-
“Caucus”: a smoke-filled etymology (repost)
Caucus Day has arrived at long last. Today, Iowans will cast the first votes of the 2016 race to the White House. This voting system is quite distinctive, as is the word caucus. So, in honor of the event whose results politicos, pundits, and campaign personnel will read like so many tea leaves, I am republishing an earlier Read more.
-
Candidate
Some things just don’t change. Today’s presidential candidates would fit right into Ancient Rome – both in name and action. See, the etymology of candidate turns out to be quite illuminating. Candidate The Oxford English Dictionary first cites candidate in 1609, where it appears in the second edition of Robert Cawdrey’s A Table Alphabeticall: “Candidate, a suiter for, or one Read more.
-
Inside the “establishment”
As the candidates run for the US presidency, there’s one word many are running against (and from): establishment. We see the term especially used for the mainstream Republican party, though Bernie Sanders is increasingly positioning himself against a Democratic establishment. What established this word establishment, etymologically speaking? Establishment The English language first sets up establishment in the late 15th century. Early on, establishment named a “settled arrangement,” Read more.
-
Flying, flap-eared pigs?
I wanted to point you to some other pieces I have around the web. You’re forewarned: Some strong language lies ahead. A few weeks back, I had a post on the OxfordWords blog: “Pig, dog, hog, and other etymologies from the farm.” As I note: We’ve left the farm and have wandered into the woods to discover where some very Read more.
Mashed Radish 