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Intelligence is sexy.
Good morning, dear students, and welcome to my favorite class: philology, or the love of words.
For me, nothing is more seductive than a good word origin story. I can't get enough. I mean, have you ever wondered what the word "cocktail" has to do with drinks? Or whether "hussy" was always an insult? Or why Benedict got his very own egg recipe? These are the types of questions that keep me awake all night long.
Whether you've been a straight-A follower of my YouTube channel or this is your first adventure in philology, I think that soon you'll be just as hot for words as I am! Are you ready for class to begin?
Hot for Words
Chapter One
School
In the old days...the very old days...being able to go to "school" meant you had a lot of time on your hands.
That's because the word school comes from the Greek word schole, meaning "leisure." Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato used to gather groups of young men who weren't going to be distracted by mundane activities like working a job; they taught these young men, and called the gatherings "schole"...a name that carried the clear suggestion that these students could afford to spend their time doing something that most other people couldn't.
The name stuck, and later on, the Romans turned the Greek word that had come to mean "gathering of students" into schola, which in turn gave rise to English words like school, scholastic, and scholar. Nowadays, the idea that only cultured, leisured people should go to school has fallen out of favor ... one can only wish that school time were still considered leisurely!
When you use the word school in the phrase "school of fish," you're using a word with the same spelling, but a different lineage. That's because the word school in "school of fish" descends from a Dutch word that's akin to the Old English word scolu, meaning "gathering of people."
Hot for Words. Copyright © by Marina Orlova. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.The only bad thing about the book is some of the images. They look very unprofessional and sloppy. It looks like she took some of them herself.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.HeReads
Posted December 30, 2009
The manner in which Marina presents her subjects may be too sexy for some readers, but it does get your attention. Book is divided by subject areas and presented to be attractive and fun. Having fun with words is a great thing.
Martin
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I believe this book to be well prepared and well thought out, it's the kind of book you can read over again and again, and still find it enjoyable and entertaining.
I couldn't help to think of some words that should have been in the book that were not; words like, diploma, scholar, principle or even detention and hookie. I guess maybe perhaps she only chose the words that were most popular by request or something, but I sure as hell don't remember any orgy when I went to school. Maybe I just wasn't invited.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 16, 2012
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Overview
Intelligence is sexy.
Good morning, dear students, and welcome to my favorite class: philology, or the love of words.
For me, nothing is more seductive than a good word origin story. I can't get enough. I mean, have you ever wondered what the word "cocktail" has to do with drinks? Or whether "hussy" was always an insult? Or why Benedict got his very own egg recipe? These are the types of questions that keep me...