144 Fun Listicle

Etymology of Some Words We Use

      ~A Fun Listicle~
Hello, Readers! I really like this new word “listicle”--defined as the format for short writing done in list format. Maybe it’s because this is the way I think. Make a list. Then add notes as necessary. More and more notes as I get older!! And, often, I find it is also the way I write everything. According to my family, everything is a “punch list.”


Also, for those of you who regularly read our SavvyBroads blog, we are sometimes noted for our snarky humor. And I love words. I know many, many more words than I actually say out loud or use in conversation, BUT we also use “common” words daily with no idea of their etymology.

One fun thing to do is to try to create new words. My friend Walter uses the word “assortorate.” Sort and prioritize simultaneously. I use this as often as I can hope someday he will make the dictionary. Walter’s word is a good one and I do believe that a number of words have entered American English this way.

Here are eight of my favorite words with an interesting etymology:

• Doozie--something wonderful or out-of-the ordinary. Check out this 1931 Duesenberg and--there you go--that’s the origin of the word.

• Kowtow--to show deference. This comes from China and literally means “knock the head.” Apparently, the custom was to touch the ground with forehead while paying respects to an illustrious person.

• Buccaneer--a pirate. The etymology is a 17th century West Indian word meaning “he who cures flesh on the barbeque.” The word was transferred to Spanish pirates who cooked meat over open flame.

• Tempura--Japanese dish of deep-fried vegetables or seafood. However, I just learned that it is neither a native Japanese dish nor a Japanese word. The Japanese noticed that when the Portuguese arrived in Japan in the 17th century, the Portuguese ate fish at a certain time for several weeks. 

The Portuguese called what they were eating “tempura.” To the Portuguese this meant food allowed during LENT and had nothing to do with the food product. The Japanese concluded that “tempura” meant fish fried in a light batter.

• Yankee--you may already know this one as a nickname for New Englander--or sometimes for Americans in general. The etymology is not wholly determined. One theory is that it is derived from the Dutch word “Jan Kees,” which was a slur against those Dutch in New York. However, author James Fennimore Cooper reported that the Indian word for English was “Yengees.” Some Europeans continue to believe it is Scottish--“yankie”--a tavern word meaning dishonest person. Hmmmm?!

• Tycoon--a wealthy, powerful business person. The word is from the Japanese “taikun” used to designate the role of the shogun when he was addressing foreigners. When the “taikun” spoke he had even more influence than the emperor. A similar Chinese word “t’ai kiuen” translates as “great prince.” Aaah, somethings never change.

• Sabotage--to deliberately destroy or obstruct. During the French Revolution the peasants wore clumsy wooden shoes known as “sabots.” Creeping into the language over the years, “sabotage” became re-popularized in 1910 during the French railroad strikes when the workers would stick their sabots into the gears – literally obstructing the mechanism. Other unions picked up the idea to “sabotage” machinery in their plants to boost their requests for improved conditions and higher salaries.

• Fiasco--a humiliating failure. In Italian, the making of fine Venetian glass is an intricate and difficult process and must be perfect. If the piece is not perfect, it is turned into a common flask or bottle.

My compilation is another page long. If you like this blog topic please let me know and some other words will come your way!! For fun, look up the etymology of “trivial.” Three something?!? In the meantime, a whole list of homonyms is now scribbled down the side of the legal pad for a future blog. Are you smiling or rolling your eyes?

Glenne