Fine and Dandy (In All Except Etymology)
Anatoly Liberman discusses the etymology of “dandy.”
Good God and Etymology
Anatoly Liberman discusses the etymologies of “good” and “god” and demonstrates the two words are not related.
Monthly Gleanings: October 2009
Anatoly Liberman responds to readers’ questions and comments.
The Oddest and Dumbest English Spellings, Part 15, With a Note on Words and Things
Anatoly Liberman discusses the etymology of words with silent letters.
Ethnic Slurs. Part III:
Another Derogatory Name for the Jew: Kike
Anatoly Liberman examines meaning of the word Kike.
Watered Down Etymologies (Ocean and Sea)
Anatoly Liberman examines the history behind the words ocean and sea.
Monthly Gleanings: September 2009
Anatoly Liberman’s monthly gleanings.
Clobber, Cobbler, and their Ilk
Anatoly Liberman discovers connections between the origins of the words cobbler and clobber.
The Ever-Green Chestnut
Anatoly Liberman looks at the word “chestnut.”
British Slang of Jewish Origin (?):
Oof and Fefnicute
Anatoly looks at oof and
Monthly Gleanings, Part Two: (August 2009)
Anatoly Liberman’s gleanings.
Monthly Gleanings, Part I: (August 2009)
By Anatoly Liberman Squaw. My post on squaw produced some ripples. Three lawyers from Michigan gave me the lashing of their tongue(s). (I am sorry for the parentheses, but I always feel uncomfortable when I have to say something like: “Three people put their foot in their mouth.” Should it be feet and mouths?) Their […]
Why Skate but Scathe?
Or, The Oddest English Spellings. Part 14
Anatoly looks at spelling reform, specifically at “sk” and “sc”.
The Deceptive Transparency of Compounds
Anatoly Liberman explains the etymology of compound words, notably, blackguard.
A Derailed Myth, or, a Story of the Word Tram
Anatoly Liberman tours the history of the word tram.
Around ethnic slurs part 2: Sheeny
Probably no other ethnic group has been vilified with so much linguistic ingenuity as the Jews. For the moment I will leave out of account Kike and Smouch and say what little I can about Sheeny, a word first recorded in English in 1824 (so the OED).