What we call a “yard” was, in Old English, a “geard.” It was pronounced about the same way, but the word did something unusual during the transition to modern English: it split into two words, with “yard” keeping the Old English “g” sound that’s more like a “y,” but in the other (“garth”) the “g” Continue reading

There’s something inherently amusing about the word “pants.” It’s not for nothing, after all, that David Letterman’s production company is called Worldwide Pants. One thing about “pants” is that it’s plural, and even though it’s been centuries since the garment was made in two pieces, one for each leg, we still refer to a “pair Continue reading

Here’s a sentence you’d be unlikely to encounter nowadays. “It was noscible in the village that the oporopolist’s stall was often closed because of his fondness for riviation.” You’d be unlikely to encounter it because “noscible,” “oporopolist,” and “riviation” are all words that were once in general use in English, but haven’t been heard from Continue reading

The original Odyssey, by the ancient Greek writer Homer, is largely about the Trojan War, which went on for years. According to the myth, the whole thing was kicked off when this guy Paris (who was from Troy) kidnapped Helen, who was married to Medelaus, the king of Sparta. One might wonder how exactly you Continue reading

It’s getting to be the time of year when ice skating jumps quite a bit in popularity (that jump, obviously, would be an axel). To go ice skating you need skates. Unless, of course, you’re Snoopy the beagle in A Charlie Brown Christmas, where he manages to skate better than any of the kids just Continue reading

A typical behavior or habit that’s been in place for quite a while, is — or at least can be — called a “custom.” It can apply to one person: “He never gave up his custom of going to business in a silk hat and a Prince Albert coat” (1938) or practically the whole human Continue reading

If you see someone who’s been through such a physically exhausting or draining experience that they look gaunt, tired, spent, anxious, and fatigued, that person looks “haggard.” At least that’s how they’d be described nowadays.  “Haggard” has been around for quite a few centuries, and it’s one of those words that’s shifted in meaning pretty Continue reading

Everybody knows about democracy. It’s originally a Greek word, formed by “demos” (common people) and “-cracy” (power). You’ll find the suffix “-cracy” in a number of places, from “aristocracy” to “autocracy,” and quite a few more. “Ariso” means “the best” in Greek, and although we now use “aristocracy” in a way that doesn’t imply actual Continue reading

If somebody is described as “pert,” that’s (sometimes) a good thing. To be “pert” is to be lively or outspoken. On the other hand, to be “pert” can also be a bad thing. To be “pert” is to be impudent or sassy. In both cases it sort of dates the person using the word, too Continue reading

An unusually large sarcophagus was fairly recently discovered in Egypt, and it contains not one but three mummies. Nobody has yet figured out the story behind this find, but there’s a really good story behind the word “sarcophagus.” In fact it’s pretty close to a horror story.  The word comes from Greek, and it’s made Continue reading