Where Words Came From.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8, 24 August 1907, Page 33

Where Words Came From.

“ IDIOT. ’ The alteration in meaning of the word “idiot” is peculiar. Originally this word meant only a man in private life as distinguished from one who was concerned in public affairs. In time the word degenerated until it came to mean one who was defective in mental powers. “ BUMPER.” The word “ bumper,” meaning a drinking vessel, derived its origin from the Roman Catholic religion. It was the custom in England in ancient times to drink the health of the Pope after dinner in a full glass of wine. This was called “ au bon pere,” from which we have the contraction “ bumper.” “ BOOK.” The origin of the word “ book ” is perhaps known to few of us. Before paper came into use, our forefathers inscribed their letters on wood. The “ boc ” or “ beech,” a close-grained white wood, which was plentiful in Northern Europe, was used for this purpose, and hence our word “ book.” “ CHUM.” Our word “ chum, ” meaning a boon companion, is an extremely old one. It originated with two obscure schoolboys over two centuries ago. These youths were room follows at the same school, and finding the word roommate or chamber-fellow unwieldy when speaking of each other, they shortened it to “ chum.” “ FIASCO.” The phrase, “a complete fiasco.” originated with a German workman, who declared that he eonld blow glass as well as an expert glass worker. A friend laid a wager with him to the contrary, and when the test came off the would-be glass blower found that he could produce only a pear-shaped flask (fiasco). Nothing daunted, he tried again, but with the same result. The story of the workman became known, and hence the origin of the phrase which is used in designating a failure. DUNNING. No doubt a great many of us liavedunned people for various things, and perhaps some of us have been unfortunate enough to be dunned; but it is doubted if many know where the phrase originated. It has been said that it originally came from the French verb “ donnez.” This may be true, but the word probably came from Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of Lincoln, about the time of Henry VII. Dun was noted for his ability to extract money from debtors, so that his name became proverbial, and it got to be a custom to say, “ Why don’t you Dun him ? ” THE DOILY. There is an interesting bit of feudal history in connection with the table doily of everyday use. At one time the ancient Castle of Oxford and broad lands in its vicinity were granted by the King to the D’Oyly family, the obligation being to hold the castle in the name of the king against all-comers. As was the feudal usage, the head of the house was further required to render yearly to the King some small tribute as an act of formal homage, and in the case of the D’Oyly house it was a small tablecloth to be used by the King at dinner —- hence the present word, “ doily.” z “HURRAH.” The nistory of many a race may be read in its battle cry. The *’ Banzai ” of the Japanese, the “ Faghaghballab!” Of the Irish, and our own “Hurrah!” have founr their origin far back in history. Although many authorities have declared that the word “ hurrah ” is a development of the Jewish “Hosannah,” the consensus of opinion now is tnat it is a corruption of the ancient battle cr y of the wild Norsemen. “Tur aie! ” meaning “Thor aid us! ” Formerly the word was spelled “ Huzza ” and pronounced “ Hurray.” In one form or another is it used by almost every nation.

“SKEDADDLE.” The word “skedaddle” may trace its orgin from several languages. Probably it first came from the Greek, where a word similar in sound was used to describe the dispersion of a routed army. The Swedes have a word “skuddadahl,” and the Danes another, “skyededehl." both of which have the same significance. “DUNCE.” It is a strange fact that the word “dunce,” meaning a stupid person, comes from the. name of one of the most eminent scholars of his time. Duns Scottis. In the Reformation the works of the schoolmen fell into disfavour with the reformers, and Duns, who was the leader of the schoolmen, was often spoken of with scorn by the votaries of the new learning. As time went by the name of Duns became a byword for utter stupidity. "SCRAPE.” The word “scrape,” meaning a difficulty, derived its origin in a curious way. When deer roamed the forests they used to scrape up the earth with their fore feet, and thus leave a hole sometimes a foot or two deep. When wayfarers passed through the woods they were in danger of falling into these hollows and wrenching an ankle or twisting a thigh, and thus they were said to have got into a scrape. The. Cambridge students picked up the expression and 'applied it to any perplexing matters that brought a man morally into a fix. “FUDGE." The expression “Fudge!" which is heard so often nowadays, is not a new one. On the contrary, its origin dates back to the reign of Charles IL, when there was -a sea captain who was named Fudge. No matter how unsatisfactory his voyage, this nautical man always returned with an endless string of preposterous tales of great deeds and success. His propensity for falsifying became so well known that whenever anyone was heard telling a questionable exploit, it became the custom to cry, “Oh. you Fudge it!” “GROG.”’ The sailor’s grog or rum obtained its name in a curious way. The British Admiral, Vernon, was in the habit of pacing the quarter-deck of his ship in rough water, wrapped in a coat of grogani. It was due to this coat, which appeared to be a favourite of the Admiral’s, that he got the name of “Old Grog” from his sailors. Later, when Vernon was at the height of his career, he introduced the use of rum among the crews of his fleet. The use of this liquor soon became as popular as the Admiral himself, and in his honour was named “grog.” “NOT WORTH A TINKER’S ” Contrary to the general impression, the phrase, “not worth a tinker’s dam,” is one of innocent character. It originated in a device that tinkers have used from time immemorial wherever they desired to flood a portion of their work with solder. It is a circular wall of dough raised about the rim of a plate with a turn over edge, and serves to prevent the melted solder from escaping. The material from which such a wall or dam is made is worthless after Ivavt ing been used once. Upon this basis, naturally enough, the expression came to be employed to characterise anything that was of only temporary usefulness. HUMBUG. The word “humbug” owes its origin to a mint of worthless Irish coin. King James IL, had a lot of money made at the Dublin mint. Its intrinsic value was comparatively nothing, twenty shillings of it being worth only twojience sterling. William 111., after the battle of Boyne, ordered that the crown and halfcrown of this mint be taken as penny and halfpenny respectively. The soft mixture of metal out of which the coin was made was called by the Irish “Uim-bog” (pronounced “Oom bug"). Thus came the word “humbug.’’ meaning something with the appearance nf value, but in reality practically worthless.