Category:

In the Nick of Time

10/23/2025

We often say “in the nick of time” when something happens just before it’s too late. A train caught at the last moment, a deadline met with seconds to spare, or a timely rescue all fit the expression perfectly. But where does this phrase come from?

The word “nick” has been part of English since the 14th century. It originally meant a small notch or mark cut into something, such as tally marks used to keep score or track time. To “make a nick” was to record an exact moment or point. Over time, the phrase “in the nick” began to mean “at the precise moment.”

By the 16th century, the full expression “in the nick of time” appeared in English writing to emphasize accuracy and timeliness.

From there, the phrase evolved to describe something that happens just in time to prevent a problem or disaster.

So the next time you make it to an appointment just as the door closes or finish a project moments before the deadline, take comfort in knowing you’ve done it in the nick of time — a phrase that has been celebrating perfect timing for more than four centuries.

References:

0 Comments

Recrudescence - a word worth knowing

1/3/2025

0 Comments

Language is filled with fascinating words that capture nuanced experiences, and "recrudescence" is one of them. Though it may not appear in everyday conversation, it conveys a concept that's surprisingly relatable.

At its core, recrudescence refers to the revival or reappearance of something undesirable, often after a period of dormancy. Its roots lie in the Latin word recrudescere, meaning "to become raw again,". In other words, it’s a return of something terrible after a time of reprieve.

Recognizing recrudescence can be empowering. When we anticipate the possibility of setbacks, we can prepare to confront them with resilience. Whether it's revisiting unresolved conflicts or dealing with the resurgence of an old challenge, understanding this concept encourages us to face it with clarity and grace.

So next time you’re describing something unpleasant making a comeback, consider using recrudescence. It’s a beautifully specific word for life’s inevitable moments of renewal—even when those moments aren’t what we hoped for.

0 Comments

The Oldest Words in the English Language

12/29/2023

0 Comments

In deciding what I could write about this month, I came across an interesting.

Now what I’m about to say sounds like something from the book, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but this is not fiction. The IBM supercomputer at the University of Reading, known as ThamesBlue, has been around for more than a decade now. Before it arrived, it took an average of six weeks to perform a computational task such as comparing two sets of words in different languages, now these same tasks can be executed in a few hours.

And what did scientists discover?

They discovered that 'I', 'we', 'who' and the numbers '1', '2' and '3' are amongst the oldest words, not only in English, but across all Indo-European languages.

The Indo-European languages are most of those originally found across Europe, the Middle-East and the Indian subcontinent. Examples include Celtic, Roman, Greek, Germanic, Nordic (with the exception of Finnish), Slavic, Armenian, Iranian, Afghan, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Napali and Kashmiri, modern-day derivations such as English and Spanish.

Researchers call words that persist relatively untouched across the ages 'cognates’. The most resilient cognates, the numerals, have not changed significantly in their entire history.

Pretty cool stuff, eh?

Source:
Scientists discover oldest words in the English language and predict which ones are likely to disappear in the future (reading.ac.uk

0 Comments

Thirst Trap

5/27/2023

0 Comments

Contrary to what you may believe at first, thirst traps have no relation to water. It refers to a viewer's "thirst", a colloquialism likening sexual frustration to dehydration, with the afflicted individual being described as "thirsty”.

The usage of the phrase derived from selfie culture. A thirst trap is a sensual photograph intended for social media to catch a viewer’s eye. 👀

But, more than anything, a thirst trap is all about being confident — because as we know, there's nothing hotter than being your authentic self. 💖

0 Comments

More than one way to skin a cat

5/31/2022

0 Comments

A very cruel expression that made its first appearance in print in the 1840s is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”. The variations of this expression are even more vile and graphic.

People use this expression to suggest there are several ways to do something or get something done.

Example:
It’s been quite the challenge to get support for something at work. The colleague I confided in replied that there is more than one way to skin a cat – let’s brainstorm some ideas. While taken aback at the horrendous use of this expression, their heart was in the right place to help me come up with other ways to achieve my goal.

I cannot confirm whether the following is true, but one comforting explanation for this phrase is that it’s not actually referencing skinning our cute little feline friends, but rather a phrase that originated in the American south region that pertains to the preparation of a catfish.

The question then becomes, “Who shortened it to cat?! WHO?!”

Reference:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mor1.htm

0 Comments

Jack O' Lantern

10/31/2021

0 Comments

The jack o’ lantern is a sign of Halloween, when people set out to carve images into hollowed-out pumpkins and light them up at night for the desired “haunting” effect.

But how did this tradition start?

Let’s go back to the origin of Halloween, which began in Ireland’s Celtic past.

Let’s go back to the Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack.

According to the story, a man once invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to the nickname he was given, Stingy Jack did not want to pay the tab. He cleverly convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin so they could pay for their drinks. However, once the Devil complied, Stingy Jack kept the coin - next to a silver cross in his pocket so the Devil couldn’t transform back.

Stingy Jack finally decided to free the Devil under the condition that he not bother him for one year, and that should he die, that the Devil would not claim his soul.

The year passed and Jack was able to trick the Devil again, this time for ten years, and under the same conditions.

Alas, all things do come to an end. It was Stingy Jack’s time to meet his maker - he died.

God did not want such a despicable soul, so prevented him from entering Heaven.

The Devil had to keep his promise of not taking Stingy Jack’s soul, so prevented him from entering Hell.

Stingy Jack was left with a burning coal inside a turnip to light his wretched way, and has been roaming the Earth ever since.

Creepy…..

Known first as Jack of the Lantern, he eventually became Jack O’ Lantern. People began carving scary faces into turnips and placing them near windows and doors to scare off Stingy Jack and any other wandering spirits.

When the Irish immigrated to the United States, they found that pumpkins made for easier carving and the perfect jack o’ lanterns.

Reference:
www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins

0 Comments

Nip it in the bud

6/29/2020

0 Comments

Nip it in the bud.

It means to stop something at an early stage before things worsen.

Example: My cat has started peeing in places other than the cat litter. I’ll have to bring my cat to the vet and see if she has any advice to help me nip this in the bud.

I was curious about the origin of this idiom. Turns out it’s quite old (early 1600s) and quite basic.

It “stems” from gardening.

A flower that is “nipped in the bud” won’t grow or blossom. So as the expression suggests, if the situation is handled when it is only a minor or small problem, it won’t “grow” into a major problem.

References:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2015/06/04/its-not-nip-it-in-the-butt-and-other-idioms-you-might-be-getting-wrong/#3144253f50c0

0 Comments

Food for thought

4/28/2020

0 Comments

Food for thought. What does it mean? It's an idiom describing something that requires more thought and consideration.

It’s an expression that has been around since the 19th century, and is based on the idea of digestion and transferring it from the stomach to the brain.

Example: My manager’s advice on how to react to a difficult situation provided me with food for thought.

It means that the advice my manager gave me was information I needed to consider and give more thought to. I could have said that instead of “food for thought”, but that’s what makes the English language so much fun. We have so much variety in how we communicate.

----------------
Reference:
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/food%20for%20thought

0 Comments

New Year's Resolution

1/1/2020

0 Comments

A famous tradition people often practice is to make a New Year’s resolution. Common resolutions include exercising more, eating better, or swearing less. It’s a specific intention to better oneself.

But how did this come about?

History records the ancient Babylonians as being the first people to make New Year’s resolutions – over 4000 years ago – although their new year started in mid-March, when crops were ready to be planted. These resolutions, or promises, were made to their gods. If the Babylonians kept their promises, they would be in the gods’ favour. If not, well…it wasn’t good.

The same sort of thing happened in ancient Rome after Julius Caesar set January 1 as the beginning of the new year. January, named after Janus – was a god usually depicted as having two faces. The Romans believed that Janus both looked into the past and into the future. The Romans made promises of good conduct to Janus for the coming year.

Despite the fact that the tradition has religious roots, it is now a more secular practice. Gone are the days of making promises to the gods. Instead, we tell our friends or family of our intentions, and hope to god that we follow through on them.

“Here's to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.” ~ Anonymous

References:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/resolution
https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions

0 Comments

Hangover

12/20/2019

0 Comments

Did you know that the word ‘hangover’ only became associated with alcohol in the early 1900s?

Before that, it was used to describe unfinished business from meetings.

Perhaps all meetings are hangovers then. 😏

Blah.

What we really want to know is not the origin of the word, but how to get rid of it, right?

Here are some of the things I do to alleviate the most unpleasant side effects of drinking just a little too much:

Plan ahead - take the following day off work
Drink water in between alcoholic drinks for hydration
Take Gravol before going to bed to help control nausea and vomiting
Take something to get rid of the pain, like Advil
Get outside for some fresh air
Eat a greasy spoon breakfast - this morning I chose McDonald’s
Take a cozy nap with cute cats if time permits

What are some of your hangover cures? Asking for a friend.

0 Comments

Grandfather Clause

9/29/2019

0 Comments

We all know a grandfather clause to be an arrangement where an old rule is still able to apply to some people despite a new rule being in place. The people who benefited from the old rule continue to benefit from the old rule, and the new rule will apply to all future cases. The people who continue to benefit from the old rule are considered to be “grandfathered in”.

A modern example are cell phone data plans. The big cell phone carriers had unlimited data plans, but then this ended. People already on these unlimited data plans could keep them so long as they kept the same service. Anyone new would not have access to unlimited data plans and would have to pay for limited plans, with extra charges and fees for going above the limit.

Now let’s dig a little into the past. The 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution spoke to the right to vote, and that right could “not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” That was established in 1870.

But a new rule was established in the Southern United States some time between the late 1890s and early 1900s. In order to vote, one had to take a literacy test or own property. A “grandfather clause” allowed anyone who had the right to vote before 1867 to continue voting without having to take a literacy test or own property. The name “grandfather clause” comes into play because this rule also applied to the descendants of anyone who had been granted the right to vote before 1867.

Now this rule was fully loaded as most black people were enslaved prior to 1867, and therefore did not have the right to vote. So basically, the grandfather clause prevented these people from voting even after they had won their freedom since their grandfathers had more than likely been slaves. And slaves were typically forbidden to read, extenuating the problem years after slavery was abolished.

In 1915, the U.S. Supreme Court found these grandfather clauses to be unconstitutional as the aforementioned 15th amendment was meant to give U.S citizens equal rights when it came to voting. Even then, black people faced huge barriers when trying to vote. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came into force that the 15th Amendment became a reality.

References:

0 Comments

Twerk

1/26/2019

0 Comments

The word ‘twerk’ most likely brings up images of Miley Cyrus dancing, rigorously thrusting her butt and hips. It does for me, anyway. But a friend of mine pointed out that the word actually goes back almost 200 years ago. Having a love for learning about word origins, I ventured to look this one up and make it my January blog post.

And here we are.

In modern times, the word twerk can be traced back to the New Orleans “bounce” of the early 90s. That's in line with what is means today.

But it can be traced even further back in time. The first known use of the word twerk was actually back in 1820, in a letter to Mary Shelley - the author of Frankenstein.

“Really the Germans do allow themselves such twists & twirks of the pen,
that it would puzzle any one." (1820 Charles Clairmont, Letter, 26 Feb.)

Back then it was a noun - synonymous with ‘twitch’ - and was originally spelled ‘twirk’. Usage eventually had dictionaries using ‘twerk’ as the popular way to spell the word.

From there it went through a slew of different meanings. From referring to a worthless person, to a fool, to a jerk by 1928, and then morphing into a verb - a twist - by the late 1940s, until we reach the 1990s, where we have our notorious dance.

And on that dance move, how many of us have actually tried it? I have, and it wasn’t pretty.

References:
blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/08/29/what-is-the-origin-of-twerk/

0 Comments

The dog days of summer

7/30/2018

1 Comment

Thinking about what I would post for the end of a hot summer day in July, I thought it might be “cool” to write about a well-known idiom, the dog days of summer.

So I looked it up.

The ‘dog days of summer’ is an expression used to describe the uncomfortably hot, sultry days of summer. There’s a lot to do about Greek and Roman astrology, but the short of it is that it is connected to the star Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog). It is known more commonly as the “dog star”.

Because it’s the brightest star in the sky, it received a lot of attention from ancient astronomers. It became known as the precursor to the unbearably hot phase of summer. People believed that this star was responsible for bringing the hottest and driest periods of the summer.

Ready for some science?

While it is true that Sirius is the brightest star in the sky from Earth, it has no effect on the planet’s weather or temperature. Also true is that the star continues to return to the night sky in the Northern hemisphere in late summer. However, its position will continue to shift gradually and in about 10,000 years, it will actually appear in the middle of winter.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_days

1 Comment

Witch Hunt

10/29/2016

0 Comments

The idiom "witch hunt" was literally used in Salem, Massachusetts back in the seventeenth century - the place remembered as being the origin of the first real witch hunt.

The Salem witch trials, a series of hearings and prosecutions, began in 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people.

A sad story indeed. And while I hold no judgement to people who believe themsleves to be witches, there is no scientific, empirical, or reasonable proof that any actual witches existed or that the magic they claimed to perform actually did what it was supposed to do.

The modern use of "witch hunt" therefore is not about hunting down people with evil magical powers, but rather refers to the persecution and harassment of individuals or people who have opinions that are believed to be dangerous or evil.

A great example is when Arthur Miller dramatized the events of 1692 in his play “The Crucible” (1953), by using the Salem witch trials as an allegory for the anti-Communist “witch hunts” led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. Known as the McCarthy era, this real life story resulted in the persecution of thousands of Americans, accused of being either Communists, or Communist-sympathizers.

There are a ton of current-day examples. I'm curious to hear your opinions of what constitutes as a twenty-first century witch trial.

Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witch%20hunt

0 Comments

Kick the Bucket & Bucket List

9/29/2016

2 Comments

To "kick the bucket" is an idiom meaning to die.

I personally would never use this particular idiom when giving condolences; it would not be appropriate to talk about death when the feelings are still raw - when someone is still in mourning. This idiom would more likely be used when no emotional feelings are associated to the death, or perhaps when someone is trying to avoid emotional feelings.

In my brief search on the web, no one has been able to prove its origin with absolute certainty. However, I found two theories that were compelling enough to share.

1. One theory is that its origin stems from an old-school suicide technique. A man would tie a noose around his neck, securing the other end to a tree branch or an overhead beam while he propped himself up on a bucket. When he wanted to say goodbye to the world, he would kick the bucket out from beneath himself.

2. Another theory derives from the old method of slaughtering a pig. It used to involve hanging the pig upside down from a beam in the barn - called a "bucket" - especially designed for the purpose. In its death throes, the dying animal would then, naturally, "kick the bucket."

Bucket List
Understanding what "kick the bucket" means results in one to understand the meaning of "bucket list". A list of activities someone wants to do before they die is often called a bucket list, because it is a list of things a person wants to do before they "kick the bucket."

Sources:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kick_the_bucket
I would also like to thank my colleagues for today's discussion about death.

2 Comments

<<Previous

In the Nick of Time

Recrudescence - a word worth knowing

The Oldest Words in the English Language

Thirst Trap

More than one way to skin a cat

Jack O' Lantern

Nip it in the bud

Food for thought

New Year's Resolution

Hangover

Grandfather Clause

Twerk

The dog days of summer

Witch Hunt

Kick the Bucket & Bucket List

Categories

Archives

References

Author