Etymology
BALD CHAUVINISTS
When I think of the word chauvinism, I immediately associate it with sexism, although it can also refer to biased support for any group. Historically, it was linked to…
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Latest Etymology
ABRUPT INTERRUPTION
In this discussion, we will delve into the Latin verb rumpere, which had the meanings of "to break", "burst", or…
The Grammarphobia Blog: On jays and jaywalkers
Q: I assume the “jay” in “jaywalk” is derived from the bird so named, though I have never seen a…
INTEPRETING “INTERPRET”
The term interpret was initially utilized in the late fourteenth-century Wycliffite Bible, spelled as interprete, signifying "explain the meaning of"…
On ‘cul de sac’ and ‘dead end’
Question: When did "dead end" replace "cul de sac" as a street with an entrance but no outlet, and is…
MARKETING A VACCINE
Following the approval of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, it is now being marketed under the brand name Comirnaty.…
The Grammarphobia Blog: Is this ‘which’ dead?
The use of "which" in a US Supreme Court opinion from April 30, 1934, was to avoid ambiguity. While this…
The Grammarphobia Blog: How ‘chintz’ became ‘chintzy’
The origin of the term "chintzy" can be traced back to the name of the cotton fabric known as "chintz,"…
JERRY JURY
It recently came to my attention that my friends all use the term jerry-rig ("to build something temporary"), while…