A fun and informative guide to the how and why of proper names and their haphazard entry into common English language by the author of the bestselling Amo, Amas, Amat and More.
Mining the English language to turn up a colorful cast of characters, Eugene Ehrlich finds the historic and literary figures who have given their names to the English language in the interest of keeping it vibrant and their names alive. In What's in a Name? Ehrlich traces the history of eponymous words and their progenitors, illuminating the legacy of Louis Braille, inventor of the system of embossed printing for the blind; the verbal acrobatics of Baron Munchausen; the sadism of the Marquis de Sade; and much more. What's in a Name? will amuse and enlighten word buffs, history lovers, and trivia pursuers alike as Ehrlich, in his inimitable way, uncovers an exhaustive assemblage of characters who have left an indelible mark on the English language.
A fun and informative guide to the how and why of proper names and their haphazard entry into common English language by the author of the bestselling Amo, Amas, Amat and More.
Mining the English language to turn up a colorful cast of characters, Eugene Ehrlich finds the historic and literary figures who have given their names to the English language in the interest of keeping it vibrant and their names alive. In What's in a Name? Ehrlich traces the history of eponymous words and their progenitors, illuminating the legacy of Louis Braille, inventor of the system of embossed printing for the blind; the verbal acrobatics of Baron Munchausen; the sadism of the Marquis de Sade; and much more. What's in a Name? will amuse and enlighten word buffs, history lovers, and trivia pursuers alike as Ehrlich, in his inimitable way, uncovers an exhaustive assemblage of characters who have left an indelible mark on the English language.
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Overview
A fun and informative guide to the how and why of proper names and their haphazard entry into common English language by the author of the bestselling Amo, Amas, Amat and More.
Mining the English language to turn up a colorful cast of characters, Eugene Ehrlich finds the historic and literary figures who have given their names to the English language in the interest of keeping it vibrant and their names alive. In What's in a Name? Ehrlich traces the history of eponymous words and their progenitors, illuminating the legacy of Louis Braille, inventor of the system of embossed printing for the blind; the verbal acrobatics of Baron Munchausen; the sadism of the Marquis de Sade; and much more. What's in a Name? will amuse and enlighten word buffs, history lovers, and trivia pursuers alike as Ehrlich, in his inimitable way, uncovers an exhaustive assemblage of characters who have left an indelible mark on the English language.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781466863200 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Holt, Henry & Company, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 01/28/2014 |
| Sold by: | Macmillan |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| File size: | 465 KB |
About the Author
Eugene Ehrlich is the coeditor of The Oxford American Dictionary and the author of What's in a Name?, Les Bon Mots and You've Got Ketchup on Your Muumuu. He lives in New York.
Eugene Ehrlich is the author and editor of many reference books on language, including The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate, What's in a Name?, Les Bon Mots, You've Got Ketchup on Your Muumuu and the classic Amo, Amas, Amat, and More. He lives in Mamaroneck, New York.
Read an Excerpt
What's in a Name?
How Proper Names Became Everyday Words
By Eugene Ehrlich
Henry Holt and Company
Copyright © 1999 Eugene EhrlichAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4668-6320-0
CHAPTER 1
A
Aaron's rod Any of various long-stemmed flowering plants, for example, goldenrod and mullein. In a biblical context, a miraculous rod that blossomed and bore almonds over a single night.
As one might expect, the Aaron of Aaron's miraculous rod was the brother of Moses and assisted him in leading the children of Israel through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. The Book of Numbers relates the role played by Aaron's rod in quenching hostility shown by dissident Israelites toward the leadership of Moses in the wilderness.
But on to the story related in Numbers. In the interest of unifying support for Moses, the Lord ordered that twelve rods be cut, one for each of the Israelite families, and that the name of each of the twelve assembled princes of the families be written on them. "And it shall come to pass that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you."
Moses laid all twelve rods in a row "in the tent of the testimony" and on the next day he went into the tent. "Behold, the rod of Aaron ... was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods ... unto all the children of Israel." The demonstration of Aaron's rod had its desired effect on the dissidents, and the murmurings ceased.
In Exodus we encounter another Aaron's rod, also miraculous. The venue this time is Egypt, and the situation also calls for a display of the strength of the Lord. When Moses and Aaron have to respond to Pharaoh's demand for a miraculous demonstration, they are told that Aaron must take his rod and "cast it down before the Pharaoh and before his servants." And what happens next? The rod is transformed into a serpent.
Pharaoh thereupon called his wise men and sorcerers together and told them to match Aaron's feat. Sure enough, all the sorcerers "cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents." But then "Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." The children of Israel were one step closer to gaining their freedom.
It is also worth mentioning that Aaron's serpent is sometimes used in English to denote something so powerful as to swallow up lesser competitors — for example, a predatory corporation always ready to gobble up weaker companies.
A lesson for gardeners: If you do not have a green thumb, discard your compost and your mulches, your fertilizers and your watering cans, and put your faith in the Lord.
Abbe condenser In optics a combination of two or three lenses having a large aperture and used as a light gatherer for a compound microscope. Such an optical condenser collects and concentrates light in a specified direction.
The Abbe condenser is named for the German physicist and industrialist Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), who was research director and partner in the famous optical works of Carl Zeiss and became owner of the firm on the death of Zeiss in 1888.
Abelian An adjective characterizing a mathematical structure for which operations are commutative — that is, able to be performed in any order. In an Abelian group, for example, a + b = b + a.
The term is named for the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrick Abel (1802–1829), who is known best for proving — when he was twenty-one years old — that a fifth-degree equation cannot be solved algebraically. For about two centuries previously, mathematicians had searched in vain for general methods for solving such equations.
Abel was more than able.
abigail A lady's maid.
The biblical Abigail, in 1 Samuel a woman "of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance," was the wife of a wealthy man. When Abigail's husband died not long after she first met David, David took her as a wife. And from then on, Abigail repeatedly referred to herself as David's handmaid, "a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." (This was before the emancipation of women.)
The word abigail came into English in the seventeenth century, when Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher in their play The Scornful Lady named one of the play's characters Abigail, characterizing her as a "waiting gentlewoman." The name was picked up by the novelists Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollett, and others. It has also been suggested that the political notoriety of one Abigail Hill, a royal favorite and lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne, did much to popularize the name Abigail.
Soon enough, abigail came into use with the meaning of "lady's maid," even giving rise to the awkward word abigailship to denote the condition of an abigail. As might be expected, this infelicitous word has been lost from English.
English changes too rapidly to keep useless words in its active file.
Abraham's bosom Heaven; the reward of the righteous.
Think of Abraham's bosom as the place where you, as one of the blessed dead, will eventually reside once your allotted time on earth has expired.
Abraham's bosom alludes to an ancient custom of permitting a dear friend to recline on one's bosom, as did John on the bosom of Jesus. And we read in Luke that when a beggar named Lazarus died, "he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom."
It is a comforting thought to dwell on while tuning out the droning of a less- than-accomplished eulogist at the next less-than-inspiring funeral oration you sit through.
according to Cocker In Britain, a phrase meaning correctly or exactly; especially, according to established rules. See also according to Gunter and according to Hoyle.
Edward Cocker (1631–1675) was a London engraver who also taught mathematics and penmanship, and was said to have been the author of the popular Cocker's Arithmetick. The book, published posthumously in 1678, became known for its accuracy and went through 112 editions. So, invoking Cocker's name to support one's interpretation of the rules of arithmetic became the equivalent of citing Scripture for the rules of morality and the like. Ironically, the editor and publisher of Cocker's Arithmetick subsequently exposed the work as an inaccurate forgery.
Even pure science isn't without human corruption.
according to Gunter A phrase once popular in the United States, meaning carefully and correctly done, implying unquestionable correctness.
Edmund Gunter (1581–1626) was an English mathematician and astronomer who is remembered for his contributions to trigonometry and, especially, for his inventions of measuring instruments. His reputation for reliability made according to Gunter the equivalent of according to Cocker (which see).
according to Hoyle A phrase meaning according to accepted rules; according to the highest authority.
Edmond Hoyle (1672–1769) was an English authority on card games, whose first publication was a treatise on the rules of whist. He went on to compile rules of other games as well, including backgammon and chess, and these rules were gathered in his Hoyle's Standard Games (1748).
To this day his name is invoked as the last word on the rules of any card game, and also more broadly on the rules governing all human behavior. Thus we may hear, "I'm not sure the special prosecutor did everything according to Hoyle."
Does any public official?
Achates A bosom pal; more formally, a faithful companion.
Achates, the chosen companion of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid, is characterized in Latin as fidus Achates, faithful Achates, a man of unswerving fidelity. And if Achates was good enough for Aeneas — said to have been the founder of the Roman nation — any Achates you meet should be treasured if you value true friendship.
And who doesn't?
Achillean. See Achilles heel.
Achilles heel Also given as Achilles' heel, any vulnerable spot in the character of an otherwise estimable person, nation, or other institution.
For example, one might say, "Excessive fondness for rich desserts has surely been my Achilles heel" or "Inadequate financing proved the Achilles heel of the struggling corporation."
Achilles was the great Greek warrior of the Trojan War, celebrated in Homer's Iliad. His father was Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, in Thessaly. The singular form of Myrmidons was taken into English as myrmidon (which see).
Achilles' mother was Thetis, a sea nymph and one of fifty daughters of Nereus. Because Nereus was a very old man — how could the father of fifty daughters be anything else? — he was called The Old Man of the Sea.
Incidentally, a character called The Old Man of the Sea appears in "Sinbad the Sailor," a tale told in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments (see also Aladdin's lamp). That pesky old man clung uninvited to Sinbad's shoulders, much to Sinbad's discomfort, who finally managed to get the old man drunk and do away with him.
Old Man of the Sea in time became an English phrase and is used to this day to mean a burden, actual or imagined, of which it is impossible to free oneself without extraordinary efforts. We all know such burdens.
But back to Achilles and ancient Greece. A post-Homeric legend related that Thetis, the mother of Achilles, held her infant son by the heel and dipped him in the waters of the river Styx to render his body invulnerable to injury. Thetis's hand unfortunately covered Achilles' heel during the immersion, and his heel went unprotected.
As Achilles matured, it became clear that the Stygian waters had accomplished what Thetis knew they would. Achilles was found to be protected against all the inevitable injuries of childhood and, in his maturity, proved able to emerge unscathed from his many battles.
Until one fateful day during his leadership of Greek forces in the siege of Troy. It was then that a Trojan prince named Paris let fly an arrow that found its way to Achilles. And where did the arrow strike the Greek warrior? In his unprotected heel, of course, thus inflicting a mortal wound and giving English Achilles heel, Achilles reflex (which see), and Achilles tendon (which see), as well as the rarely used adjective Achillean, taken to mean invulnerable and invincible in addition to meaning resembling Achilles.
For those who may not remember, Paris had earlier eloped with Helen of Troy, the beautiful but married daughter of Zeus. This illicit romance has been taken as the proximate cause of the Trojan War, so to no one's surprise the vengeful gods did their thing — Paris was himself soon struck by a poisoned arrow and died. (Talk about tit for tat!)
So love does not always conquer all, and we are left with two lessons for overprotective parents: Guard your little darlings against injury, but be forewarned that you will not always succeed, and think twice before allowing your daughter to run off on her own — to or with Paris.
Achilles reflex Also given as Achilles' reflex and sometimes known as ankle jerk, in humans a reflex extension of the foot, caused by contraction of the muscles of the calf following a sharp tap on the Achilles tendon (which see). (See also Babinski's reflex.)
Achilles tendon Also given as Achilles' tendon, the strong band of tissue in humans attaching the fleshy part of the heel with the calf muscles. (See Achilles heel and Babinski's reflex.)
Adam's apple Adam, everyone's ancestor, said by some to have lived in Paradise for only twelve hours before being cast out, gave his name to a prominent feature of the human male anatomy.
And why was he cast out of Paradise? He acted in defiance of an instruction not to eat a certain apple. But Adam did eat the apple, and you know the rest.
For our purposes, the most interesting part of the legend of Adam is that a piece of the apple stuck in his throat, giving us an apt name for the protuberance in the forefront of the throat that all men know to this day.
Breathes there a man or woman who knows a more succinct and technically correct name for what we all call Adam's apple, the projection of thyroid cartilage of the larynx? Write or call if you do.
Addisonian Since there have been two famous Addisons in English history, there are two separate meanings of the adjective Addisonian.
Writing is considered Addisonian if it is unusually clear and polished, with lengthy, well-balanced sentences. This characterization comes from the style of essays written by Joseph Addison (1672–1719) and Sir Richard Steele (1672–1729) for their gossipy and moral periodical the Spectator.
The other sense of Addisonian refers to the condition known as Addison's disease. Read on.
Addison's disease When the outer part of the adrenal glands — tiny caps on the kidneys — produces insufficient hormones, the condition known as Addison's disease may result. One possible reason for such insufficiency is underactivity of the pituitary.
The symptoms of Addison's disease include weakness, fatigue, brown spots on the skin, weight loss, low blood pressure, and gastrointestinal problems. Fortunately, if properly diagnosed, Addison's disease can be treated and its symptoms completely eliminated by a lifetime program of medications taken orally that restore hormone balance.
Named after Dr. Thomas Addison (1793–1860), an English physician. Basing his work primarily on observations made during autopsies, Addison recognized in 1849 that the symptoms he observed were connected to degeneration of the caps on the kidneys. The cause of the then fatal syndrome was unknown, since discovery of hormones was still more than half a century away.
Although Addison's disease is rare today, it is thought by some to have influenced events in American history, in that President John F. Kennedy suffered from the disease while he held office but kept his condition secret from the general public. Since his condition was diagnosed and treated, however, it should have had no effect on his energy or ability to make decisions.
But that doesn't stop conspiracy theorists from doing their thing.
Adlerian As a noun, an Adlerian is a disciple of Alfred Adler, a pioneering Austrian psychologist (1870–1937) and prominent member of the psychoanalytical group that formed around Sigmund Freud (see Freudian). Adler moved to the United States in 1932 to teach, and is remembered today primarily for opening the first child guidance clinic in Vienna, in 1921, and for his introduction of the well-known term inferiority complex.
As an adjective, Adlerian characterizes Adler and his teachings, especially his belief that behavior is determined by compensation for feelings of inferiority.
Admirable Crichton Any person distinguished by all-round talents, somewhat like a person we are apt to call — loosely, to be sure — a Renaissance man, but nothing at all like a down-market jack-of-all-trades. Also thought of today as signifying a perfect butler.
The original Admirable Crichton was James Crichton (1560–1585), a Scottish scholar, poet, linguist, and swordsman. Considered a prodigy and said to have been fluent in twelve languages, he was known as "the Admirable."
Crichton met an untimely death in a brawl with the son of the Mantuan duke whom he served. After Crichton's death, he was portrayed as the ideal man in a panegyric on the Scottish nation written by Thomas Urquhart (1611–1660) and entitled The Exquisite Jewel. We are indebted forever to Urquhart's fantastic account of the Admirable Crichton's exploits and the impetus it gave to Admirable Crichton as a splendid contribution to the English tongue.
But there is more to the literary history of Admirable Crichton. William Harrison Ainsworth (1805–1882), an English historical novelist, published his novel The Admirable Crichton in 1837, and J. M. Barrie (1860–1937), a Scottish novelist and playwright, staged his play The Admirable Crichton in 1902.
Barrie's play, still performed, is a social satire in which Crichton is a remarkably talented butler always ready with well-timed machinations that succeed in resolving all problems of the plot. (Not unlike the valet Jeeves, whom readers know in the novels of P. G. Wodehouse, 1881–1975.)
It is because of Barrie that modern readers think of an Admirable Crichton as a synonym for a jewel of a butler.
Adonis Any strikingly handsome young man.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from What's in a Name? by Eugene Ehrlich. Copyright © 1999 Eugene Ehrlich. Excerpted by permission of Henry Holt and Company.
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