron or wood being worked on. From that developed the word slag (Schlacke in Ge...

cantilever |ˈkantɪliːvə| noun a long projecting beam or girder fixed at only one end, used chiefly in bridge construction. • a long bracket or beam projecting from a wall to support a balcony, cornice, or similar structure. verb [ trans. ] [usu. as adj. ] ( cantilevered) support by a cantilever or c...

I would like to add that there is the word "schwül" in German, denoting hot and humid weather. This is undoubtedly related to swelter(y). Interestingly, whereas we refer to a sultry woman, in German "schwul" (without the ") refers to a homosexual man.