Etymology (Word Origins)
- Thread starter Dingleberry
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Lord Chevy
I'm home
HSanders
Cracker bitch
ˈkwädləˌbet
NOUN
(Archaic) A topic for or exercise in philosophical or theological discussion.
(Literary) A lighthearted medley of well-known tunes.
“Quodlibet” is a combination of the Latin words “quod” and “libet,” directly translating to “that which is pleasing.” But the more modern usage of this Latin term is “song mashup.” Think of a cover band playing a medley of the choruses of crowd-pleasing tunes, or a classic Hollywood movie showcasing dancers twirling to a medley of well-known songs.
I ate a bowl of synonyms for breakfast. Now, I have the saurus throat.
I bought the world's worst thesaurus yesterday. Not only is it terrible, it's also terrible.
armor (n.)
c. 1300, "mail, defensive covering worn in combat," also, generally, "means of protection," from Old French armeure "weapons, armor" (12c.), from Latin armatura "arms, equipment," from arma "weapons" (including defensive armor), literally "tools, implements (of war)," see arm (n.2). Figurative use in English is from mid-14c.The meaning "military equipment generally," especially siege engines, is from late 14c. The word might have died with jousting if not for 19c. transference to metal-sheathed combat machinery beginning with U.S. Civil War ironclads (the word first is attested in this sense in an 1855 report from the U.S. Congressional Committee on Naval Affairs). The meaning "protective envelope of an animal" is from c. 1600.
also from c. 1300
armor (v.)
"to cover with armor or armor-plate," mid-15c., from armor (n.). Related: Armored; armoring.
also from mid-15c.
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arm (n.2)[weapon], c. 1300, armes (plural) "weapons of a warrior," from Old French armes (plural), "arms, weapons; war, warfare" (11c.), from Latin arma "weapons" (including armor), literally "tools, implements (of war)," from PIE *ar(ə)mo-, suffixed form of root *ar- "to fit together." The notion seems to be "that which is fitted together." Compare arm (n.1).
The meaning "branch of military service" is from 1798, hence "branch of any organization" (by 1952). The meaning "heraldic insignia" (in coat of arms, etc.) is early 14c., from a use in Old French; originally they were borne on shields of fully armed knights or barons. To be up in arms figuratively is from 1704; to bear arms "do military service" is by 1640s.
hectare (n.)
1817, from French hectare "a hundred ares," formed from Latinized form of Greek hekaton "a hundred" (see hecatomb) + Latin area "vacant piece of ground" (see area). A superficial measure equal to 100 ares, coined by decree of the French National Convention in 1795.also from 1817
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area (n.)1530s, "vacant piece of ground," from Latin area "level ground, open space," used of building sites, playgrounds, threshing floors, etc.; which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps an irregular derivation from arere "to become dry" (see arid), on notion of "bare space cleared by burning." The generic sense of "any particular amount of surface (whether open or not) contained within any set of limits" is from 1560s. Area code in the North American telephone systems is attested from 1959.
hecatomb (n.)
1590s, from Latinized form of Greek hekatombe, properly (and literally) "offering of 100 oxen," but generally "a great public sacrifice." It is a compound of hekaton "one hundred," which perhaps is dissimilation of *hem-katon, with hen, neuter of heis "one" + *katon "hundred." The second element is bous "ox" (from PIE root *gwou- "ox, bull, cow"). The first month of the Attic calendar (corresponding to July-August) was Hekatombaion, in which sacrifices were made.
tramp (v.)
late 14c., trampen, "walk heavily, stamp," from Middle Low German trampen "to stamp," from Proto-Germanic *tremp- (source also of Danish trampe, Swedish trampa "to tramp, stamp," Gothic ana-trimpan "to press upon"), from PIE *der- (1) "to run, walk, step" (see tread (v.)).Intransitive sense of "walk with a heavy tread" is from late 14c. That of "sound of a heavy tread in walking" is by 1808. The sense of "excursion, journey" is by 1786 (on the tramp "going from place to place" is by 1760). Related: Tramped; tramping.
also from late 14c.
tramp (n.)
"person who wanders about, idle vagrant, vagabond," 1660s, from tramp (v.). The sense of "freight steamship which takes cargo wherever it can be traded" (as opposed to one running a regular line) is attested from c. 1880 (tramp steamer is by 1887). The meaning "promiscuous woman" is attested by 1922. The sense of "a long, toilsome walk" is from 1786.
also from 1660s
bum (n.1)
"buttocks," late 14c., "probably onomatopœic, to be compared with other words of similar sound and with the general sense of 'protuberance, swelling.' " [OED]
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bum (n.2)
"dissolute loafer, tramp," 1864, American English, from bummer (q.v.) "loafer, idle person" (1855), which is probably from German. Bum first appears in a German-American context, and bummer was popular during the American Civil War in the slang of the North's army (which had as many as 216,000 German immigrants in the ranks). There may also be influence or merging with bum (n.1) "buttocks," which was applied insultingly to persons from 1530s and is in Jamieson's 1825 Scottish dictionary. Bum's rush "forcible ejection" is recorded by 1910.
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bum (v.)
1863, "loaf and beg," American English, a word from the Civil War, perhaps a back-formation from bummer "loafer," or from bum (n.2). The meaning "feel depressed" is from 1973, perhaps from bummer in the "bad experience" sense. Related: Bummed; bumming.
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bum (adj.)
"of poor quality," 1859, American English, from bum (n.2). Bum steer in the figurative sense of "bad advice" is attested from 1901.
hobo (n.)
"a tramp," 1889, Western U.S., of unknown origin. Barnhart compares early 19c. English dialectal hawbuck "lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin." Or possibly from ho, boy, a workers' call on late 19c. western U.S. railroads. Facetious formation hobohemia, "community or life of hobos," is from 1923 (see bohemian).
@Lord Dingleberry Where did your name come from you ask?
also from 1973
Old English berie "berry, grape," from Proto-Germanic *basjom (source also of Old Norse ber, Middle Dutch bere, German Beere "berry;" Old Saxon winberi, Gothic weinabasi "grape"), which is of unknown origin. This and apple are the only native fruit names.
dangle (v.)
1590s, intransitive, "hang loosely, be suspended so as to sway in the wind," probably from Scandinavian (compare Danish dangle, Swedish dangla "to swing about," Norwegian dangla), perhaps via North Frisian dangeln. Transitive sense of "carry suspended so as to swing or sway" is from 1610s. Related: Dangled; dangling.
dingleberry (n.)
by 1973, perhaps with suggestions of dangle and berry. Attested from late 19c. through 1930s as a humorous-sounding surname in comedic writing.also from 1973
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berry (n.)Old English berie "berry, grape," from Proto-Germanic *basjom (source also of Old Norse ber, Middle Dutch bere, German Beere "berry;" Old Saxon winberi, Gothic weinabasi "grape"), which is of unknown origin. This and apple are the only native fruit names.
dangle (v.)
1590s, intransitive, "hang loosely, be suspended so as to sway in the wind," probably from Scandinavian (compare Danish dangle, Swedish dangla "to swing about," Norwegian dangla), perhaps via North Frisian dangeln. Transitive sense of "carry suspended so as to swing or sway" is from 1610s. Related: Dangled; dangling.
Not etymology, but clever wordplay....
I hadn't heard of "Flibbertigibbet" and "Codswallop" before. The rest I knew.
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