Lessen means to diminish, to reduce, to make little. Lessen may be used as a transitive verb which is a verb that takes an object, or an intransitive verb which is a verb that does not take an object. Related words are lessens, lessened, lessening. Lessen comes from the Old English word læs meaning small, and the suffix -en which means to become, to cause to be. A lesson is a unit of instruction, something that a student must learn through formal instruction or experience. A lesson may also … [Read more...]
Whale, wail or wale
A whale is a large marine mammal, one of the larger cetacean mammals that has flippers, a streamlined body and a blowhole. Whale may also be used as an adjective to signify something outstanding or impressive. Whale is also used as a verb to mean to thrash soundly, to beat upon, or to go fishing for whales. The word whale is derived from the Old English word hwæl. A wail is a high-pitched cry of grief, anger or pain. Wail may be used as a noun or a verb, related words are wails, wailed, … [Read more...]
Pig Latin
Pig Latin is not a true language, it is a game in which the beginning consonant or consonant sound of each word is transferred to the end of the word, along with the the syllable -ay, as in igpay atinlay. If a word begins with a vowel sound, the word is rendered into Pig Latin by adding -yay to the end of the word. Invented language is a phenomenon that stretches across cultures. Pig Latin seems to have been invented by American children sometime in the 1800s, originally it was called Hog … [Read more...]
Anesthesia vs anaesthesia
Anesthesia is the total or partial loss of sensation, especially of pain, through the use of gas, injection or hypnosis before a medical procedure. Local anesthesia blocks pain while the patient is still conscious, general anesthesia blocks pain through the loss of consciousness. Anesthesia may also refer to the total or partial loss of sensation, especially pain, as a result of disease, or may be used metaphorically. Anesthesia is the preferred North American spelling. Anaesthesia is the … [Read more...]
Skid row vs skid road
Skid row is the seedy, run-down area of a city or town where indigents, alcoholics and other undesirables are found. Skid row is an American term that became popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The idiom skid row is actually a corruption of the phrase skid road, which refers to the greased road along which loggers dragged timber to the mills. The first skid road is reputed to have been in Seattle, Washington. These skid roads would have been areas where men gathered to look for … [Read more...]
Chorale, choral or corral
A chorale is a slow, dignified hymn that employs harmony. In the United States, a chorale is also a choir or chorus of people. Chorale comes from the German word Choral which means metrical hymn in Reformed church. Choral is the adjective form of chorale, meaning written for or sung by a chorale or group of singers. A corral is a fenced enclosure used to hold livestock, especially horses or cattle. Corral is also used as a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object, to mean to … [Read more...]
Doubting Thomas
A doubting Thomas is a person who refuses to believe something without tangible proof, a confirmed skeptic. The term doubting Thomas comes from the New Testament story concerning the apostle Thomas. When the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples Thomas was not present, he refused to believe their story of seeing the risen Jesus. Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Later, when the risen … [Read more...]
Wrench and spanner
Wrench is the North American term for a tool used to grip and adjust nuts and bolts. Wrench may also be used as a verb to mean to violently twist or pull, and as a noun to mean a violent twist or pull. Wrench comes from the Old English word wrenc, which means a twisting, a trick. Wrench is first used to refer to the tool in 1794. The plural of wrench is wrenches. Spanner is the British term for a tool used to grip and adjust nuts and bolts. Spanner comes from the late eighteenth century … [Read more...]
Interrobang and interabang
An interrobang is a punctuation mark that consists of an exclamation point and a question mark superimposed on top of one another. An interrobang is a non-standard punctuation mark meant to signify a sentence that is a question as well as an exclamation. The interrobang is the invention of Martin Speckter who owned an advertising agency. Speckter suggested adoption of the interrobang in 1962 to replace the use of the question mark in conjunction with the exclamation point in advertising copy. … [Read more...]
Big cheese
A big cheese is the head man or woman, the most important person of the group, the person who commands the most influence. This peculiar phrase invoking the word cheese probably stems from borrowing the Hindi word chiz from India. Chiz translates as thing. In nineteenth-century Britain, a slang term for something that was genuine or first-rate was referred to as the real thing. As British and Indian culture bumped against each other, the word chiz became a substitute for the word thing in the … [Read more...]