Word and Phrase Origins
Includes questions related to the origins and etymology of English words and phrases.
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Durkee Atwood
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Marissa MurrayIn a crime or mystery story, the author will sometimes put in misleading information so that the reader or viewer is diverted...
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The word junkie (or junky) was initially used to describe a heroin addict, "junk" being a slang term for heroin. However, as the...
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In the 1800's, medical science wasn't what it is today, and people who were merely in a deep coma were often pronounced dead....
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Linguists have called the derivation of the word dog "one of the great mysteries of English etymology." There are differing...
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Calico originated in India. From the city of Calicut, Kerala, India. Around the 11th century. Calico originated in India. From...
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"Venezuela"! But you're looking for the meaning... it derives from the time the zone was discovered by Amerigo Vespucci......
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the word Orwellian relates to George Orwell who achieved prominence in the late 1940's
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This phrase is commonly thought to have originated in the 1742 poem titled, "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College" by Thomas...
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It originates from Italy but then it went to France as they discovered it.
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Origin of the Ice Cream Sundae: The ice-ceam sundae was invented as a result of the prohibition on flavoured sodas being sold on...
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Some words that start with the letters 'phil' are: Philadelphia philander philanthropy philatelist Philippines philistine...
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"Jacksy" meaning "on their own" originates from the English/Cockney rhyming slang for being "Alone". This was "Jack Jones", a...
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The greater your desire to accomplish something, the more likely it will be accomplished. Desire drives potential and ability.
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verrückt wegen Sie
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In a business sense, it usually means a new employee is not quite keeping up with the 'learning curve' required to perform a...
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Marc spent four years in an quixotic struggle to block construction of a high way through his neighborhood .
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The English slang word loo, meaning "privy, toilet" is of obscure origin. There are many possibilities. The most satisfying, to...
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Meaning of 'the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry'. Answer 1:The most carefully prepared plans may go wrong....
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The myth is that an Englishman who did not care for potatoes formed the organization cited (SPUD). The truth is, it is the name...
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"March Madness," the term used to describe the excitement surrounding the Illinois state high school basketball tournaments,...
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From dis, meaning not, and able.
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a supplanter is one who takes the place or moves into the position of another. Read the story of Issac's sons, Jacob and Esau....
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War is an atrocity, of course, with many victims and few if any winners, but sometimes people gain status or wealth or something...
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See the following for possible origins: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tits+mcgee It's a very old slang term...
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"scrub (v.) "rub hard," c.1300, perhaps from M.Du. or M.L.G. schrubben "to scrub," or from an unrecorded O.E. cognate, or from a...
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where did the word sad come from?
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Selecting or choosing from different sources. In an education sense, using more than one source, belief, method or possibly even...
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noun: a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed...
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From O.Fr. humble, earlier humele, from L. humilis "lowly, humble," lit. "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not...
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The word athlete is an ancient Greek word that means "one who competes for a prize" and was related to two other Greek words,...
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marijuana can cause brain tumors , lung cancer etc.
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A man that gives money to women for their desires and needs.
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It could mean a well endowed man. The slang term for 'lets go jeepin' is right opposite, usually speaks with a high pitched voice.
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It came from a somewhat thin German sausage which became popular in Frankfurt, Germany i.e. a frankfurter.
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First you must correct your use of English. It should be YOU'RE driving me crazy, not YOUR. In this sentence, it is meant to be a...
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for the birds For Pete's sake! For goodness sake! Forever and ever, Amen. for the record books for your eyes only for personal...
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contemporary hip, trendy cutting edge or leading edge up to date neo, new, now, current, today fresh, "mod" fashionable in vogue...
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It's the name for a type of antelope that's found in (South)Africa.It was used as the name of South Africa's rugby team as...
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The word "joey" is sometimes said to be from a native Australian word joè, but more recently often said to be of unknown origin....
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This English word was coined into the language in 1935, thanks to a Northern California botanist who developed the fruit on his...
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A bomb is an explosive device which, although not containing more energy than ordinary fuel (except in the case of a nuclear...
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Knowing or to know someone in the biblical sense refers to having sex with them.
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Spam as in tinned meat comes from spiced ham. Not sure on the origins of the term for junk email.
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One of the more ghoulish games played in the old Russian military was for a group of soldiers to put one bullet in the chamber of...
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From the English show punch and judy,punch being the proud puppet.
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A wobbler could be a person or a thing that wobbles or a fishing lure that does not spin but wobbles.
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AnswerThe word buck - possibly an abbreviation of buckskin or buckarooney, an intrinsic "currency" for trade with American...
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I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE SLANG WORD "CHICK"ORIGINATED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM THE SPANISH WORD"CHICA" AS USED BY...
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On the surface Skin deep Not very important Not deep
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Attractive face. (primarily female directed compliment.)
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another word for achievement is succeed
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Lame duck is referred to the period of time between the election and the new office holders take office. There is no incentive...
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Answerthis means that a person is hurt or discouraged but it doesnt mean that they aer biter they just want to fit in like...
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According to http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/glossary.htm, trochaic inversion Inserting a trochee (foot with...
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According to the NFL Digest of Rules, clipping is defined as: "Throwing the body across the back of an opponent's leg or hitting...
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A Meeting place. A secret place for couples. Rendevous is a french term meaning 'to meet you'. Slightly better translation: To...
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YaYa is a first name, I believe that it originates from Brazil. It's not from Brazil I'm Brazilian and I don't know what's Ya...
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Interestingly, the mare in nightmare has nothing to do with a female horse. Instead, it comes from Old English maere 'goblin,...
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another name for a steep cliff is mountainand ESCARPMENT
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A gerund phrase cannot have a direct object, but it can function as one, since gerunds function as nouns in a sentence.
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O'clock stems from "of the clock". Example: "Two of the clock and all is well."
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When eaten, some kinds of peaches produce a natural high by interfering with the lipotin receptors in the brain. Since these...
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Shakespearean English is english. It is the same language. If you wish to write in Shakespeare's style, first start writing in...
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AnswerThe characteristics of a society or group. Ex. The type of religion that is practised. Answer Culture is all the...
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securely as in "fasten"
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ΕΙΡΩΝΕΙΑ (noun) = pretension of ignorance. ΕΙΡΩΝΕΥΟΜΑΙ (verb) = pretending ignorance.
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Anybody who wants to. Like this: John was amiably walking in the park when he saw a quirky squirrel.
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The phrase 'Rest in Peace' is generally understood as a wish for eternal peace for the soul of the departed. Found in the form of...
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This delicious American berry was named in 1893 for U.S. horticulturist James H. Logan (1841-1928), who developed it by crossing...
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is it pitch
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The phrase "top draw," if it really exists, would mean "most attractive act on the bill." But it is more likely a misstatement of...
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To go indoors when it is raining. It is often used in the form "He doesn't have the sense to come out of the rain" which is used...
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Major Edward A. Murphy, Jr. (1918 - 1990) was an American aerospace engineer who worked on safety-critical systems and is...
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It is just a expression or play on words that means your end result of a particular situation will not result in a good outcome.
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a man had a jar of beeswax and someone wanted to know what it was so he said none of your beeswax There is an absurd story,...
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In the Medieval times Kings paid their knights for tax collection. When they were paid, they were paid in an envelope made of...
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To eat like a horse simply refers to the fact that some can eat a great deal. A horse may eat 2-6 flakes of hay a day, plus...
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AnswerIt means ' I don't have to worry about anything'. Often in the English language questions are asked to oneself that...
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I think fart would be considered a "slang" English word. The word fart is derived from the old English word "feortan."of echoic...
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The first I heard the use of this phrase was in reference to a pack of wolves and their leader. In the wild, male wolves fight to...
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According to The Phrase Finder (www.phrases.org.uk), the term began in the 1930s when many dust bowl farmers left drought...
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AnswerIt means getting whooped, obliterated or owned.
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Middle English, from Old English tigele, from Latin tgula, from tegere, to cover; see (s)teg- in Indo-European roots.]
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1. The act of waiting, the exercise of patience. 2. Indulgence, especially towards enemies. (Dictionary.com) 2. (In the context...
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The word God comes from long before Middle English. The Online Oxford English Dictionary said that the ulterior etymology is...
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See the Related Links for "English Idioms, Sayings and Slang" to the bottom for the answer.
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it means to study intensively for an examination...or to cram
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Cecil and his staff believe it came from Shakespeare. It's in Macbeth. http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfellswoop.html
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It dates back to the days of slavery, when masters ordered their slaves to work harder. It's now a derogatory term for being...
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It basically means that things that have happened have always been pushed aside and unresolved.
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It may originate from as early as the Civil War, when soldiers would jot a list of their items to be laundered (and hopefully...
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Most words in a language originate with phonemes to express some semantic content. The words snow in historical linguistics...
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when good news is conveyed, we always use this phrase in Hindi. It means let us celebrate as in India sweets are distributed to...
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