“ad fontes!”
1945—originally referred to anti-fascist committees in Germany at the end of, and immediately after, World War II—from German ‘Antifa’, shortened from ‘Antifaschismus’ (i.e., anti-fascism) and from ‘antifaschistisch’ (i.e., anti-fascist)
Read Moreit is snowing—UK, 1842—snowflakes are likened to white feathers—goose-plucking seems to have been associated with old women
Read MoreUK, 1774—just printed, newly published; hence: novel, exciting, sensational—since the 16th century, ‘hot’ has been used to mean: (of news or information): arriving soon after the event; hence: novel, exciting, sensational
Read Moredo not to discard winter clothes too soon—Britain, 1668—‘clout’: any piece of clothing—the original reference is to the end of the month of May and not to the appearance of spring blossom
Read MoreBritish naval slang, 1915—used of something gratis—perhaps an adaptation of the slang phrase ‘to drink at Freeman’s Quay’, meaning: to drink at another’s expense—‘Harry’ may be an intensifier
Read Morea cold, windy, unpleasant weather—UK, 1848—refers to Liverpool, a port-city in Merseyside, historically in Lancashire, a county of northwestern England, on the Irish Sea
Read Morewrong in the head, crazy—British slang, 1882-83—the noun ‘crumpet’ designates the head, and the adjective ‘barmy’ means: crazy
Read MoreLiverpool, England, 1966—an alley-cat—‘jigger’: a narrow passageway between the backs of urban terrace-houses
Read MoreBritish, dialectal, 1828: the break of day, i.e., the dawn chorus, with humorous allusion to a small passerine breaking wind—later also: an insignificant person or thing
Read Moreof a vessel: to advance steadily under a favourable wind, without having to change tack or sail—UK, 1807, in reference to the voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to the remote South-Atlantic island of St. Helena
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word histories 