Word Facts for Feb. 26-Mar. 4, 2011
Word origin for the weekend of Feb. 26-27, 2011: internecine - An "internecine" battle is one fought to the death. The word comes from the Latin necare, which means "to kill," with the addition of the word "inter," which normally means "between" or "among," but also has the sense of "up to the point of." It does not mean, as the usage has it today, either "internal fighting" or fighting in which both combatants must die.
Word origin for Feb. 28, 2011: telenovela - In Spanish, a telenovela is, as its name suggests, a televised novel - that is, what in English is called a "soap opera." Such shows are a staple of television in many South American countries, and they are increasingly popular as the number of Spanish speakers and broadcast channels grows in the United States and Canada.
Word origin for Mar. 1, 2011: pratfall - If a speaker of British English calls someone a "prat," he's not being polite; the word is a synonym for a person's backside. A "pratfall," in the comic theatre popular in colonial times, was a fall that involved an actor dropping flat on his rear. With the passing of that proto-vaudeville form of entertainment, the word has come to mean, simply, an error of some sort.
Word origin for Mar. 2, 2011: Sears - In 1886, Richard Warren Sears, a railroad agent in Minnesota, was offered the chance to buy an odd lot of watches when the original buyer failed to complete the sale. He sold the watches at a good profit and, with partner Alvah Roebuck, relocated to Chicago, where they founded Sears, Roebuck, and Company. The firm specialized in catalog sales to rural customers, then established stores across the country. After merging with Kmart in 2005, the firm is now formally called Sears Holding Company.
Word origin for Mar. 3, 2011: you can't get there from here - Ask a New Englander for directions, and if you're truly lost, you will likely receive this reply, which really means "You're headed the wrong way." Most early roads in the hilly region ran north and south, so journeys east and west often involved confusion, particularly for strangers to the area.
Word origin for Mar. 4, 2011: Third World - In the years of the Cold War, many countries aligned themselves with the United States, and many others with its opponent, the Soviet Union. In 1952, a French commentator named Alfred Sauvy called these, respectively, the First World and Second World, with the Third World representing non-aligned nations. Chinese leader Mao Zedong appropriated the term and used it as a rough synonym for "developing world," nations lacking the infrastructure and wealth of North America and Europe.
Word origin for Feb. 28, 2011: telenovela - In Spanish, a telenovela is, as its name suggests, a televised novel - that is, what in English is called a "soap opera." Such shows are a staple of television in many South American countries, and they are increasingly popular as the number of Spanish speakers and broadcast channels grows in the United States and Canada.
Word origin for Mar. 1, 2011: pratfall - If a speaker of British English calls someone a "prat," he's not being polite; the word is a synonym for a person's backside. A "pratfall," in the comic theatre popular in colonial times, was a fall that involved an actor dropping flat on his rear. With the passing of that proto-vaudeville form of entertainment, the word has come to mean, simply, an error of some sort.
Word origin for Mar. 2, 2011: Sears - In 1886, Richard Warren Sears, a railroad agent in Minnesota, was offered the chance to buy an odd lot of watches when the original buyer failed to complete the sale. He sold the watches at a good profit and, with partner Alvah Roebuck, relocated to Chicago, where they founded Sears, Roebuck, and Company. The firm specialized in catalog sales to rural customers, then established stores across the country. After merging with Kmart in 2005, the firm is now formally called Sears Holding Company.
Word origin for Mar. 3, 2011: you can't get there from here - Ask a New Englander for directions, and if you're truly lost, you will likely receive this reply, which really means "You're headed the wrong way." Most early roads in the hilly region ran north and south, so journeys east and west often involved confusion, particularly for strangers to the area.
Word origin for Mar. 4, 2011: Third World - In the years of the Cold War, many countries aligned themselves with the United States, and many others with its opponent, the Soviet Union. In 1952, a French commentator named Alfred Sauvy called these, respectively, the First World and Second World, with the Third World representing non-aligned nations. Chinese leader Mao Zedong appropriated the term and used it as a rough synonym for "developing world," nations lacking the infrastructure and wealth of North America and Europe.
Labels: 2005, 2011, canada, chinese, david, death, greg, history, languages, page-a-day, teunis, tv shows, us, visitors, war, words
posted by Flami at 12:05:00 AM
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