At what point did the phrase
"I'm/you're/we're hosed" come into play in the US vernacular? Earliest record? From pop culture somewhere? Are there regions of the US that did not ever use this turn of phrase?
posted by juniperesque
on May 17, 2013 -
17 answers
I am looking for a text file of a list of words (roughly the 5000-10000 most common English words) and their root word and root word language. My Google Fu only turns up single words or pages that I can type in a word to get to another page to get the etymology.
Wikipedia has some stuff, but it is sorted by language root, which is not what I am looking for.
I would like to have a long list of words in a text file so that I can manipulate it programatically. Comma separated or whatever, any format would be great.
Here is one use case:
Yoke - [list of words that have yoke in the etymological history] (Many, many many English words come from the root work for Yoke.)
All answers appreciated!
posted by Monkey0nCrack
on May 16, 2013 -
6 answers
What's a good resource for looking up the Latin roots of Spanish words? (There are a number of fantastic resources for finding the Latin roots of English words, but I'm having a harder time with Spanish words.)
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posted by jtothes
on Apr 30, 2013 -
4 answers
I have a theory about the origin of the expression “I know, right?” that’s been fairly popular among young and youngish Americans (and others, for all I know) for the past several years. I’m testing that theory with this question.
I understand that Mexicans (and maybe other Latin Americans) have an equivalent expression, “Sí, ¿verdad?” - even with the same intonation as “I know, right?”. Well, one source has told me this, anyway. Can other people verify this? And if so, how common is/was the Spanish version of the expression, and roughly when (and where) did people start saying it?
posted by Mechitar
on Apr 18, 2013 -
9 answers
"Emydidae" is the name of a family of turtles. What I want to know is what does the name *mean*. I have exhausted my google-fu and the best I've been able to find is this
wiktionary link that gives a meaning for "-idae" as "appearance". Any reptile/turtle fans care to enlighten me?
posted by moss free
on Mar 26, 2013 -
14 answers
What is this non-English, possibly German word? Sounds like veetsul zooten, means emotional from an impending change.
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posted by BusyBusyBusy
on Jan 3, 2013 -
9 answers
Stamp collecting is philately. Coin collecting falls under numismatics (perhaps as a subdivision). Rock collecting is not really geology in the same way as the above terms are used. Is there a similar term for rock collecting?
posted by Jahaza
on Nov 3, 2012 -
7 answers
I'm looking for examples of terms that remain in common use, even though the technology that they originally described is obsolete or has changed. Also: does this phenomenon have a name?
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posted by condour75
on Jul 24, 2012 -
39 answers
Is there a resource where I can learn about the Greek and Latin words that commonly underlie words and names in English? I don't want to learn Greek or Latin, I'm talking about
only the words which are commonly useful as 'clues'.
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posted by Kirn
on Mar 13, 2012 -
14 answers
As I understand it, 'prepend' is common computer jargon to mean the opposite of append.
In a little debate with some of my computer science colleagues, they claim that it is an actual English word with that meaning, while I contend that it's computer jargon that was invented out of convenience and that 'prepend' is actually an archaic word that means something similar to pondering.
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posted by bushmango
on Jan 25, 2012 -
12 answers
Is there a word that would express your combined surprise/confusion/confoundment upon witnessing an event or situation? How would best express, in a single word, your brain's "WTF-moment"?
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posted by Wild_Eep
on Sep 19, 2011 -
32 answers
Are there any other modern examples of "were" from the old english meaning "man" apart from "virility" and "werewolf"?
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posted by fantasticninety
on Aug 25, 2011 -
8 answers
Has an evaluation been made of the dichotomy between what is implied by the term "wild" in the line "You drive us wild" and what is implied by the term "crazy" in the immediately following line "We'll drive you crazy" in KISS's "Rock And Roll All Night?"
posted by herbplarfegan
on Aug 23, 2011 -
16 answers
Etymology Question: Relationships of modern word
consensus to Latin
consensus from
sentio from (pre-Latin?)
sent? Specifically, is
censor or
census in there somewhere as a predecessor or descendant?
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posted by Phyltre
on Aug 13, 2011 -
2 answers
Calling etymologists, linguists, lexicographers, and research librarians! Was there a time when 'television,' 'radio,' or 'newspaper' were always capitalized?
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posted by thebestsophist
on Jun 20, 2011 -
12 answers
Two questions about vocabulary in the American South and elsewhere: did your parents call you sugar and did they, when you were in trouble, use both your first and middle names to summon you for the reckoning?
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posted by mygothlaundry
on Jun 2, 2011 -
81 answers
When rappers say "one time for the .../two times for the ...", what are they referring to? If I'm watching a concert, what am I supposed to do?
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posted by the NATURAL
on Apr 20, 2011 -
12 answers
So, is the use of 'so' as an interjection to begin a sentence (see also: 'well', 'listen', 'hear ye!') a recent coinage? If so, what are its origins?
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posted by unSane
on Mar 31, 2011 -
22 answers
Does anyone know the origin of the latin word "ebrius" which roughly translates into "inebriated" in English?
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posted by fantasticninety
on Mar 28, 2011 -
6 answers
Spanish etymology question: Is the "nos" in "nostalgia" of the same origin as the "nos" in "nosotros"?
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posted by 6and12
on Feb 16, 2011 -
7 answers
What's the etymology of the phrase "once and for all"? What's the earliest known attestation?
posted by topynate
on Feb 11, 2011 -
5 answers
What does the phrase "shit-eating grin" mean? And what is its etymology?
(Please no random guesses on the latter question, not looking for 'folk etymology')
posted by jcruelty
on Feb 8, 2011 -
18 answers
Etymological/genealogical question--tips or tricks for finding the origin of a very elusive family name when Googlefu, Ancestryfu and all other manner of -fus fail?
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posted by nonmerci
on Feb 7, 2011 -
19 answers
I was looking at an Icelandic book of recipes from 1858 that is largely based on Danish cookbooks and in it there's a recipe for "whiskey" which is made from tea, sugar, lemonjuice and white wine. This isn't terribly similar to glühwein or glögg, but not entirely dissimilar. My question is, does anyone know why this is referred to as "whiskey" in the recipe book? Has anyone heard any kind of European mulled wine referred to by that name? Or know another name for mixed wine and tea drinks? I've put the recipe inside.
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posted by Kattullus
on Dec 1, 2010 -
19 answers
How did the word "earworm" come to mean something you can't get out of your head (like a song, etc)? Looking for the German etymology, if there is one.
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posted by bitter-girl.com
on Oct 1, 2010 -
5 answers
Please help me find a specific word, perhaps two, meaning 1) fear of ambiguity and 2) fear of the imagination. Am I misremembering the word(s) for these? Is it obviously right under my nose in English, or does it not exist at all? I thought it might be Greek or have a Greek root, though I could certainly be wrong. Thanks!
posted by methinks
on Sep 3, 2010 -
11 answers
Help me find English words that have meanings hidden in plain sight. For example, it only recently occurred to me that a "quart" is a quarter of a gallon.
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posted by alms
on May 4, 2010 -
142 answers
The etymology of the word "glamour" comes from the word "grammar". Over time, the "r" eroded to an "l" and became associated with someone who was high–falutin. This is possibly my favourite etymological story, and I like sharing it with my students. I got it from a book called "Thereby Hangs a Tale". Metafilter, what are your favourite etymological stories?
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posted by fantasticninety
on Apr 3, 2010 -
84 answers
I'm a word nerd who likes fun words and this word I came across is fun to say and, at least to me, kind of new:
mumblecore.
That got me thinking -- what makes a "-core?"
I am interested in how generes of certain media are dubbed “-core.” Is there anything that makes a genre a “-core” genre and not it’s own suffix-free genre name? Why is “screamo” not “screamcore,” when we have “nerdcore,” “noisecore,” and “hardcore?” (more...)
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posted by cross_impact
on Apr 1, 2010 -
22 answers
[CulinaryEtymologyFilter] Can anyone explain the origins of the word ratatouille? I heard an explanation once, but suspect it's false...
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posted by molybdenum
on Mar 3, 2010 -
11 answers
My friend recently mentioned that he'd like to have a good (American English) etymology book. Can anyone suggest a good one? It can be simple and short or long and detailed, but I'd prefer to err on the side of long and detailed.
posted by helixportland
on Dec 23, 2009 -
14 answers
Where does the phrase "It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me" come from?
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posted by seanyboy
on Oct 30, 2009 -
9 answers
How can I add an etymology reference/resource to Apple's Dictionary.app?
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posted by jofuu
on Oct 8, 2009 -
3 answers
Help me track down the meaning of a surname. The name is "Naftzger." It seems to be a Germanic (if not German) word for an occupation (e.g. "Metzger" means "butcher"). But what occupation? What does the "Naf" mean? Bonus points for information on region of origin.
posted by reverend cuttle
on Oct 1, 2009 -
3 answers
I looked up the etymology of
parole in
An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages, and was intrigued by this:
"It took the place of the L.
verbum which,
from religious scruples, was sparingly used" (emphasis mine).
What "religious scruples" are they alluding to? No elaboration is given in that entry. I realize that
verbum means "word", and shares a stem with lots of other
meanings, but I would love to know if anyone knows more.
posted by everichon
on Sep 8, 2009 -
11 answers
