Month: December 2016

• The original “Mannequin” Challenge

  For all its motionlessness, the Mannequin Challenge has really had some legs. Since early October, the viral trend, which films people frozen in various poses as if mannequins, has taken over our social media feeds – and workspaces and public places. But why are mannequins called mannequins? That’s a challenge for etymology.     Little…

  John Kelly

  December 12, 2016

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• “Orbit”: Of the earth, out of this world

  John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, left Earth yesterday at the age of 95. In his honor, let’s gaze at orbit – a word whose origin turns out to be much more down to earth. Leaving a mark As part of Project Mercury, John Glenn orbited Earth three times aboard the Friendship 7…

  John Kelly

  December 9, 2016

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• “Dakota” and “Sioux”: A tale of protest, told in etymology

  Since spring, the Standing Rock Sioux have led protests against the path of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Missouri River and Lake Oahe by their reservation in North Dakota, fearing the oil pipeline could contaminate their water supply and desecrate sacred sites nearby. But this Sunday, their hard-fought efforts met with victory: the US…

  John Kelly

  December 6, 2016

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• Why do we call it the president’s “Cabinet”?

  With some controversy, President-elect Donald Trump has been assembling his new Cabinet. But new cabinets are for kitchens, right? Why do we call these advisors, who head the executive departments of the US government, a president’s Cabinet? Cabinet members In the 16th century, there were two main meanings of cabinet. The first, and earliest, cabinet…

  John Kelly

  December 2, 2016

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