Origin Uncertain : Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology

Lost origins of words revealed. We like to recount that goodbye started out as "god be with you," that whiskey comes from the Gaelic for "water of life," or that avocado originated as the Aztec word for "testicle." But there are many words with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals that they may as well be lost to the general public. In Origin Uncertain: Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology, eminent etymologist Anatoly Liberman draws on his professional expertise and etymological database to tell the stories of less understood words such as nerd, fake, ain't, hitchhike, trash, curmudgeon, and quiz, as well as puzzling idioms like kick the bucket and pay through the nose. By casting a net so broadly, the book addresses language history, language usage (including grammar), history (both ancient and modern), religion, superstitions, and material culture. Writing in the spirit of adventure through the annals of word origins, Liberman also shows how historical linguists construct etymologies, how to evaluate competing explanations, and how to pursue further research. Cover Origin Uncertain Copyright Contents Introduction: The Ways of Words and Word Hunters 1. Words Whose Origin Has Bothered You for Years One, Two, Three, Alairy . . . Aroint Thee Galoot Wayzgoose Pilgarlick 2. Words Bizarre, Misbegotten, and Born by Mistake Bizarre Bamboozle Chicanery and Shenanigans Pun Conundrum Punk, Spunk, and Funk Quiz and Gig Oof Tip Helpmeet and Syllabus 3. It Takes All Sorts to Make the World Go Round Bigots, Bugger, and Beggars Henchman Scoundrel Bullyragging and Lovable Bullies Curmudgeon and Catawampus Pettifogger Simpleton Snob Codger and His Evil Brother Cadger Two Gifts from Our Dutch Uncle: Plug-​Ugly and Play Hookey 4. Crabbed Age Looks Back at Youth and Feels Amused Dandy Masher Dude On Nuts and Nerds 5. Marital Bliss and a Few Diversions Kiss Honeymoon Bickering and Bitching Harlot 6. Anatomy and the Art of Consumption Brain and Marrow Brisket Finger Akimbo Ache Booze Cake Rum “Drink” Cocktail 7. In the Air, on the Ground, and in the Sea Butterfly Foxglove Shrimp and Shrew 8. Multifarious Devilry Rogue Ragamuffin Hobbledehoy Harlequin and Harlot Harlequin A Few Obstreperous Demons 9. Our Habitat and Disposable Stuff House and Home Key Ajar Threshold Bed Dregs Trash Rubbish Garbage Gibberish 10. Tools, Implements, and Professions Ax(e) and Adz(e) Awning and Tarpaulin Mattock Awl Theodolite Dildo Haberdasher Mad as a Hatter 11. History and Geography Viking Yeoman Cockney The Buckeye State Hoosier 12. Suspicious Usage and Troublesome Phonetics Ain’t Sneak—​Snack—​Snuck The Parasite Like From Dodge and Nudge to Kitsch: A Case of Effective Affinities 13. A Few Idioms By Hook or by Crook Raining Cats and Dogs Pay Through the Nose God’s Acre Rotten Row 14. Some of Our Greats Walter W. Skeat Joseph Wright The Word “Folklore” and Its Inventor William John Thoms Index