Top 10 Words With Strange Origins
#10: Shambles
The etymology of this word is … well, a shambles! Its roots stem from the word “stool” in various languages, as well as words that mean “kiosk” or “vender stall.” In English, this morphed over time into a general term for somewhere where meat was peddled, and eventually it came to refer to where animals were butchered. Then, in the early 1900s, shambles became an ironic term for describing something as a “bloody mess,” by comparing it essentially to a slaughterhouse. So think about that the next time your life is “in shambles.”
#9: Tragedy
The Ancient Greeks helped found a lot of things we take for granted nowadays, from philosophy to democracy, but they also heavily influenced Western theater traditions and genres – particularly tragedy. The original Greek word “tragodia” (trah-guh-DEE-ah) referred to a play or poem with an unhappy ending, to contrast with comedies. But its literal meaning was “goat song,” of all things! Whether it was because of the Greeks’ legends about satyrs (SAY-tur), or because goats were used as a prize during poetry contests, or for some other reason, we don’t know. But whatever the reason, it’s still decidedly bizarre.
#8: Avocado
Avocados are a tricky little fruit. Aside from being good for guacamole, harder than steel until they suddenly aren’t, and technically a berry, avocados also have some rather surprising etymological origins. Plenty have noticed the strange similarity between the Spanish word for lawyer, “abogado,” (abbo-GAW-thdoh) and the English word “avocado.” This is because English speakers mistook the real Spanish word for avocado, “aguacate,” (agwah-CAW-tay) with their word for lawyer, which used to be “avocado.” Still with us? Even stranger, is the fact that “aguacate” is derived from the Aztec word “ahuacatl,” (ah-wah-cahtl) which means testicle - no doubt in reference to their similar shapes. Some food for thought the next time you have avocado toast!
#7: Disaster
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A disaster refers to an unfortunate or ruinous event. But its origins lie both in ancient Greece, as well as in the stars. The Greeks put a lot of stock in the heavens as a means of reading the outcome or origin of events on Earth. The word “disaster” comes from the prefix “dis”, meaning reversal or removal, and the Greek word “astron” (ass-trawn), meaning “star”. So any disaster is therefore said to be the result of a “bad star.” This comes through in other English expressions such as “being born under a bad star.”
#6: Smart Aleck
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When someone gets called a “smart aleck” it’s usually because they’re acting smug or sarcastic and the person calling them that wants to use another word beginning with “A” instead. Essentially, a smart aleck is too smart for their own good. However, what’s truly shocking, is that smart aleck may have been named after a real person! Aleck Hoag (hogue) was a 19th century New York con man, pimp, and thief. Aleck and his wife would scam men out of their money using a variety of schemes, eventually landed them in jail. The newspapers helped popularize his immortal nickname. So every time we talked back to our parents, they responded by comparing us to a 19th century pimp? Low blow!
#5: Berserk
When someone goes or appears berserk, they display great ferocity or rage. The word is derived from the Norse/Viking word berserker, a type of warrior who often displayed reckless and violent behavior in battle. The word berserker, in turn, means “bear shirt,” after berserkers’ common practice of donning bearskin for warmth and intimidation of their enemies. Their bear-inspired garments may also have been for religious purposes, as bear worship was widespread in Europe’s pagan cultures. Sadly, not everyone who goes on a rampage is as cool as this origin story.
#4: Fizzle
When something fizzles, it makes a sizzling or sputtering noise, although the word can also mean that something has failed or run out of steam, as in this explanation…uh, “fizzled out.” Anywho, fizzle comes from the Middle English term “fist” which back in those days was another word for, and yes, we swear this is true, “breaking wind.” More specifically, fizzle means “breaking wind without noise.” That’s “quietly farting,” for everybody slow on the uptake. So, you might say that when something “fizzles,” it’s “silent, but dead on arrival!” Much like this joke!
#3: Quarantine
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An appropriate word to examine during the time of Covid-19! While everyone as of this writing probably knows what it means, quarantine means isolation from outside influence, usually to prevent the spread of disease. Fittingly enough, quarantine originates from the plague containment policies of Italy. During the 1600s, the term “quaranta giorni,” (as expected) or “space of 40 days,” was used by Venice port officials to describe the policy of keeping ships coming from plague stricken countries at sea for 40 days to ensure there were no afflicted people aboard. If only our current predicament could last so short…
#2: Nightmare
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“Night,” that’s the time when the sun isn’t hitting Earth, and “mare,” that’s a female horse right? Case closed! Everybody go home! Hold your “horses,” hypothetical person! That’s not quite right. The “mare” part of nightmare actually refers to a figure from German and Slavic folklore. A kind of female goblin, the mare was said to sit on the chests of sleeping people and bring on a feeling of suffocation and bad dreams, hence – nightmares. Just in case you needed any more inspiration for your bad dreams, now you can have nightmares about night mares! Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Mortgage You’re Literally Paying Off Your “Death Pledge!” Hazard From the Arabic “Az-Zahr” or Dice – Quite the Risk (uh-ZAR) Clue From the “Clew” of Thread Used by Theseus to Find His Way in the Labyrinth Jumbo Named for a Real Elephant Robot A Czech Playwright Introduced This Word, From Robota Meaning Serfdom
#1: Sandwich
Sandwich sounds like a town in England, and surprise surprise, it is! However, the practice of putting food, usually meat, between two slices of bread actually has its origins in a man, not the town. John Montagu was the 4th Earl of Sandwich in the 18th century. Montagu was a busy man and didn’t take traditional meals that often, opting instead for something like beef between two slices of bread. Others, seeing his habit, would request “the same as Sandwich,” giving rise to the word as we use it today. Although there’s some debate over Montagu was more likely to take his sandwich while working or gambling, and what manner the beef itself was cooked, it’s clear that “sandwiched” somewhere in between the varying accounts lies the truth.
