Bimonthly Gleanings (July – August 2008)
Anatoly Liberman answers questions.
Bare or Bear, or, the Story of Berserk
Anatoly Liberman looks at the word “Berserk”.
Big Problems with the Little Finger, or, A Story of Pinkie
Anatoly looks at the word “pinkie”.
The Haberdasher Displays His Wares and Escapes
Anatoly looks at the word “haberdasher”.
American Nicknames Part 2: Hoosier
Anatoly looks at the nickname “Hoosier”.
Advice to the Etymologist: Never Lose Heart, or, The Origin of the Word Galoot
Several times a year I speak on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), a guest of Kerri Miller’s program “Midmorning News.” We usually advertise some general topic in advance, but, while I am in the studio, listeners are requested to ask any questions they like about word origins, regardless of the overarching theme. Sometimes I […]
American Nicknames Part 1: Softies and Buckeye
Anatoly looks at the word “Buckeye”.
William John Thoms, The Man Who Invented The Word Folklore
Anatoly celebrates a word pioneer.
Who’s Mindful of Who’s Apostrophes’?
Anatoly looks at apostrophes.
Monthly Gleanings
Anatoly answers questions.
Lite Beer and Donuts, or, Does Spelling Reform Have a Chance?
Anatoly finds the appropriate sustenance for spelling reformers.
Germanic Hermaphrodites
Hermaphrodites are born rarely, and it is far from clear why their mythology achieved such prominence in Antiquity. Reference to cross-dressing during certain marriage rites does not go far, but the cult of Hermaphroditus is a fact, and Ovid’s tale of the union in one body of the son of Hermes and Aphrodite is well-known.
Etymology, Serendipity, and Good Luck
Anatoly gives a candid take on etymology.
Monthly Gleanings
Questions for the month are answered.
Severed Relations
Anatoly explores why some words naturally go together.
Snob Before and After Thackeray
Anatoly seeks the origin of “snob”.