Sand Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘stone’ and now look at ‘sand’. Note, historically there has never been a distinction between sand and gravel, both were described as being abrasive for each came from the Proto-Indo-European meaning ‘to rub’.

Sandhill may mean ‘dune’ in the UK – and a Sandhiller was one from Sandhill in Newcastle - but in the US a Sandhiller was one seen as a blackguard, one who used coarse language since 1813.

Sand-trap might be a golfing term since 1906, but psince 1838 referred to a device for removing impurities in a hydraulic system.

Nobody made a sandcastle until 1838, probably because beach holidays were not popular until the coming of the railways around the same time.

Nothing was sandblasted until 1878, at least it was not written as such until then.

Sandbanks have been described as such since at least the 1580s.

Sandflies were first described in 1748.

Sand fleas first appears in print in 1798.

Sandbox has been a place for children to play since 1891; from 1849 it described the device on railway locomotives used to improve grip on a wet rail; and from 1570 had been a box used to sprinkle sand.

Surprisingly, quicksand has been used in the modern sense since at least the late 13th century.

Sandpaper has been described as such since 1788.

Sandstone was first described in the 1660s.

Sandman, that mythological figure who sprinkles sand in your eyes to make you sleep, is first seen in 1861. More often associated with the US, it was more often said to be the dustman until around 1821.

Sanderlings are wading birds, first described as such around 1600.

Sandpipers are smaller wading birds, these described as such for the first time in 1670.

Hit Idioms

Several words have found themselves used in a number of phrases. We looked at 'foot' last time and this time it's 'hit'.

Hit it off dates from as early as 1780, and was used the same as the modern 'hit on' only from 1970.

Hit the nail on the head is recorded as early as 1570, but had nothing to do with hammers. This was an archery reference.

Hit the hay is first seen in 1912, which is strange as by then few mattresses would have been stuffed with hay.

Hit the bricks dates from 1909. Not heard today, it was trade union slang and referred to going on strike.

Hit (someone) up, to request something of someone, dates from 1917.

Not know what hit them is first seen in print in 1923.

Hit the road appears in print for the first time in 1873.

Hit and run has had no less than three lives. The vehicular reference is first seen in 1924; later this was also used for a military strike, first appearing in 1940; but the earliest, and probably the most obvious, is the baseball reference from 1899.

Hit the bottle is not seen before 1933, although 'hit the booze' had been in use since at least 1899.

Hit song/record/film/ etc dates as early as 1811, when it was used to refer to plays and shows.

That's not what I meant (Q)

I always enjoy a quiz, but I don't think I would have been as keen on the eighteenth-century descriptions.

Quaint is today used to refer to something out of the ordinary but visually acceptable. In the thirteenth century it was used to mean 'skilled' or 'elegant' or 'proud' and even 'fastidious'.

Queues are something the British are known to enjoy, except by the British, but when it first came to English from the French it meant 'tail'.

Quick is seen in Old English where it meant 'alive', unlike the modern 'rapid, speedy'.

Quilts are those covers which keep us warm but, when the term is first seen in the thirteenth century, it referred to something under the sleeper - in fact, what we would call a mattress.

Quite was first used in the fourteenth century to mean 'absolutely', as in "I'm quite alone". While that sense is still used today, it is also used to mean 'fairly, rather.'

Quiz is a knowledge test today, or perhaps as a verb can be used to mean 'cross-examine'. But as recently as the eighteenth century described 'an eccentric one' and even 'one who ridicules'.

Ghana Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest of Ghana's cities.

Accra comes from the Akan language where nkran originally meant 'ants'. The numerous ant hills in this region being the outstanding feature, of course these are the obvious towers built by the African varieties and not the small mounds seen in Europe.

Ashaiman was founded by one Nil Ashai in the 17th century, his name taken for the place and thus meaning 'Ashai's town'.

Sunyani grew from a minor outpost used by elephant hunters during the 19th century. Indeed its name reflects this as it comes from the Akan word osono meaning 'elephant'.

Cape Coast is a simple enough name needing no explanation.

Koforidua traditionally takes its name from the Akan man Kofi Ofori after he built a home under a magnificent mahogany tree. As this became a place of shelter for those returning from the fields, they spoke of going to rest under "Kofi Ofori's tree" with the Akan word for 'tree' being dua.

Nkawkaw means 'red, red', a reference to the red soils here.

Navrongo is an Anglicised version of the local name of navoringo, itself from navoro. Here naga voro describes the crunching sound made when stepping onto dry, crumbly soil. A most unusual origin for a place name, indeed I can think of no other named for a sound.

Salaga is from the Dagomba language where salgi refers to 'get used to a place of abode'.

Banda Ahenkro has historically provided shelter from any number of peoples seeking shelter during the era of the slave trade. At this time the place was known as Serminakuu referring to 'the grasses' growing in this area. The name was changed to Banda, a corruption of woanda meaning 'they did not sleep'. The people of the Asante kingdom here were known for their strength in times of war, the warlike people refusing to sleep during times of war.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.