Interesting Words
-
Oh nonsense
Word of the day: flimflam “Flimflam” is misleading nonsense. In other words it’s humbug, bunkum, claptrap, poppycock, balderdash, bilge, hooey, malarkey, blatherskite, twaddle, rigamarole. (Hey, I did say “other words”.) But “flimflam” is the word of the day, so we’ll skip the tommyrot and get right to it. It’s an older word than you might Continue reading
-
Horses, of courses
In the southern part of England there are areas where the rock underlying most of the hills is white and chalky. The famous white cliffs of Dover are the iconic example, but many hills and meadows around those parts are just as white underneath. This has been known to the residents since prehistoric times, and Continue reading
-
Definitely apodictic
“Apo-” is a prefix originally from Greek. In Greek it originally meant “away” or “not part of,” and it’s used in English words from near to far. It’s used in nouns from “apogee” (the highest part of an arc) to “apostrophe” (the punctuation mark that indicates an additional letter is attached to a word but Continue reading
-
Oink
From Piglet to Wilbur to Babe to Animal Farm, pigs play a certain minor (possibly mid-range) role as characters in English writing. Pigs have been domesticated for many centuries, and they’ve entered the language as well. The thing is, most pig-related words and idioms aren’t particularly kind to the pigs. The word “hogwash,” meaning nonsense, Continue reading
-
Put on your jacket
If a Hollywood studio makes a war movie set in, say, World War II, there’s sure to be some flak involved as anti-aircraft guns try to shoot down enemy planes. There’s also sure to be some flacks in involved as the studio hires public relations people to publicize the film to increase the audience. “Flak” Continue reading
-
The wiz of biz
Even though people have been “doing business” for who knows how long, the word “business” hasn’t always meant what it does now. It’s derived from the Old English word “bisignis,” which was formed from “bisig” (busy) and “ness.” “Bisig” is a bit of a mystery; it might be related to the Dutch word “bezig,” but Continue reading
-
It’s complicated
Anything sufficiently complex can suffer a systemic breakdown. Addressing a systemic breakdown usually requires a systematic approach. “Systemic” and “systematic” are an interesting pair; they’re closely related and obviously both come from the same etymological roots, but (possibly because neither one is used all that often) you’ll sometimes see one used where the other was Continue reading
-
Nice farm ya got there. Be a shame if…
In medieval England, specifically in the Norman era, the lords of manors owned all the land around them, including the land where peasants lived and farmed. The lords taxed the peasants, charging them something called “tallage.” “Tallage” was also a tax levied by the king on all the “royal towns,” which were towns located on Continue reading
-
Had enough
A couple of centuries ago if you hosted someone for dinner, you might, just as today, ask if they’d had enough to eat. Rather than the efficient but oafish “yup” we would use, your guest might eloquently reply “I’ve had an elegant sufficiency, thank you.” That phrase was in use pretty widely; there are examples Continue reading
-
Beware the outsiders
Let’s talk about “proper English.” English is not a centrally-managed language; it’s a dynamic set of conventions, and for the most part as long as you can make yourself understood, it works. But there are also social assumptions about how you use English. One that’s drummed into many of us in elementary school is that Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate Bossypaws. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my other blog, Techlimitics, where I’m grappling with the nature of simplicity.