Month: April 2017

• Keeping the US Government open, etymology edition

  After some last-minute budget negotiations on Thursday, it looks like the US Congress will avert a shutdown and fund the government—at least until they come up to the next brink. Let’s negotiate the origins of these words in a Friday etymological news roundup: 

  John Kelly

  April 28, 2017

  Feature

• Etymology of the Day: Thousand

  In the previous post, we learned hundred literally means “count of 100.” How about the next multiple of ten up the scale, thousand?

  John Kelly

  April 26, 2017

  Etymology of the Day

• The origin of “hundred” doesn’t exactly equal “100”

  Donald Trump is coming up on his first one hundred days in office, a conventional measure of the initial success of a new president going back to FDR. But with a thwarted agenda, palace intrigue, and some self-inflicted wounds, Trump is pushing back against the meaningfulness of this traditional 100-day benchmark. What’s a hundred days,…

  John Kelly

  April 25, 2017

  Feature

• Etymology of the Day: Stroll

  Stroll Stroll has referred to “leisurely walking” since at least 1680, but in the beginning of the 1600s, the word wasn’t quite so innocent and carefree.

  John Kelly

  April 24, 2017

  Etymology of the Day

• Etymology of the day: the hazy origins of “hazy”

  Are you feeling a little hazy after 4/20? Maybe from some purple haze? No, no, I’m sure you were just listening to the Jimi Hendrix song. Well, you’re not alone, as the etymology of hazy is itself quite hazy.

  John Kelly

  April 21, 2017

  Etymology of the Day