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If it weren’t for trade, there’d be no “tariff”
The word tariff goes all the way back to Arabic. Economists, businesspersons, and politicians of all stripes are pushing back against Donald Trump’s plan to impose stiff, new aluminum and steel...
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The 2017 “Etymology of the Year”: The Fake Origins of “Covfefe”
While some casual observers speculated if covfefe would win Word of the Year, lexicographers duly noted that the presidential typo for coverage, if creating a curious cultural moment, lacked any...
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Reams of “ream”
Sexual assault scandals, mass shootings, military coups, tax cuts for the rich, trophy elephants, the impending devastation of climate change, the looming threat of nuclear war—there are reams and...
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Safari: Etymology of the day
Safari was borrowed in the 1850s from the Swahili safari, meaning “journey” or “expedition,” in turn from the Arabic safar, “journey” or “tour.” (Pixabay) m ∫ r ∫ Filed under: Etymology of the Day...
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Lions, chameleons, and shih-tzus, oh my!: 12 “lion” etymologies
Liger is much older than you think. Tigon is even older. Earlier this week, I let the etymological cat out of the bag for International Cat Day. Today, I keep with the feline theme for World Lion Day....
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It’s time for another Friday etymological news roundup
We had a lot of interesting words in the news this week (some more polite than others). Here’s a news review with—what else?—an etymological twist. Anthony Scaramucci spewed quite the obscenities this...
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Channeling the roots of “channel”
The word channel may have a secret back channel to a Semitic or Arabic root. When it comes to Russia, Trump just can’t change the channel. The Washington Post reported last Friday that Jared Kushner,...
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Taking a hit of etymology for 4/20
It’s April 20, or as many marijuana enthusiasts know it well, 4/20. Today, especially when the clocks strike 4:20pm, many people will light a joint or smoke a bowl in celebration of the herb. Contrary...
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Pepsi, Gibraltar, and other names in the news
From soda ads to ancient military strongholds, this week featured many newsworthy names. Let’s have a look at a few—and, as always, their origins. The Rock of Gibraltar (Pixabay) Pepsi Soda giant...
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The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones
If you like Mashed Radish, then you’ll love Paul Anthony Jones’ latest book, The Accidental Dictionary: The Remarkable Twists and Turns of English Words (Elliott & Thompson, 2016, £12.99...
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7 eye-opening “coffee” etymologies
Today is National Coffee Day. Tomorrow is International Coffee Day. But for java junkies like myself, every day is coffee day. Here’s a fresh cup of some tasty coffee-related etymologies. How do you...
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From shoreline to sainthood: the origin of “canonize”
This Sunday, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa as a saint, joining her with 10,000 other such holy figures in the Catholic Church. That’s a lot of saints, but canonize is still a relatively rare...
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“Soda”: An etymological “headache”?
This week, Philadelphia became the first major American city to tax soda and other sugar-added beverages. Supporters tout the levy as a remedy for health problems and school funding. Opponents see it...
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Gerbils (and etymology) will bring us all together
For this post, I thought about writing on the etymology of demagogue or bigotry, which have been much in the ether lately, thanks especially to Donald Trump. But I thought twice, important as these...
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The secret of *nem-
Last post, we saw that the math in aftermath has nothing to do with numbers. But two other words I’ve recently covered, numb and nimble, may indeed be all about them, if we do some etymological...
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cotton
Last week, Donald Trump’s hot air inspired our look into bombast, where, for all of his bluster and braggadocio, we ultimately discovered the soft padding of cotton. They say all politics is local, but...
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errand & racy
Last week, we ran the etymological race. We saw the word was connected to error, which goes back to the Latin verb “to wander,” among other meanings. This made me wonder, an errand involves some kind...
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jar
Last post, I pointed you to my Strong Language piece on swear jars. Now, what might be pickling in this short, simple word jar? Quite the etymological surprise, if you ask me. “Jar.” Doodle by...
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drubbing & shellacking
It’s an American pastime: The party of the president takes a big hit in the midterm elections and the electorate awaits how the president will describe it the next day. Most colorfully, in 2010 Obama...
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candy
Today, millions of be-ghouled kids across North America will be facing the disappointment of “fun size” candy as they trick-or-treat for Halloween. While “fun size” may sour any ghost or goblin, candy...
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