Word Facts for July 2-8, 2011
Word origin for the weekend of July 2-3, 2011: when in Rome - Augustine once asked his fellow priest Ambrose, "Should we fast on Saturday, as they do in Rome? Or on Sunday, as they do in Milan?" Ambrose replied, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Milan, do as the Milanese do." The fourth-century bon mot became an instant success, and both priests are now famous saints. The expression continues to be used in many languages (including English), often abbreviated to "When in Rome..."
Word origin for July 4, 2011: Roger Wilco - In the shorthand used by radio operators in the United States during World War II, "Roger" represented the letter R and stood for the word "received," as in "Message received." "Wilco" is an abbreviation of the phrase "will comply." The phrase thus means "I have received orders and will obey them." It has been a staple ever since, though the code was revised in 1956 with R now represented by the word "Romeo."
Word origin for July 5, 2011: arsenal - An "arsenal," meaning a naval shipyard / munitions warehouse / place where weapons are stored, is taken from the Arsenale, a shipyard built in Venice (Italy) in 1104. Its name (in turn) comes from the Arabic dar as-sina'a, which means "house of manufacture" - a factory, in other words.
Word origin for July 6, 2011: girl - Before about 1300, "girl" referred to a child of either sex. The origin of gyrle, the first known form of the word, is obscure. It may be related to the Old English gierela, a sack-like garment that children wore, and that perhaps made them all look alike.
Word origin for July 7, 2011: fast food - In the late 1940s and early 1950s, America was car-crazy and increasingly covered with new roads and highways. Drive-in restaurants were common only in Texas and Southern California, but a new kind of food service was in demand. Enter "fast food," a term coined in 1951 to designate a meal ordered at a soda-fountain counter and carried away as opposed to eaten there.
Word origin for July 8, 2011: snarky - To be "snarky" is to be archly irritable or short-tempered. The adjective, once found almost exclusively in British English, dates to 1906. In the postwar era, Americans discovered the term and have happily used it ever since. ("Yeah, sure," a snarky person might say.) It originates in the old verb "to snark," meaning to make a kind of nose-trumpeting snort of the kind a disbelieving listener might make on hearing a preposterous claim.
Word origin for July 4, 2011: Roger Wilco - In the shorthand used by radio operators in the United States during World War II, "Roger" represented the letter R and stood for the word "received," as in "Message received." "Wilco" is an abbreviation of the phrase "will comply." The phrase thus means "I have received orders and will obey them." It has been a staple ever since, though the code was revised in 1956 with R now represented by the word "Romeo."
Word origin for July 5, 2011: arsenal - An "arsenal," meaning a naval shipyard / munitions warehouse / place where weapons are stored, is taken from the Arsenale, a shipyard built in Venice (Italy) in 1104. Its name (in turn) comes from the Arabic dar as-sina'a, which means "house of manufacture" - a factory, in other words.
Word origin for July 6, 2011: girl - Before about 1300, "girl" referred to a child of either sex. The origin of gyrle, the first known form of the word, is obscure. It may be related to the Old English gierela, a sack-like garment that children wore, and that perhaps made them all look alike.
Word origin for July 7, 2011: fast food - In the late 1940s and early 1950s, America was car-crazy and increasingly covered with new roads and highways. Drive-in restaurants were common only in Texas and Southern California, but a new kind of food service was in demand. Enter "fast food," a term coined in 1951 to designate a meal ordered at a soda-fountain counter and carried away as opposed to eaten there.
Word origin for July 8, 2011: snarky - To be "snarky" is to be archly irritable or short-tempered. The adjective, once found almost exclusively in British English, dates to 1906. In the postwar era, Americans discovered the term and have happily used it ever since. ("Yeah, sure," a snarky person might say.) It originates in the old verb "to snark," meaning to make a kind of nose-trumpeting snort of the kind a disbelieving listener might make on hearing a preposterous claim.
Labels: 2011, coinage, food, greg, history, kids, languages, messages, page-a-day, sex, teunis, us, visitors, war, words
posted by Flami at 2:10:00 AM
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