valentine – Formerly a person chosen as a sweetheart or special friend, named for either of two Italian saints. More…
bully – First meant lover or sweetheart, then fine fellow, then blusterer, then “person who harms or threatens weaker people.” More…
leman – An old word for “sweetheart, lover.” More…
piggesnye – An old term of endearment for one’s sweetheart, literally “a darling pig’s eye.” More…
store – A shortened version of the obsolete astor, “stock of provisions, supplies.” More…
alligator – From Spanish el lagarto, “the lizard,” which may have come from Latin lacerta; the alligator has a shorter, blunter snout than a crocodile. More…
telescopic umbrella – An umbrella that can become shorter. More…
dog watch – A two-hour watch on board a ship, it is based on dog sleep, the light or fitful sleep typical of dogs (a catnap being even shorter). More…
macaque – Based on Bantu kaku, “monkey,” and ma, denoting a plural, translating to “some monkeys.” More…
monkey business – A transfer of the tricks of monkeys to human behavior. More…
barrel of monkeys – Monkeys are usually a source of merriment, so if one had a barrelful of them, one supposes this to be quite hilarious; a group of monkeys is actually called a troop. More…
see monkeys – To be overcome by the heat while working. More…
cenacle – A discussion group or literary clique—also, a small dining room where a literary or philosophic group eats and talks (from Latin cena, “dinner”), such as the room in which the Last Supper was held. More…
literary – A painting or sculpture that depicts a story can be described as “literary.” More…
opuscule – A diminutive of opus, meaning a minor or small work, literary or musical. More…
copyright – Literally, “the right to reproduce” one’s own work or authorize others to do so; copyright protects original artistic, literary, dramatic, musical, and intellectual work in a tangible medium. More…
mogul – A small mound of snow on a ski course, from Old Norse mugl, “little heap.” More…
congeries – A Latin word meaning “heap or pile of disparate items” or “disorderly collection.” More…
midden – Traces back to Scandinavian forms mog, “muck,” and dynge, “heap,” and first meant “dunghill” before it denoted a prehistoric or historic refuse heap. More…
accumulate – One of its Latin elements is cumulus, “a heap.” More…
runner – A blade of a skate or sled. The supports on which a drawer slides are also called runners. More…
dromedary, Bactrian – A one-hump camel is a dromedary (from Latin, meaning “swift camel,” from Greek dromas, “runner”) and a two-hump camel is a Bactrian (from Bactria in Asia). More…
cursor – First meant “runner” or “running messenger” and is now the moving/movable indicator on a computer screen. More…
dromomania – A mania for roaming or running, from Latin dromas. More…
drop waist – One that has the seam at the hips, rather than the waist. More…
blouse – First a garment, usually belted at the waist, worn by peasants or workmen. More…
midriff – Based on the Old English hrif, “belly,” it is the front of the body between the chest and the waist. More…
calypso – The style in which a shirt’s tails are tied in a knot at the waist. More…