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Results tagged with origin-unknown
Search options answers only
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user 36232
Words and phrases whose origin is unknown or in serious dispute, according to reputable reference works.
1
vote
When and from where did "guns" become slang for biceps?
The Straight Dope discussion of guns cited in ghoppe's answer relies to a large extent on the coverage of the word in J.E. Lighter, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (1994). Here is …
- 169k
12
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of the term "toots" to refer to a woman?
J.S. Farmer & W.E. Henley, Slang and Its Analogues (1904) has the following entry for tootsie:
Tootsie, subs. (common).—A foot : spec. of women and children.
1897 MARSHALL, Pomes, 46. Towards her two …
- 169k
4
votes
Etymology of "doodah"
Merriam-Webster Online offers this entry for doodah:
doodah n British 1 : a state of tremulous excitement {opening night—all of a doodah — J.B. Priestly} 2 : a small, useful device : GADGET, DOODAD { …
- 169k
8
votes
Origin of "Why is a mouse when it spins?" riddle
Beyond the 1893 instance of “Why is a mouse when it spins?” that the OP found in Robert Overton, Ten Minutes, the earliest examples that a Google Books search yields are from 1897. First, from a lette …
- 169k
6
votes
Accepted
Who is Jack Robinson?
Attested occurrences of the phrase “say Jack Robinson”
A Google Books search reveals a cluster of published writings from the early 1760s that include the phrase “say Jack Robinson.”
From “Another L …
- 169k
2
votes
Etymology of “dude” and progression in language
Earliest occurrences of 'dude' in its modern slang sense
The earliest citation for dude in J.E. Lighter, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (1994) is from 1877 in Frederic Remington …
- 169k
2
votes
Accepted
What are the origin and history of the forms and meanings of the phrase "top flight"?
Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell & Terry Victor, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volume 2: J–Z (2006) asserts that the term "top flight" in the sense of "first rate" arose …
- 169k
13
votes
Origin of the word "shill" ("shillaber")
A Google Books search finds multiple instances of shill in the sense of "accomplice" from Robert Brown, "The Watch," a short story set in an auction in New York City, in The Metropolitan Magazine (Apr …
- 169k
1
vote
Origin of "canoodle"
Following up on Hugo's excellent answer, I offer these additional early occurrences of words in the canoodle family.
First, Thomas Dibdin's dramatization of Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield, which h …
- 169k
5
votes
“legal beagle” vs. “legal eagle”
J.E. Lighter, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (1997) gives first citations of 1939 for "legal eagle" and 1949 for "legal beagle." Both terms have the same definition:
an attorney …
- 169k
6
votes
Accepted
What is the etymology of "dope" meaning excellent, great, impressive?
Here is a look at how three dictionaries of Black English slang have handled the term dope. First, from Clarence Major, Dictionary of Afro-American Slang (1970):
Dope: information; at times also used …
- 169k
6
votes
What is origin of the term “dry” to mean lack of a sweet taste?
A search of the Early English Books Online database of books from 1450 to 1700 yields one instance of the phrase "dry wine" from a book published before 1700. From In Vino Veritas: or, A Conference Be …
- 169k
8
votes
Accepted
Where does the word 'Simoleon' come from?
Dictionary discussions of 'simoleon' and its variants
Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) has this very brief entry for the word simoleon:
simoleon n {origin unknown} (1896) slang …
- 169k
1
vote
Accepted
Is bludgeon connected with blood or block?
The OED's citation of Nathan Bailey, Dictionarium Britannicum (1730), mentioned in the posted question, seems to be off by one edition and six years. I checked my print edition of the full OED, and it …
- 169k
0
votes
What is the origin of the phrase "bad blood"?
Early search matches for 'bad blood' in the relevant sense
Francis Bacon, The History of the Reign of Henry VII (1622/1676) contains this quotation, attributed to King Henry VII in an address to Parl …
- 169k