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The Japanese Emperor suggests he wants to “abdicate.” Where does this uncommon word come from?
While he didn’t directly use the word (or its Japanese equivalent), Japanese Emperor Akihito made his intent clear: In a rare public address, the Emperor suggested he wishes to abdicate, citing concerns about how his advanced age and declining health will hinder his performance. Just as rare, at least in the broader public conversation, is this word Read more.
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The contested origin of “game”
Let the games begin! No, the quadrennial contest we call the US presidential election has long been underway. That other event occurring every four years, the summer Olympic Games, officially kicks off tonight in Rio de Janeiro. As the games begin, where does “game” begin? Game English has long been playing games. The word is Read more.
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What is the “buke” in “rebuke”?
In his latest controversy, Donald Trump has been criticizing Khazr and Gazala Khan, whose son died fighting in Iraq. Khazr rebuked Trump in a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, but Trump’s unseemly response has drawn, yet again, his own sharp rebukes from the likes of John McCain and President Obama. In Read more.
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Behind the name of the next US president: “Hillary” or “Donald”
…and then there were two: Hillary and Donald. A week after Donald Trump accepted his party’s nomination for president, Hillary accepted hers, the first woman to be nominated by a major political party in US history. Running up to the big day in November, we’ll be hearing a lot of these two names. So, what Read more.
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The downs and ups of “bounce”
Last post, I looked into the history of keynote, a word getting a lot of airplay during the US party conventions. Another word basking in the lexical limelight right now is bounce, that post-convention boost in the polls each candidate historically enjoys. Where did this bounce etymologically spring from? Bounce’s bouncy past Outside of its polling sense today, bounce Read more.
Mashed Radish 