# Adventures in Etymology **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794 "2010-08-01T15:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/1 "2010-08-01T15:12:03Z")
Not really a game, so I’m starting this in MPSIMS. The idea is to think of examples, or even make them up, where the components of words (prefixes, roots, suffixes, whatever) appear to relate to those components in other words. Having absolutely no clue about Greek, Latin, Sanskrit and other older languages will be a plus in this exercise. Forcing meanings and similarities where none exist will reveal your wit as exceptional. A few examples to start the ball rolling: Subtle = under the tle (since Submarine means Under the sea) Listless = having no list (shopping, Christmas, to-do, etc.) Brother = somebody who makes the broth Don’t hold back. Show us your skillz with wurds. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/2 "2010-08-01T15:18:10Z")
I like the idea that the Turks are the people of ballads, because Türküler means ‘ballads’ in Turkish. This turns out to be wrong but it would have been kind of awesome. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/3 "2010-08-01T15:19:49Z")
I’ll pass… I just know I’m going to go into family names… and eventually there’s going to come the question of the origin of “Dickinson”… and I’ll be yelled at. I hate it when that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/4 "2010-08-01T15:27:34Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > I’ll pass… I just know I’m going to go into family names… and eventually there’s going to come the question of the origin of “Dickinson”… and I’ll be yelled at. I hate it when that happens. A wonderful field to explore, for sure. Take Joiner for instance, what did that first Joiner join? Like what clubs were there for him or her? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/5 "2010-08-01T16:10:10Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > I’ll pass… I just know I’m going to go into family names… and eventually there’s going to come the question of the origin of “Dickinson”… and I’ll be yelled at. I hate it when that happens. Aren’t the Dickinson related to the Johnsons? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/6 "2010-08-01T16:38:37Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > A wonderful field to explore, for sure. Take Joiner for instance, what did that first Joiner join? Presumably wood, given that joiners are carpenters. Alas, your spurious etymology in this case is probably not so spurious. Amalgams = nice legs “A-” = inversion prefix, a variant of “an-” used before a consonant, as in “atonal” “mal” = “bad”, from French, “gams” = “legs” (archaic slang) (So it’s more precisely “not bad legs”.) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/7 "2010-08-01T16:46:40Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > > [@Zeldar](#): > > > > A wonderful field to explore, for sure. Take Joiner for instance, what did that first Joiner join? > > Presumably wood, given that joiners are carpenters. Alas, your spurious etymology in this case is probably not so spurious. > > Amalgams = nice legs > > “A-” = inversion prefix, a variant of “an-” used before a consonant, as in “atonal” > “mal” = “bad”, from French, > “gams” = “legs” (archaic slang) > > (So it’s more precisely “not bad legs”.) Excellent. So we can deduce that the Rockettes are an amalgamation? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/8 "2010-08-01T17:20:54Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Excellent. So we can deduce that the Rockettes are an amalgamation? Of course. By extension, “amalgamation” means “nice legs in motion”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/9 "2010-08-01T17:34:38Z")
Okay. I’m stuck trying to think of something that will abuse the relationship between: Interior Exterior Posterior Somehow, my brain locks up on Boston Terrier and the like. Help me over this hurdle, please. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/10 "2010-08-01T17:37:13Z")
The more daughters you have, the more occasions you have to dowry. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/11 "2010-08-01T17:39:57Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > I like the idea that the Turks are the people of ballads, because Türküler means ‘ballads’ in Turkish. This turns out to be wrong but it would have been kind of awesome. By the same token, what has “scotching” a wheel to prevent its rolling to do with hopscotch butterscotch and Scotch on the Rocks? ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/12 "2010-08-01T18:30:06Z")
Concrete - i never liked those Mediterranean islanders ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/13 "2010-08-01T18:47:23Z")
vindaloonycated: when a psychologist’s theory that spicy food causes personality disorder is proven correct. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/14 "2010-08-01T20:24:19Z")
lunatic – an involuntary twitch caused by exposure to moonlight imperfect – vast egotism, from the phrase, “I’m perfect.” ironic – made of iron ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/15 "2010-08-01T20:34:59Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > By the same token, what has “scotching” a wheel to prevent its rolling to do with > > hopscotch > butterscotch > and Scotch on the Rocks? Well see, it was originally done with Scotch tape. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/16 "2010-08-01T20:41:53Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > Well see, it was originally done with Scotch tape. 😉 Amazing! To this day I can’t help thinking that _phlebitis_ comes from sleeping with your dog. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/17 "2010-08-01T22:47:22Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > [@GHO57](#): > > > > I’ll pass… I just know I’m going to go into family names… and eventually there’s going to come the question of the origin of “Dickinson”… and I’ll be yelled at. I hate it when that happens. > > Aren’t the Dickinson related to the Johnsons? And the Petersons. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/18 "2010-08-01T22:49:18Z")
Synchronicity: When two metropolises are in the same time zone. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/19 "2010-08-02T00:21:42Z")
Could you call a male to female transsexual a postman? ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794/20 "2010-08-02T00:24:30Z")
Is chickpea dip on a fence posthumous? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-in-etymology/548794.md?page=2)