Questions tagged [origin-unknown]
Words and phrases whose origin is unknown or in serious dispute, according to reputable reference works.
136 questions
16
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2answers
3k views
Is “snitty” a popular American English term? What is its origin?
I came to know the word, “snitty” for the first time from the remark of Mr. William Barr during his testimony on his way of handling of Mueller Report in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Washington ...
0
votes
3answers
42 views
Un-sunken or equivalent
What is the word for something that didn't sink.
Example: Can we say "the un-sunken boat" for the boat didn't sink?
Couldn't find anything in internet by search engines.
Thanks.
5
votes
2answers
809 views
In search of the origins of term censor, I hit a dead end stuck with the greek term, to censor, λογοκρίνω
I have been looking in OED for a history that makes sense, yet, I just find crumbs, and I can not piece the history of this term. I am hitting a dead end researching the greek term to censor, named ...
7
votes
2answers
145 views
+150
The etymology of “snooze”
I was looking up the etymology of the word snooze, and the Etymology Online suggested it was unknown.
1789, cant word, of unknown origin, perhaps echoic of a snore. Related: Snoozed; snoozing. ...
-1
votes
1answer
58 views
Is a 'Protagonist' really a thing or is it a misnomer derived from it's opposite 'Antagonist'? [closed]
I ask because in anatomy and fitness the muscle groups can defined in three categories for a given workout: Agonist (the main muscle being worked), Antagonist (the muscle group that would work the ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
How do you parse “hair do”
Is "do" understood as a noun or verb in "hair do"?
Asking this in search of "to make do".
Bonus points if it can be related to German Tolle "tuft [of hair], that thing that Elvis had on his head", ...
2
votes
2answers
204 views
“Tinkle contest with a skunk”
What does the following idiom mean: "Tinkle contest with a skunk". And where was this idiom first used ? Does anybody know the origin??
Example:
Yesterday, in an unsuccessful attempt to discuss ...
15
votes
8answers
14k views
Origin, meaning, and derivation of 'boof' as a verb in U.S. slang
Recently, the following entry included in a page from a 1983 yearbook for a high school in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area has gained considerable notoriety in U.S. politics:
Judge — Have ...
8
votes
1answer
191 views
What connection (if any) is there in Australian slang between 'dinkum' and 'dink' (meaning a ride on bicycle handlebars)?
In an answer to the recent question, What is the American equivalent of a "backie"? site participant Chappo notes that in Australia the word dink is sometimes used as a noun to mean "a lift ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
When and where was the word “backup” used in this form for the first time?
What is the etymology of the word "backup" (in the meaning of "a file copy" in computing)? I can't find the origin and the first using of this word in this very meaning. Why is "backup" so called?
...
25
votes
1answer
3k views
“-ia” in country names
Many countries have "land" in the end of it.
like England, Poland, Switzerland, etc.
which means the land of the English, the land of the Swiss, etc.
Many other countries have "stan" in the end of it
...
3
votes
1answer
96 views
Origin of “surf”
I was thinking of the song Hawaii by The Beach Boys (which most of you probably do not know) when I came across the lyrics
They'll hold the Surfing Championship of the year
Surfer ...
6
votes
1answer
187 views
Origin of “curse”
I am reading a Harry Potter book and came across the word "curse". I realized I had no idea what the origin of "curse" was. I searched it up and below are my search results.
of uncertain origin
...
4
votes
2answers
762 views
Origin of the word “jack” to mean theft or to steal
This is my very first query/post. I was attempting to find out the history in American slang for using the word jack to mean theft. In a sentence it might be Someone jacked my bike last night. I had ...
10
votes
3answers
631 views
What is the origin of 'fuddy-duddy'?
I was surprised to find that the EL&U spellchecker refused 'fuddy-duddy' and was disappointed not to find any further information in the EL&U archives, so I branched out on my own.
Phrases....
4
votes
1answer
142 views
Does 'doolally' have an alternate AmE meaning to the BrE?
The meaning of 'doolally' and 'doolally tap' originating from the Indian town of Deolali ('tap' being a reference to tapa, the Sanskrit word for fever) have been well documented on EL&U.
But a ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
“legal beagle” vs. “legal eagle”
Both legal beagle and legal eagle are informal terms for a smart, eagle-eyed attorney or lawyer. Someone who is a stickler for the rules, and who thrives on the minutiae of the law.
Oxford ...
2
votes
2answers
4k views
Why does “tar” mean “thank you”? [duplicate]
I was wondering on where the origins of the word tar to mean thank you came from. I have reached tar and have come up with this definition
Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the origin of the phrase “bad blood”?
I recently met someone who used this in the following way:
...you know I want to keep a good relationship with them. I told them I don't want any bad blood between us.
I'd never heard this before, ...
1
vote
0answers
99 views
Financial Use of Word : SECURITY
To be a man of better literate in Finance, learning some basic concepts regarding financial assets.
One seemingly quite confusing is, the concept of "Security"
When people think of security, it is ...
0
votes
1answer
500 views
What's the origin of “if it's worth writing, it's worth rewriting”? [closed]
I'm sure someone famous and wise once said, about writing either prose or software source code, that:
If it's worth writing, it's worth re-writing.
meaning that one shouldn't avoid going ahead and ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
What is the origin of the use of “bung” as a bribe
'Bung' has a few uses in English.
It is a stopper of a bottle.
It to throw.
But also it is a bribe or enticement.
The word bung seems to have become less popular over time (after a staggering peak ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the origin of the expression “riding a hobby horse”?
I am curious about the origin of the expression of a "riding" a "hobby horse" (or "stick horse", as it is in Danish — we have the exact same expression) as an idiom for a 'pet topic' or 'fixed idea'.
...
9
votes
2answers
791 views
When was the term “Web site” (or “website”) first used?
I've been researching the origins of the World Wide Web, so basically sifting through CERN reports and Usenet posts from 1989-1993, but I've noticed that the terms "Web site," "website," "web-site," ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Origin and Etymology of Kush/Cush in regards to animals
I came across this word in this YouTube video (queued to example) and was curious about the origin.
Example image of an alpaca kushing.
I can't find the definition as defined in the linked image in ...
4
votes
2answers
769 views
Origin and history of “spinning jenny”
The origin of spinning jenny (the cotton-spinning machine invented by James Hargreaves) always seemed to me to be named after a person called Jenny. However, as I was reading Etymology for Everyone by ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the origin of the idiom/phrase “Heroes never die”?
I've been bothered by some guy on my online gaming server that kept spamming the phrase "Heroes never die" for quite some time during last weekend before he was banned.
To clear my mind of this ...
0
votes
5answers
985 views
What is the origin of the term “library” (in programming sense)?
If you talk about a library to any computer programmer today, the image they will most likely conjure up is of some software package, a body of helpful and reusable functions they can link and call to ...
0
votes
2answers
7k views
What is the origin of the quote, “You can satisfy some of the people all the time…"?
"...and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot satisfy all of the people all the time”? I have seen it attributed to John Lydgate, Abe Lincoln and PT Barnum.
6
votes
4answers
670 views
What is the origin of “bend the rules”?
A while ago, I read somewhere that the origin of bend the rules is attributed to a tool called lesbian rule
.............................
To adjust to arbitrary curved shapes a flexible rule ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Where does the word “humbug” originally come from?
This question reveals the history of the peppermint sweet's name, but does not elabourate on how the word was first formed.
At first glance, it would seem to be a portmanteau or the like just from ...
3
votes
3answers
373 views
What are the origin and history of the forms and meanings of the phrase “top flight”?
As used in the following sentence:
Another trick a lot of top-flight engineers use is clipping the signal before the limiter, to reduce the work the limiter has to do to peaks.
-1
votes
1answer
195 views
what does effei mean, and where is it from?
I'm not a native English speaker, but i think you'll understand me.
I've recently seen a billboard that had a word like "effei" in it, so I googled it. The effei seems to stand for European Federation ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
“youse” as a plural second person pronoun
The 'official' plural second person pronoun in English is you.
There are several ways in English to manufacture plural you, one of which is youse.
According to etymonline.com youse is a :
...
-1
votes
1answer
1k views
What does “on his ear” mean, and where does it come from? [closed]
What is the origin and meaning of the idiomatic expression on his ear? I have found a modern definition but am searching for the origin of this idiom.
4
votes
4answers
134 views
Origin of “darkest Brooklyn”
I'm wondering about the origin of the phrase "darkest Brooklyn".
I imagine it is meant to suggest unexplored wilderness and perhaps also primitive social conditions. I've found a citation from the ...
2
votes
2answers
11k views
What is the origin and meaning of the term “Butt Buddies”? [closed]
Today, in the midst of chatting on other SE sites, the term "bum buddies" was used. Some other users took this to be offensive, saying that it was just a slightly less egregious version of "butt ...
0
votes
1answer
516 views
Origin of name “Posting on a Horse”
It started with mail carriers on horses, but not sure if Postal carriers were the first to name Posting on a Horse. Who develop and name it?
3
votes
3answers
25k views
The origin of the phrase “Eskimo Brothers”
Popularized by the Fx show The League, the term Eskimo Brothers is a slightly misogynistic term for two men who have been physically intimate with the same woman. It is usually considered offensive, ...
16
votes
2answers
8k views
Why is a 'vulgar fraction' called 'vulgar'?
I am just wondering about the origins of the phrase 'vulgar fraction'. It is synonymous with 'common fraction' & 'simple fraction' and simply refers to any fraction of two integers (e.g.: 2/5).
I ...
9
votes
2answers
7k views
What is the origin of “Judas gate”?
While reading the Jack Higgins novel “The Eagle Has Landed” (1975) I came across the phrase “Judas gate”. Research on-line indicates he is rather fond of the word, going to the point of naming another ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Origin of “Dj” in words
I've seen a couple of references to the combination of "Dj" as part of a word, normally in names, such as Django and Ramin Djawadi. Is the "Dj" always pronounced as a "J" and where is the origin from? ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Names with “The” in them [duplicate]
What's the term given to names with "The" in the middle of them, for example; "Robert The Red" or "James The Great"?
2
votes
2answers
520 views
“Well-rounded” usage in the United States
What’s the first recorded use of the term well-rounded as it refers to being competent or trained in several fields, e.g., from astronomy to literature to social dancing to cookery?
3
votes
2answers
3k views
How did an “arm” become a “mile”?
The common saying "give an inch and they'll take a mile"
means:
Make a small concession and they'll take advantage of you.
For example, I told her she could borrow the car for one day and ...
2
votes
2answers
754 views
Do “empirical” and “imperial” share a common etymology? [closed]
Nothing more to my question, really. I just wonder if the words share an etymological root. Thanks.
6
votes
1answer
20k views
Etymology of “Devil-may-care”
I want to know about the origin of the compound adjective devil-may-care:
Cheerful and reckless:
light-hearted, devil-may-care young pilots
All OED has is
The exclamation devil may care! ...
12
votes
2answers
4k views
Origins of the word “mom” and “mother”
Apologies in advance for this question being only indirectly related to the English language, but I find it fascinating.
I note with interest that the English words "mother" and "mama" have similar ...
7
votes
2answers
29k views
Origin of going “number 1” or “number 2” in the bathroom
I was wondering about the origin of using the terms "number one" and "number two" for going to the bathroom (for those unaware, number one is urinating, number two is defecating, at least in the US). ...
3
votes
3answers
706 views
Non-chess usage of “patzer”?
I've heard the word patzer used to describe an incompetent or amateurish chess player. Is it ever used in a non-chess context?
