Here’s a game. Try and invent a plausible, but totally false etymology for a word or phrase. The real origin should have been addressed on a word-origin site such as Word origins or Word Of The Day
Like this:
Nerd: originally spelt nerred. A nerred is a geeky kid that all the cool kids go ner-ner-ner- at.
OK derives from yoga meditation, where you try to gain a sense of peace, or okay-ness. The word derives from the position of the hands, the thumb and forefinger form a ring or ‘O’ shape, while the other three fingers spread out forming a ‘K.’
hurricane: (n) 1. Indicating a tropical storm of massive proportions, with winds over gale forces. [Derived from Latin: “harris” meaning worried, or scared, and “canis” meaning dog, as Romans would note their horses would act up before earthquakes (using “equus” and “quacus”), and that dogs would frequently run inland from the seas days before massive storms in from the Mediterranean would make landfall]
Tripler
IIRC, the Etruscans invented horses and dogs, and so named them.
anaphylaxis (n): the state of severe systemic shock in a person’s body as a result of allergic reaction, often in response to ingesting higly-allergenic substances such as peanuts; named after George Washington Carver’s arch-nemesis Annie Phylachus who, during hand-to-hand combat with Carver after becoming jealous of his successes with peanut recipes, reached down his throat and throttled him from the inside.
September (n): The ninth month of the Gregorian calendar, originally named “Ember” after its surprisingly high number of uncomfortably hot days; since then it was renamed after the fact that all other months have really nifty holidays, except Ember.
So, does anyone have a fake origin for[ul]
[li]P’s & Q’s[/li][li]The real McCoy[/li][li]The whole nine yards[/li][*}Full Monty
[li]A rock and a hard place[/li][li]Brass Monkeys[/li][li]Kangaroo court[/li][/ul]
Be plausible, be original, don’t just copy existing myths.
I can’t let this thread die. It’s got too much potential. I COMMAND YOU TO LIVE!
flagellate (v.): to cause to become weak or fragile, usually by repeated blows or strikes; originally enfragillate.
rigamarole (v.): the act of establishing a change in the sense of morale, through artificial means; (n.) the state of mind after someone had rigged a morale.
Mind your Ps and Qs is a saying that stems from the Battle of Britain during World War II. While London was being pounded by German bombs, it was all Londoners could do to maintain their dignity and quiet pride. In keeping their infamous stiff upper lip, they strove to maintain daily routine during these times of strife.
Milkmen and paperboys scrambled over shattered building ruins to deliver their wares. Actors, actresses and other famous radio personalities bravely crooned and hawked into microphones to be heard over the din of the falling bombs. In public schools, now meeting in lonely towns far from the clash of armies, upperclassmen kept up their daily hazing of gawky Welsh newbies.
But above all else, Britons did what all good Britons do all day - they stood in queues. It didn’t matter whether the queue went anywhere; simply standing in one was a way for the common citizen to thumb their nose at Hitler. Soon, daily Peace Queue rallies were held, and competitions were held where contestants would bravely try to claim the record for longest time standing in a queue. Peace Queue fever gripped the nation after Queen Elizabeth stood in line for a stick of chewing gum in a pidgeon-festooned Trafalgar Square on a grim Wednesday afternoon.
It all came to a sad end on May 8, 1945, when Winston Churchill cowardly proclaimed the Allies’ victory over Germany, and ceased military aggression. The Peace Queue phenomenon, which did so much to bring people together in harmony, was the first casuality of this harsh new world. That is why, to this day, we celebrate May 8 as Peace Queue Day, as a reminder to everyone: “Mind the Peace, and the Queue.”
Later, an American newspaper editor abbreviated the phrase to “mind your Ps and Qs”, which really made no sense whatsoever, but at least it secured some extra space for a Macey’s ad for a womens’ undergarments sale at the bottom of the column.
The Spanish verb sonreir has several inflected forms, including sonreis. A Tijuana bartender invented a cocktail which he dubbed una tequila sonreis, or “tequila make you smile”, but the last word became corrupted by English-speaking imbibers, and the drink is now known as a tequila sunrise.
Lemonade: n. From the French: “The Monade” Le “The” and Monade “Stuff I just beat to a pulp.” It is a little-known fact that Napolean Bonaparte’s nickname in grammar school was lemonade.
baggage claim (n): a place in the airport where a traveler may pick up his or her luggage; so named because that’s where they claim your baggage will be found.
cuss (v.): short verbal epithets usually involving subjects of a profane nature; originated from interactions between customers and customer service personnel.
insurance (n.): a business transaction where a customer (see “cuss”, above) pays a premium to an insurer in exchange for monetary financial protection; so named because the process is designed to make one surly.
The Full Monty is a term that comes from the period immediately after the Second World War. After the war, Viscount Montgomery of Alamein had a reputation for coming uninvited to the homes of the rich, famous, and powerful, eating every bit of food in the house, and acting like an overall pain in the wazoo.
The term started out as being ironic, and evolved into its current meanings at the hands of people who didn’t know any better.
