Mashed Radish

Mashed Radish

Etymology at the intersection of news, life, and everyday language.

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  • Mammoth cheese, one nation, and shagging: Thomas Jefferson in the OED

    To count to ten when angry, doll-baby, Irish-American, leaf lettuce, Megalonyx, N.Y., Riesling, sanction? The man who gave us “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” has also left us an incredible record of words in the English language. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by Read more.

    John Kelly
    July 4, 2017
    Feature

  • Your Friday etymological news roundup

    Today, rather than zoom in on the origin of any one noteworthy word, let’s round up the etymologies of some of the top words buzzing in this week’s news: Read more.

    John Kelly
    June 30, 2017
    Feature

  • The origin of “meddle”: It’s all in the “mix”

    Recent reports are revealing that Russian meddling in the 2016 US election was more extensive than initially understood. As investigators continue probing the interference, let’s meddle with the etymology of meddle. Read more.

    John Kelly
    June 27, 2017
    Feature

  • How a “bubble” becomes a “bill”

    A legislative bill ultimately comes from the Latin bulla, “bubble,” later likened to round “seals” authenticating important documents.   After drafting it in secrecy, Republican senators released their healthcare bill to repeal Obamacare on Thursday, already being criticized for its steep cuts to Medicaid—and tax cuts for the wealthy. As we debate the bill, let’s take Read more.

    John Kelly
    June 23, 2017
    Feature

  • What’s at “stake” in “attack”

    A doublet of the word attach, attack ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “stake.”  London has again faced another terrorist attack, this time from a Welsh man who plowed his van into a group of Muslim people near a mosque in Finsbury Park. As the word attack has become, alas, an all-too familiar one—excepting Read more.

    John Kelly
    June 20, 2017
    Feature

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Mashed Radish

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