Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A discussion on the ‘Independent on Sunday’ Comment desk about whether certain words (feisty, blowsy, bubbly) were sexist because they were almost always applied to women degenerated into a trawl through the Oxford Dictionary for the surprising origins of some words.
Gerrymander: A new voting district in Massachusetts in the shape of a salamander favoured Governor Elbridge Gerry’s party.
Blowsy: Early 17th century: from obsolete blowze, “beggar’s female companion”.
Bumf: Late 19th century: abbreviation of slang bum-fodder. From Rich Greenhill.
Humble pie: A pun on “umbles”, offal, considered to be inferior food. Thanks to Chris Bryant MP.
Raspberry: to blow a Raspberry tart, rhyming slang for “fart”. Rich Greenhill again.
Tawdry: Early 17th century: short for tawdry lace, contraction of St Audrey’s lace, after patron saint of Ely, where cheap finery was sold at a fair. Via Rafael Behr.
Shibboleth: From Hebrew for “ear of corn”, used (in the Bible) as a test of nationality by its difficult pronunciation.
Prurient: Late 16th century: mental itching, from Latin for “itching, longing”.
Feisty: Late 19th century: from earlier feist, fist, “small dog”, from fisting or hound, a derogatory term for a lapdog, from Middle English fist, “break wind”.
Shambles: Originally a butcher’s slaughterhouse.
---
Next week: Tautologies – safe haven, pre-planned.
Coming soon: Spoonerisms (well- boiled icicle, and so on). Send your suggestions, and ideas for future Top 10s, to top10@independent.co.uk
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments