Category Archives: word origins

Beating About the Gooseberry Bush

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly explores the origins of the word ‘gooseberry,’ and its related phrases. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, DAISY, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, daisy picker, etymology, fool, gooseberry, origins, picker, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Why Don’t We Know the Origin of the Word Ghetto?

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly reviews possible origins of the word ‘ghetto.’ Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Change, Dictionaries, Italian, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, etymology, ghetto, language, language change, origins, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Monthly Gleanings: February 2009

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly answers questions. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Change, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, etymology, idioms, origins, semantic, semantic change, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Grass Widows and Straw Men

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly considers the origins of the phrases ‘grass widow’ and ‘straw man.’ Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Ratcliffe, Reference, Thomas, Thomas Ratcliffe, Uncategorized, etymology, grass, grass widow, man, origins, straw, straw man, widow, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Akimbo: An Embarrassment of Riches

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly explores possible origins of the word ‘akimbo.’ Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Ernest, Ernest Weekley, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Skeat, Uncategorized, Walter, Walter William Skeat, Weekley, William, akimbo, etymologies, etymology, folk, folk etymologies, origins, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Monthly Gleanings: January 2009: Part 2

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly’s second installment of January gleanings. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Americanisms, Change, Dictionaries, Internet, Internet language, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, anatoly, anatoly liberman, buzzwords, disappearing, disappearing words, etmology, family, family names, language, language change, liberman, names, origins, separate, separate words, texting, word, word origins, words | Leave a comment

Monthly Gleanings: January 2009

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly’s January gleanings. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, German, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, anatoly, anatoly liberman, english, etymology, liberman, origins, shakespeare, spelling, weird, word, word origins | Leave a comment

The Oddest English Spellings, Part 12 Or, One, Two, Buckle Your Shoe

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Rebecca

Anatoly Liberman looks at the oddest English spellings. Continue reading →

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An Etymologist As Lord of the Flies, Or, Chicanery and Shenanigans All Over the Place

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Rebecca

Anatoly looks at the origin of the word “chicanery.” Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Uncategorized, anatoly liberman, chicanery, etymology, shenanigan, word origins | Leave a comment

Helpmeet, Or Can Stillborn Words Prosper?

Posted on January 7, 2009 by Rebecca

Anatoly Liberman looks at the story on the word “helpmeet.” Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Uncategorized, anatoly liberman, bible, etymology, helpmeet, language, word origins | Leave a comment