Category Archives: word origins

  1. Evites, N-grams, and Bloody Tubs

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    May 21, 2021 by libroshombre

                “Mutable” is a good word that means “prone to change, inconstant,” according to Merriam-Webster, and it also describes all …
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    Category: democracy, elections, engineering, fascism, libraries, plants, public libraries, republic, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , ,

  2. Mercenaries, Landmarks, and Marginalia

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    January 2, 2021 by libroshombre

    LIBRARIAN COLUMN Contact Greg Hill, 479-4344                                                  December 31, 2020             Xenophon, the Greek mercenary and historian, left a fascinating account …
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    Category: ancient history, history, librarians, word origins, writing | Tags: , , , , , , ,

  3. Cock, Sockeye, and Lady Mondregreen

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    December 21, 2017 by libroshombre

    Pliny the Elder could have been describing current times when he declared, “The only certainty is that nothing is certain.” …
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    Category: accents, dictionaries, English language, language, Uncategorized, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , ,

  4. Publishers, Malarkey, and Project Gutenberg

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    March 24, 2017 by libroshombre

      “Malarky!” was one of my father’s favorite epithets for things he deemed phony or exaggerated. I heard it all …
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    Category: publishing, sayings, Uncategorized, word origins | Tags: , , ,

  5. Anu, Noah, and Beverly

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    December 2, 2016 by libroshombre

      The term “culprit” has been on my mind since I lost most of a recent powerpoint presentation due to …
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    Category: dictionaries, language, Uncategorized, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , , ,

  6. Deep Reading, Lizard Feet, and Tough Cookies

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    August 30, 2016 by libroshombre

      Those immersed in the reading life know an engrossing dance of words and concepts can induced by good writing, …
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    Category: books, reading, reading well, Uncategorized, vocabulary, word origins, words, writing, writing well | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

  7. Synesthesia, Misophonia, and Argle-Bargle

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    June 30, 2016 by libroshombre

      A number of articles about synesthesia have cropped up lately. Reading Vladimir Nabakov’s wonderful memoir, “Speak Memory,” revealed his …
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    Category: behavior, brain, synesthesia, Uncategorized, word origins, words | Tags: , , , ,

  8. Flowers, Fireflies, and Frequentatives

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    June 3, 2016 by libroshombre

    A recent visit to central Texas revealed that sensible rains have returned there after a half-decade of severe drought. The …
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    Category: dictionaries, English language, etymology, insects, public libraries, Uncategorized, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

  9. Enticements of Etymology, Origins of Scoundrels, and Casey Gets a Hit

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    April 6, 2015 by libroshombre

    Ralph Waldo Emerson described studiers of word origins this way: “The etymologist finds the deadest words to have been once …
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    Category: etymology, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , , ,

  10. The Etymology of Soccer, Football, and Ageless Slang

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    July 10, 2014 by libroshombre

    The old Scottish poet Allan Cunningham once wrote about a time “when looks were fond and words were few.” That …
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    Category: communication, etymology, sports, word origins, words | Tags: , , , , , , ,

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