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the lexico
hand drawn word origins
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lunatic (n): a person whose actions are marked by extreme eccentricity or recklessness
lunatic (n): a person whose actions are marked by extreme eccentricity or recklessness
The Latin word lunaticus originally referred to neurological and psychiatric diseases thought to be caused by the moon. Philosophers such…
Natalie Kim
Dec 18, 2015
paparazzi (n.
paparazzi (n.
This word is an example of eponymy—naming a concept after a person associated with that concept. In this case the person is Signor…
Natalie Kim
Dec 14, 2015
amygdala (n): a mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing…
amygdala (n): a mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing…
From the Greek word amygdale, meaning “almond”—a metaphor based on its resemblance in size and shape.
Natalie Kim
Dec 10, 2015
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get your ducks in a row: to ensure all of the small details or elements are accounted for and in…
get your ducks in a row: to ensure all of the small details or elements are accounted for and in…
The most popular theory suggests that the phrase came from bowling. Early bowling pins were shorter and thicker than modern pins, which led…
Natalie Kim
Dec 7, 2015
bottoms up: a call to finish one’s drink
bottoms up: a call to finish one’s drink
During the 18th and 19th centuries, English Navy recruiters tried to persuade London pub-goers to join the armed forces by getting them to…
Natalie Kim
Dec 3, 2015
cappuccino (n): a coffee drink made with espresso, hot milk and steamed foam
cappuccino (n): a coffee drink made with espresso, hot milk and steamed foam
Named after the color of the robes of the Capuchin monks, which, like the drink, are light chocolatey brown. The word itself is the Italian…
Natalie Kim
Nov 30, 2015
go cold turkey: the abrupt cessation of a substance dependence and the resulting unpleasant…
go cold turkey: the abrupt cessation of a substance dependence and the resulting unpleasant…
First recorded in 1921, the phrase made a comparison between a meal of cold turkey, which requires virtually no preparation, and…
Natalie Kim
Nov 27, 2015
daisy (n): a small grassland plant whose flowers have a yellow disk and white rays
daisy (n): a small grassland plant whose flowers have a yellow disk and white rays
From the Old English word dægesege meaning “day’s eye.” So named because the flower’s petals open at dawn and close at dusk.
Natalie Kim
Nov 23, 2015
phony (adj): not genuine, fraudulent
phony (adj): not genuine, fraudulent
From the old English slang word fawney, drawn from the Irish word fainne, meaning “ring.” In the 19th century, con artists called fawney…
Natalie Kim
Nov 19, 2015
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give the cold shoulder: to behave in a way that expresses dismissal or disregards someone
give the cold shoulder: to behave in a way that expresses dismissal or disregards someone
According to folk etymology, a host would serve an inferior cut of meat—namely, a cold shoulder of mutton—to a guest that had overstayed…
Natalie Kim
Nov 17, 2015
clue (n): anything that serves as a guide in the solution of a problem or mystery
clue (n): anything that serves as a guide in the solution of a problem or mystery
In Greek mythology, Theseus escapes the Minotaur’s labyrinth by unspooling a ball of yarn—referred to in Middle English as a clew—so he…
Natalie Kim
Nov 15, 2015
about lexico
about lexico
The etymologist finds the deadest words to have been once a brilliant picture. Language is fossil poetry. — RWE
Natalie Kim
Nov 15, 2015
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