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bracket
Etymologists are wary of March Madness. No, it’s not the term bracketology, describing the art, science, and ritual of filling out one’s tournament bracket, which word induces many a cringe. (I, for one, find it to be a perfectly fine coinage.) It’s the inevitable utterance, “There goes my bracket,” issued in resignation when an upset fells Read more.
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mad
It’s not just me? You, too, were recently reflecting on the comedic stylings of Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt’s ’90s sitcom Mad About You? Oh, no. That’s right. Maybe mad is on your mind because you’ve been gearing up for the American college basketball extravaganza, March Madness. Sorry, Paul. For more on the origins of “March Madness,” Read more.
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crisis & turmoil
Fast Mash Crisis originally referred to point in which an illness would get better or worse It comes from the Greek, krisis (decision, sifting) The Proto-Indo-European root is *krei-/*ker- (separate, sift, sieve); cognates range from ascertain to excrement to crime Turmoil likely comes from the French tremouille, evoking the commotion of a “mill hopper” This Read more.
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the emotions, part ii (afraid/surprised & angry/disgusted)
Fast Mash From the French-based affray, afraid likely comes from the Vulgar Latin exfridare, joing ex- (out of) and the Germanic frithu (peace), constructing fear as a “breach of peace” Surprise is Latin-by-way-of-French: French surprendre joins super (over) and prendere (take, seize), rooting the word in a notion of a “sudden attack” Through Old Norse, anger comes from the Proto-Indo-European *angh- (choke, squeeze); anguish, anxiety, and angst are related Via French, disgust joins dis- (opposite) and gustare (to taste), from the Proto-Indo-European *geus– Read more.
Mashed Radish 