@andrewcgrant.bsky.social
"Winning isn't everything": The only thing you need to know. "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing" is not the original version. It's a playful inversion of a stock phrase using a stock joke format. It's not very original at all. #linguistics #etymology #proverbs #quotes #educational
The misapplication of "what gets measured gets managed" is responsible for many ills in work culture. But no one knows where it comes from and no one wants to take credit. #linguistics #etymology #work #manager #corporatelife
Satisfaction didn't originally bring back the cat. And curiosity wasn't even the original killer. "Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back" started as "care killed the cat". It was even used by Shakespeare. #linguistics #etymology #proverbs #didyouknow #educational
The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse inverts the proverb Despite being claimed as the original version, "the second mouse gets the cheese" wasn't added to the saying until over 300 years later. #linguistics #etymology #proverbs #didyouknow #educational
Fools seldom differ on the original version of "Great minds think alike" The first part comes from a 1618 play but the "fools seldom differ" isn't evidenced until 1932, over 300 years later. #etymology #linguistics #proverbs #didyouknow #educational
A simple possessive makes all the difference. #grammar #friedchicken
Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it #joke #wordplay #dadjokes #pun #authenticity
"Tax" and "task" have a shared origin but differ by metathesis; the same mechanism that gave us "ask" and "ax". And I'm sure people will be equally upset about this as they are about that. Yep, I'm kicking this hornet's nest again. #linguistics #etymology #language #didyouknow #educational
"Penthouse" is a rags to riches story (and had nothing to do with "house") How a word for a humble shed came to mean an opulent palace in the sky. And how a misunderstanding added the word "house" when it wasn't there before. #linguistics #etymology #languagefacts #didyouknow #educational
The word "pattern" comes from "father". It makes sense in context. It's not just a metaphor, it's the actual etymology. "Pattern" and "patron" were the exact same word for 400 years, deriving from Latin "pater" ("father"). #linguistics #etymology #wordorigins #didyouknow #educational
@etymonline.bsky.social Your entry for "capitalism" says it's from "capital (n.1) + ism". The n.1 sense is "capital city". Shouldn't it be n.2's "wealth"? That's roughly the etymology given by @merriam-webster.com. Not trying to start a dictionary fight... Kind of trying to start a dictionary fight.
"Capitalism" has the same origin as "cabbages" How one Latin word gave us capital cities, chefs, cattle, guitar capos, and how it might make us all kaput. #etymology #linguistics #capitalism #didyouknow #educational
"Pencil" isn't related to "pen" (but it is related to "penis") "Pen" comes from the Latin for "feather" because they used to be feathers. "Pencil" comes from the Latin for "small brush", from "tail". #linguistics #etymology #wordorigins #didyouknow #educational
Not my favourite thing but the compensation is pretty good. #relationships #dating #work #homeoffice #meetings
This spicy etymology is 100% true and you can tell that because I have glasses and thus must be very smart. #joke #wordplay #linguisticsjoke #etymology #nottrue
"Pretty" compliments looks but it used to compliment brains. From Old English "prættig" meaning "cunning, skillful, astute", it now means "attractive". It's pretty interesting. #linguistics #etymology #English #didyouknow #learnontiktok
Don't be silly: how a word for "happy" came to mean "dumb" Old English "gesælig" meant happy, blessed, lucky. Between the 8th and 16th centuries it slid through pious, innocent, harmless, pitiable, and weak before landing on foolish #linguistics #etymology #English #didyouknow #educational
You're wrong about 'peruse'. But so are the pedants. It doesn't mean 'skim'. It doesn't mean 'read carefully'. And there was no clean flip between the two. It means both these things and more at the same time for over 400 years. #linguistics #etymology #English #didyouknow #educational
I found a workaround to upload last week's videos. It kind of interrupts this week's theme but what are you gonna do?
Hyperforeignism is how linguists say "you're trying too hard". Common English pronunciations of "coup de grace", "parmesan", and "forte" all attempt to apply foreign pronunciations rules even when they shouldn't. #linguistics #etymology #pronunciation #foreignlanguage #didyouknow
Why "colonel" gained an R and "February" lost one, spelling be damned. Dissimilation modifies similar sounds or deletes them entirely because our mouths don't like saying the same sound too close together. #linguistics #etymology #phonetics #pronunciation #educational
Why "bank" starts with a "bang" (and you never noticed) Your mouth is lazy, and that's good. Phonological assimilation is sounds bend to match their neighbours. It's also why "walked" ends in /t/, not /d/, and how we get "dontcha". #linguistics #pronunciation #language #phonetics #educational
"Ax" for "ask" was correct English for over 1000 years. Then it got stigmatized. It's not a mistake. It's metathesis, the same sound-swapping that gave us "bird" and "third". #linguistics #etymology #history #English #educational
"Prestige" is an illusion. Seriously. That's the #etymology For two centuries it meant "trick, illusion". Then "an illusion of authority". But, in a case of "fake it 'til you make it", is now "real authority". That's some sleight of hand. #linguistics #languagehistory #didyouknow #educational
"Bully" started as "sweetheart". Then it got nasty. Like an actual bully, the word "bully" started off respectable but slowly devolved. To "fine fellow", "braggart", and finally "ruffian". Some linguists don't even think it's the same kid. #linguistics #etymology #words #didyouknow #educational
Not all boomers, but almost always boomers. #boomer #comments #creatorproblems #racism #old
I have 2 videos ready to post but my uploads keep telling. Normally this resolves itself in an hour or so but it's been over a day. I'm not sure if it's a platform issue or my phone. I'll post when I'm able.
"Expresso", "miniscule", and "nucular" might be mistakes but they follow linguistic rules. Your brain isn't broken, it's just really good at pattern-matching. Sometimes too good. #linguistics #language #mispronunciation #etymology #educational
