Month: March 2017

• Goats, galloons, gas stations, and Gorsuch: The origin of “chevron”

  Confirmation hearings of US Supreme Court nominees—like Neil Gorsuch’s this week in the Senate—give obscure judicial terms a rare moment in the public spotlight. Consider super precedent, who fights baddies with the power of past decisions. Or stare decisis, which sounds like a long-lost sister to Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” And then there’s Chevron…

  John Kelly

  March 24, 2017

  Feature

• Etymology of the Day: Puppy

  It’s been another busy week for politics in the US, and so today, National Puppy Day, couldn’t come at a better time. So, too, the origin of the word puppy. It’s pretty adorable.   

  John Kelly

  March 23, 2017

  Etymology of the Day

• Etymology of the Day: Litmus

  Litmus, as in litmus test, is just one of those words that looks like it’s from Latin. For one, it ends in -us, a signature case ending in the language. For another, many of us first encounter the word in chemistry class, and science, we know, brims with Latin derivatives. So, why don’t we put…

  John Kelly

  March 22, 2017

  Etymology of the Day

• The dark and troubled past of “sleazy”

  The earliest record of sleazy likens the human brain to beer left out in the sun.  On Capitol Hill yesterday, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his agency is probing Russian interference in the 2016 US election. During his hearing, Denny Heck, a Democratic representative for Washington, commented on the state of the investigation: “We’re…

  John Kelly

  March 21, 2017

  Feature

• Etymology of the Day: Hassle

  My cable bills are a bit high, but switching providers? That’s too much of a hassle. Quit hassling me to get on Snapchat! I’m barely keeping up with Instagram. Hassle, as it turns out, is a perfectly modern word for all the “fuss” of our modern lives.

  John Kelly

  March 20, 2017

  Etymology of the Day