Humorous Etymologies

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Humorous Etymologies. This talk features a look at some of the more ludicrous ways words which, coined to mean one thing, were later used in a completely different context. For example the gasket found in all engines began as meaning 'a little girl' and later used to mean 'small rope'; easel, that used by artists, began as a Dutch word meaning 'donkey'; orange, that is the colour not the fruit, was originally called 'yellow-red'; quack originally meant 'the croaking of frogs'; and inch, the measurement, began as 'thumb'. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required, but as a taster let’s look at a couple of words and their origins.

Sycophant – defined as ‘a person who acts obsequiously toward another in order to gain advantage’, it comes to English from Greek and originally meant ‘fig smuggler’. During the days of the Greek city states, Athens was keen to ensure its own success instead of its rivals and banned the export of foodstuffs outside the city walls. They had no problem exporting their own products, what they didn’t want was the food brought in being purchased and then taken away. Figs, having a comparatively long life and rather good for you, were a favourite to try and smuggle out as they were easy to secrete around the body. In order to get others to point the finger of accusation, Athenian law actively encouraged blackmailing for profit as the authorities often failed to bring the smugglers to justice. Those who most often faced charges were fig smugglers.

Punch – the drink, not the assault – comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘five’, as the traditional punch contained five ingredients. Indeed, the other use of ‘punch’ comes from the drink, it alluding to the five ingredients (four fingers and a thumb).

One more?

Penguin, those famously flightless birds are named from the Welsh meaning ‘white head’. Now, look at every picture of every species of penguin and they all have black heads. The error comes from the black and white bird resembling the great auk, another black and white sea bird but one with a white top to its head. Now the great auk is said to be extinct, however perhaps they have fooled everyone and have simply disguised themselves as penguins by wearing a close-fitting hat.

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.

Frog Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘bite’ and now look at ‘frog’.

Leapfrog refers to any number of games since at least the 16th century. The present version is first described in 1898. Of more interest are the versions found in other countries: France has ‘leapsheep’; the Dutch, Chinese and the Romanians ‘leap goats’; India it is ‘horse leap’; Italy has ‘leap small or baby horse’; Filipino version is ‘leap cow’; Koreans have ‘pile driving’; and Japanese also ‘leap horse’.

Frog in your throat, describing one with a perceived ‘croaky’ voice, is first seen in 1892; although the phrase is used from the middle of the 17th century to refer to someone with a swelling in their neck.

Frog march dates from 1871, when it referred to police officers carrying a drunken or otherwise awkward prisoner. This involved four individuals, each holding one limb, carrying the offender face down. Since the 1930s this usually refers to someone being taken away with an arm (or two) behind their backs.

Bullfrogs have only been known as such since 1738, called such because of their loud call.

Frogman is used to describe scuba divers in suits from 1945.

And with only a few commonly heard phrases, I thought it might be fun to include some, at least to my mind, some few if any will have heard before.

A Big Frog In A Small Pond, essentially uses frog instead of fish.

Frog Face, is an insult as frogs are not considered particularly attractive (so why do so many princesses kiss the things in folklore?)

A Frog Choker, is a reference to heavy rain which is enough to choke a frog.

Frog Slicing, apparently a reference to anatomy classes in school which invariably involve chopping up frogs. I was ill the day the things were brought into school to go under the knife, I don’t think I’ve suffered too much from missing out.

To Be As Cross As A Frog In A Sock, a very strange expression using ten syllables to mean ‘angry’ which has but two syllables.

Like Herding Frogs, where frogs have replaced cats. I would think it easier to herd frogs than cats, indeed I would have thought it easier to herd anything than it would be cats.

Fine As Frog Hair, sometimes Frog Fuzz, describes something as excellent.

To Eat The Frog, is to begin the day with the most difficult task and thus everything else on the agenda is easier. Perhaps this is why magistrate courts always decide to sit on the most difficult case first, thus keeping as many as possible waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and …..

As Mad As A Box Of Frogs, is the same as a bag of wet mice, and many other containers of creatures not normally found in such.

To Juggle Frogs, is to attempt to multitask to the point where nothing gets done.

A Boiling Frog, a situation which isn’t seen as bad until it’s too late to do anything about it.

To Know No More Than A Frog Knows About Bedsheets, is an odd expression suggesting the individual knows little or less about a subject.

If Frogs Had Wings They Wouldn’t Bump Their Butts When They Hop, is simply wishing for something that are simply impossible. Wishing for the moon would be a more common version.

Frog, as a derogatory term for a Frenchman, came to Britain in the First World War. Prior to that it was used by those from the Benelux countries, and earlier still by the French to describe Parisians and thought to derive from the toads once appearing on the emblem of the French capital.

Dutch Idioms

Several words have found themselves used in a number of phrases. We looked at 'break' last time and this time it's 'Dutch'. Before coming to what turns out to be rather a longer list than I expected, it should be noted that none of these will have been in use before 1600. Furthermore, many of these will be seen as derogatory which is down to the trading conflicts between the English/British and the Dutch since the 17th century.

Going Dutch is where those dining in company pay for themselves.

If that's true I'm a Dutchman is a way of denying what was said. (Also: if not I'm a Dutchman - seeks to strengthen an argument.)

Dutch cure is to commit suicide.

Dutch bargains are settled over drinks.

Dutch auction is where the price starts high and steadily reduced until someone accepts the offer.

Dutch agreement is made when intoxicated.

Beat the Dutch is to exceed expectations.

Dutch collar is a horse collar.

Dutch comfort is to derive comfort by thinking things could be worse.

Dutch concert is to make a lot of noise.

Dutch courage comes from alcohol.

Dutch defence is no defence at all.

Dutch headache is more often called a hangover.

Dutch leaf might look like gold leaf, but it isn't.

Dutch leave when a military man is Absent Without Leave (AWOL).

Dutch gold is an allow of copper and zinc, it's what Dutch leaf (above) is made from.

Dutch oven is an enclosed cooking pot from around 1769, but there is also a later definition in which there are two people sharing a bed and one farts and pulls the covers over the other to give them the dubious benefit of the full experience.

Dutch nightingales are frogs.

Dutch reckoning is a high bill, especially one not itemised.

Dutch rub is when one rubs their knuckles firmly across the top of the head of another.

Dutch talent is best defined as more brawn than brain.

Dutch widow or prostitute.

Dutch wife is a long bolster pillow.

Double Dutch refers to one talking gibberish.

Dutch uncle is seen from 1838 and refers to a kindly figure but one who is straight-talking and strict.

Do You Speak Reindeer?

It's that time of year when certain individuals get to don a certain suit of red. One of the delights of such is hearing what the little ones want for Christmas and having no idea what it is. Requests from more mature individuals have included a blonde of 18 and a Land Rover. Why she wanted an inexperienced driver for such a car when surely half the pleasure is in driving it, I have no idea.

As always I was stumped by one question. A young chap asking "What language does the reindeer speak?" I told him "reindeer" and moved the conversation quickly on. But it did get me thinking as to what animals are heard to sound like in other languages. A quick search failed to reveal anything about speaking reindeer, but I did find this fascinating list of dogs barking, ducks quacking and frogs croaking in other languages.

These alternative sounds can be found here'