The intractable word caucus
At the moment, the word caucus is in everybody’s mouth. This too shall pass, but for now, the same question is being asked again and again, namely: “What is the origin of the mysterious American coinage?”
English spelling, rhyme, rime, and reason
The story of rhyme has been told more than once, but though both The OED and The Century Dictionary offer a detailed account of how the word acquired its meaning and form, it may be instructive to follow the discussion that occupied the intellectuals about a hundred and fifty years ago and some time later.
Going on an endless etymological spree
Noah Webster (1758-1843) knew spree and included it in the first edition of his dictionary. He defined spree as “low frolic” and branded it as vulgar.
More gleanings: cob, shark, cowan, and the rest
The Oxford Etymologist shares his monthly gleanings on cob, shark, cowan, and more.
From broke to broker: following the tortuous path to truth
“To me, the history of etymologists’ wanderings reads like a thriller: so many naive and clever suggestions, such a blend of ignorance and ingenuity!” The Oxford Etymologist traverses the history of “broke.”
Clever Hans and beyond
The Oxford Etymologist details the origin and development of the adjective “clever”.
In praise of sloth
The hero of today’s blog post is the adjective “slow.” No words look less inspiring, but few are more opaque.
Etymology as guesswork, being also a study in the history of the word guess
A good deal of our scholarship is guesswork, and today’s story deals with the origin and history of the word “guess.”
Language peeves and the word peeve
The Oxford Etymologist considers the etymology of the word “peeve.”
No release from an etymological entanglement
The Oxford Etymologist responds to readers comments on his most recent blog post topics.
A few things at a glance
The Oxford Etymologist responds to readers comments on his most recent blog post topics.
An etymological cul-de-sac: the verbs “flaunt” and “flout”
The Oxford Etymologist explores the history and development of the verb “flaunt”, “to display ostentatiously,”
Dangerous neighbors: “sore” and “sorrow”
Quite naturally, speakers connect words that sound alike. From a strictly scholarly point of view, “sore” and “sorrow” are unrelated, but for centuries, people thought differently, and folk etymology united the two long ago.
Confronting bud and buddy
The Oxford Etymologist tackles the convoluted history of “bud” and “buddy” – the final part of the series.
The company we keep, part two: bud(dy)
The Oxford Etymologist tackles the convoluted history of “bud” and “buddy”.
The company we keep
Observing how various words for “friend” originate and develop is a rather curious enterprise.