Etymology of Words and Phrases

Entertainment, History, Humor, Uncategorized 6 Minutes

Someone posted something about etymology and it caught my interest – IIRC, I have Duchess to thank!

I decided to do an open about the subject since I have a book about it. But there is so much more in the book than I can put in one open, I expect I’ll be doing more in the future. If anyone has specific words or phrases they are curious about, let me know and I’ll include it in a future open.

First, the definition of etymology:

– The origin and historical development of a linguistic form as shown by determining its basic elements, earliest known use, and changes in form and meaning, tracing its transmission from one language to another, identifying its cognates in other languages, and reconstructing its ancestral form where possible.

– The branch of linguistics that deals with etymologies.

– That part of philology which treats of the history of words in respect both to form and to meanings, tracing them back toward their origin, and setting forth and explaining the changes they have undergone.

CURSOR

It is a Latin term for “flowing” or “running” that gave rise to the word “cursive” to describe handwriting produced in flowing style. The flow of letters that is produced when a pen is guided by skilled fingers is an impressive art. The name for this efficient and effortless writing style, in this computer age, soon was adapted and bestowed upon the small marker that moves quickly and gracefully across a computer screen. The cursor blinks until it is stimulated into action.

Cursor

TO BOOT

Early computer programmers faced an obstacle: the memories of their computers were wiped clean each time the machines were turned off. To address this problem, the programmers needed to enter a short program called a “bootstrap loader” each time the machine was turned on. When the first desktops first came out, there was a “boot” disc that resided in one drive, while a data disk was in the second drive, where the work was saved. This is the portable laptop I used to take with me on business trips – note the 2 drives side-by-side.

COMPAQ Portable PC

Once this program was read, the computer could then perform more complex functions. The short program gave the machine a “bootstrap” it could then use to perform tasks; without it, the computer was useless. Over time, programmers figured out ways to design software so computers could perform this function automatically, and bootstrap loaders are now part of the basic make-up of any operating system. Pulling oneself up by the “bootstraps” is a means of restarting one’s situation. The expression lives on in the phrase to boot, which today simply means to turn it on, but reflects decades of efforts of computer programmers to make computers easier to use.

CD-ROM

As an abbreviation, this cluster of letters has come to function as a word naming a compact disc crammed with an immense amount of data, graphic material, music, or other sounds. The disc can be read and viewed and printed out, but can’t be altered, making deletion of selected portions impossible. Once the basic nature of this disc is understood, it makes complete sense that the abbreviation stands for “Compact Disc [with] Read-Only Memory.

HANDS DOWN

Plantation owners and merchant princes of colonial America took great interest in horse racing. For many generations major contests were supported largely by the wealthy. After the Civil War, promoters began bidding for attendance by the general public and racing then surged to new popularity and prominence.

Skilled jockeys made an art of timing the final spurt toward the ribbon; sometimes a fellow would be so far ahead of the field that he didn’t have to lift his hands in order to urge his mount forward. Expecting an easy victory, the backer of a horse would boast that his jockey would win hands down. Erupting from racetrack lingo about the turn of the last century, the phrase came to indicate any effortless triumph.

RAISE THE HACKLES

Medieval householders made wide use of flax, whose fibers are so tough they had to be carefully worked with a tool called the hackle. Farmers noticed that angry fowls have a way of raising the feathers on their necks. Disturbed in such a fashion, a bird looked as though someone had rumpled his feathers with a hackle. Hence by 1450, such feathers had taken the name of the combing tool.

Medieval Hackle

Since visible hackles indicated anger, it was natural to say that anything causing an outburst of rage raised the hackles of the offended person.

DERBY

England has few families whose blood is a deeper shade of blue than that of the Stanleys. Descended from an aide of William the Conqueror, this family came into possession of the earldom of Derby in the 15th century. Their name entered common speech because the 12th Earl of a lover of fast horses. With no specific desire for fame, Derby established an annual race for 3 year old horses; first run in 1780, it quickly became the most noted race in England.

American sportsmen who took in the races after the Civil War were impressed by the odd hats some of the English spectators wore. They brought a few of the “Derby hats” back to the US, where a new model was developed. Made of stiff felt with a dome-shaped crown and narrow brim, the derby won the heart of the American male. By the time the first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875, the derby was standard wear for the man of parts. It is merely incidental that the hat also brought a kind of immortality to the distinguished house of Derby.

English Bowler Derby

As a side note…..how did the Kentucky Derby get that name?

“The Kentucky Derby is America’s most celebrated horse race, but its inspiration comes from England.

Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, founder of Churchill Downs, wanted to model the track’s major races after the English classics. The gold standard for Europe’s three-year-olds is the Derby at Epsom, which also stages the corresponding race for three-year-old fillies, called the Oaks.

Both the Epsom Derby and Oaks are contested at about 1 1/2 miles. And originally so were the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, in the early years since their inception in 1875. Both were eventually shortened, with the Kentucky Derby firmly established at its traditional 1 1/4-mile distance in 1896. The Oaks was subsequently held at distances ranging from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles, finally settling at its current trip of 1 1/8 miles in 1982.

But why were the Epsom classics named the Derby and Oaks at their creation in the late 18th century? An aristocratic connection, of course!

The 12th Earl of Derby, Edward Stanley, was instrumental in the development of both. The fillies’ race was established first in 1779, and named after Stanley’s Surrey estate. Fittingly, he won that inaugural Oaks with Bridget.

That prompted the idea to create another classic, open to both colts and fillies, the following year. According to the oft-told tale, the new race’s name hung on the outcome of a coin flip. Was it to be named after the Earl of Derby, or after his friend, Sir Charles Bunbury? Luckily, the toss came up in favor of the Earl, and the first “Derby” was held at Epsom in 1780. Bunbury didn’t go home empty-handed: his Diomed triumphed in that first running.

With the Epsom Derby giving rise to so many spin-offs around the world, racing fans can be grateful for that toss of the coin. The “Kentucky Bunbury” just wouldn’t have the same ring to it.”

https://edge.twinspires.com/racing/why-is-it-named-the-kentucky-derby/

STEALING MY THUNDER

For more than two centuries, the English-speaking world has used the expression “stealing thunder” to mean the appropriation of any effective device or plan that was originated by someone else.

An obscure English dramatis was the father of the phrase. For the production of a play, John Dennis invented a new and more effective way of simulating thunder onstage. His play soon folded but shortly afterward he discovered that his thunder machine was in use for a performance of Macbeth at the same theater.

Dennis was furious!!! “See how the rascals use me?!?” he cried. “They will not let my play run, and yet they steal my thunder.

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Published by NebraskaFilly

Army veteran (1976-1979), retired with entirely too much time on my hands

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225 thoughts on “Etymology of Words and Phrases”

            1. my mom would curse at us in Hungarian…and then she’d make something up when we asked what that meant…till I yelled it at my grandmother once…I thought she was gonna melt into the floor!!!
              LMAO…

              Liked by 1 person

  3. Issue: October 27, 2022

    Entire Article @ ReclaimTheNet: “Residents push back after Oxford, England proposes dystopian surveillance system that limits driving — Expanding a surveillance network to control traffic and limit travel.”
    By Ken Macon, Posted 11:28 am

    If the city goes through with plans, motorists might need special permits and open themselves up to more surveillance to drive through Oxford, England. The Oxfordshire County Council is considering giving permits to households that only allow them to drive through the city for 100 days per year per vehicle.

    To implement the plan, ANPR (automatic number plate readers) cameras will be installed at โ€œtraffic filterโ€ locations across the city. Private cars will not be allowed across the filters without a permit. All other vehicles, including coaches, buses, vans, taxis, mopeds, HGVs, and motorbikes will be allowed through traffic filters at all times.

    Consultation for the plan ended October 13 and the council is expected to make a decision in November. If they approve the plan, it will cost ยฃ3 million ($3.48 million) to implement. Oxfordshire County Councilโ€™s minister for highways management Andrew Grant said that the traffic filter scheme is part of a โ€œvision for a vastly improved Oxford.โ€ โ€œWe want to improve lives, transport and health for the people that live and work here. We have done a lot of modeling to reach these locations and we want to encourage people to choose to use their cars less,โ€ he added.

    โ€œThis is not about being anti-car, itโ€™s about managing the way we use our roads so that they are safe for everyone. Itโ€™s about designing Oxford for the next decades and we want to hear from everyone. I would encourage people to comment and take part in the consultation, especially people who would not normally think about going online and commenting on it.โ€

    Some that are against the plan have voiced their opinion. Over 3,400 people have signed a petition opposing the installation of traffic filters on Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road.”

    Liked by 1 person

  4. EXCERPT: “After a lengthy legal tussle over Twitterโ€™s ownership, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have confirmed that he now officially owns the social media platform.

    โ€œI wanted to reach out personally to share my motivation in acquiring Twitter,โ€ Musk wrote in a note to advertisers. โ€œThere has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it has been wrong.โ€

    https://reclaimthenet.org/elon-musks-acquisition-of-twitter-is-confirmed/

    Liked by 1 person

  19. โ€œBombshell Emails: CDC Pressured FDA to Authorize COVID Boosters Without Clinical Trials – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pressured U.S. regulators to clear COVID-19 boosters without clinical trial data, according to emails obtained by Judicial Watch.โ€

    Entire Article @ TheEpochTimes: โ€œThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pressured U.S. regulators to clear COVID-19 boosters without clinical trial data, according to newly released emails. CDC officials relayed to counterparts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early August 2021 that they wanted authorization for Moderna and Pfizer boosters as data began showing that the vaccines werenโ€™t working as well as initially promoted.

    The conversation took place on a call that was described by Dr. Phil Krause, a top FDA official, to several other FDA workers. โ€œTake a deep breath before reading this next paragraph. On that call, the CDC evidently stated that they will assemble all the data they are aware of on third dosing in this setting and send it to us in the hope that we will (very soon) authorize the third dose for immunocompromised as part of the EUA,โ€ Krause wrote in the Aug. 5, 2021, email. EUA stands for emergency use authorization.

    All of the COVID-19 vaccines were authorized under emergency conditions at that time. No boosters had been authorized and no clinical data were available for the boosters. The emails show that โ€œthe CDC wanted the booster approved without a trial,โ€ Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, wrote on Twitter. The CDC didnโ€™t respond to a request for comment.

    Krause was responding to Doran Fink, who also works for the FDAโ€™s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, charged with evaluating vaccines. Fink sent along a post that had been made to an infectious diseases forum regarding whether doctors should be giving additional vaccine doses to patients with compromised immune systems despite the lack of authorization.

    Dr. Richard Nathan of Idaho had written that other countries, including Israel, had cleared boosters. Nathan wrote: โ€œPfizer recommends it and I trust their guidance over the turmoil at our federal agencies. With millions of doses of vaccine set to expire, you should do what you think is best for your patients. I canโ€™t believe you would get pushback from anyone. Keep in mind, nearly everyone in this group is six to seven months out from the second dose of the vaccine and many have significant daily exposure to the virus.โ€

    Fink said the post โ€œaccurately reflects more widespread thinking that I am hearing in other forums as well,โ€ including among doctors who advise the CDC on vaccines. โ€œProviders are losing confidence in FDA/CDC to do the right thing for their patients,โ€ Fink said. Less than two weeks later, the FDA authorized boosters for certain people, including immunocompromised persons.

    The agency said that โ€œa thorough review of the available dataโ€ concluded the group โ€œmay benefitโ€ from a third dose. The only data cited on efficacy were from two studies, one conducted by French researchers and another by Canadian researchers. Pfizer and Moderna hadnโ€™t completed trials. โ€œAs weโ€™ve previously stated, other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time,โ€ Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDAโ€™s top official said.

    But just weeks later, Woodcock and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDCโ€™s top official, signed onto a joint statement saying that vaccine protection was waning and that boosters โ€œwill be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.โ€ In September 2021, the FDA and CDC authorized Pfizer boosters for many other Americans. The authorization was expanded to Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots, and virtually all other Americans, later in the year.

    Krause and Dr. Marion Gruber resigned from their positions because of opposition to the booster strategy.

    Judicial Watch obtained the newly published emails as part of ongoing litigation against the Biden administration for not properly responding to a Freedom of Information Act request. An earlier tranche of emails showed that Gruber was โ€œvery concernedโ€ in late August 2021 about pressure from companies such as Pfizer over vaccine authorization. โ€œWe need to be given time to consider their data and cannot be pushed by these companies and, for that matter the Administration, who try to impose timeless [sic] that make no sense,โ€ Gruber wrote to Dr. Peter Marks, a top FDA official.

    โ€œThese FDA records further document top officialsโ€™ concerns about the controversial COVID-19 booster shots,โ€ Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. โ€œThat it has taken months and a federal lawsuit to uncover this critical material is a scandal.โ€

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Liked by 1 person

  21. EXCERPT: โ€œSpeaking at the globalist Council on Foreign Relations, which basically serves as Deep State headquarters in the United States, Biden administration โ€œclimateโ€ Czar John Kerry indicated a willingness to fork over huge sums of American tax dollars to the UN and its member governments, though he did not offer a specific figure. โ€œWeโ€™re very concerned about the impacts of climate on all of these countries,โ€ Special Climate Envoy Kerry explained at the globalist institution, pointing to nations dealing with natural disasters while pretending that these were caused by Americansโ€™ SUVs and power plants.

    Former Obama Secretary of State Kerry, who famously flew on a private jet to pick up his โ€œclimateโ€ award in Iceland, did caution that there are political realities that must be considered, too. In particular, the prospect of a GOP takeover of Congress next month might mean that all of the administrationโ€™s promises are dead on arrival. โ€œWeโ€™re all determined to come up with progress, but something real that we can begin to define for everybody,โ€ Kerry added. โ€œYouโ€™ve got to make things happen that can work, that can be functional in your own political system.โ€

    While Republicans in Congress may be able to limit the amount that can be extracted from U.S. taxpayers, Kerry made clear that he wants the mega-banks to help, too. โ€œFor every $1 invested in low-carbon energy supply, $1.10 is invested in fossil fuels,โ€ Kerry complained, a barely veiled swipe at investors and banks that continue financing critical companies and industries that the UN and the globalist establishment want to destroy. โ€œThe math and the science unequivocally make clear, we cannot hit our targets unless we dramatically change that ratio.โ€

    https://thenewamerican.com/at-un-climate-summit-kerry-wef-argue-u-s-must-pay-reparations/

    Liked by 1 person

      1. IKR? It’s not just US corporations that are raping all of those poor So. American and African countries for their raw materials! And their governments are even more corrupt than ours, or at least they are much more blatant about it.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. what assholes–each and every one should be left there –handcuff their hands behind their backs and leave them them so they can’t eat, can’t go to the bathroom, can’t sit down. they choose to do this, let them suffer the consequences.

      Liked by 2 people

  35. Man, are we ever getting a lot of rain! It has been raining steadily since last night and has continued all day long – now it is pooling on the road. Never got above 46 but at least it’s not really windy. A little late for the farmers! Most fields have been harvested by now.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. hereโ€™s one I found that I liked.

    Like

  44. Drive by post, sorry if it duplicates anything…

    https://media.gab.com/system/accounts/avatars/000/000/891/original/bdb2f52b3b0c3ddc.jpegBob Torba, Jr. https://gab.com/emoji/271d.svg

    @bobtorba

    3h

    ยท

    ยท

    Edited

    The expressway into central Scranton, PA.

    Not much love for Biden from his hometown folks.

    https://media.gab.com/system/custom_emojis/images/000/008/178/original/e2773c514f30a4e3.png https://media.gab.com/system/custom_emojis/images/000/051/694/original/42cb9ceced12b8b6.png

    https://gab.com/bobtorba/posts/109242061446408894

    I wonder if he might be Andrew Torba’s dad or other relative?

    Liked by 1 person

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