In a State of Denial, in the Negative Mood
Anatoly takes a look at negative prefixes.
Monthly Gleanings
Anatoly answers readers’ questions and looks at the origins of bigot.
On Being Pretty Ugly: A Nice But Quaint Oxymoron
Anatoly explores pretty’s myriad of meanings from unlikely origins.
Sneak—Snack—Snuck
Anatoly uncovers how sneaked became snuck.
A Troubled Marriage Between A Skeptic and an Ascetic, or, The Oddest English Spellings
How did we ever come up with the spelling for scythe? Anatoly looks at the history of conjoined letters “sc”.
Monthly Gleanings
Anatoly answers this month’s questions and explains the intriguing history of the words element and hocus pocus.
The Oxford Etymologist goes Trick-or-Treating
Anatoly prepares for Halloween with the origins of witch.
“From the North So Dear To Southern Climes”
Anatoly looks at north and south.
The Light From Gig on Quiz
Anatoly Liberman looks at the origin of the word “gig.”
Quizzes and Gigs
Anatoly delves into word history for our entertainment.
Monthly Gleanings
September 2007
Anatoly looks at some questions from the past month.
East or West…
Anatoly looks at the origins of directionals.
What the Deuce,
Or, Etymological Devilry
The Devil is in people’s thoughts, and his names are many. One of them is the obscure ‘Old Nick’. The word nicker “water sprite” explained as an old participle “washed one” – is unrelated to it. Then there is ‘nickel’. The term was easy to coin, but copper could not be obtained from the nickel ore.
The Girl Whom You Think Lives Here Has Left
Language changes through variation. Some people ‘sneaked’, others ‘snuck’. The two forms may coexist for a long time, or one of them may be considered snobbish. Once the snobs die out, the form will go to rest with them. Or the snobs may feel embarrassed of being in the minority and ‘go popular’.
Monthly Gleanings (August 2007)
Anatoly answers questions gleaned from your comments.
Wilhelm Oehl and the butterfly
When I was growing up, I read Paul de Kruif’s book Microbe Hunters so many times that I still remember some pages by heart. Two chapters in the book are devoted to Pasteur. The second is called “Pasteur and the Mad Dog.” A book about great word hunters would similarly enthral the young and the old.