folk-etymological origin of ‘squirrel’ 21st Dec 2017.Reading time 5 minutes. Greek ‘skíouros’, ultimate origin of ‘squirrel’: folk-etymologically interpreted as meaning ‘shadow-tailed’ because when the animal sits erect, it raises its tail up against its back and over its head as if to shade itself Read More
origin of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ 27th Oct 2017.Reading time 4 minutes. first recorded in ‘Hudibras’ (1664), by Samuel Butler—from the first half of ‘Proverbs’, 13:24: “Whoever spares the rod hates their children.” Read More
origin of the phrase ‘(as) mad as a March hare’ 20th May 2017.Reading time 13 minutes. ‘(As) mad as a March hare’ refers to the fact that, in the breeding season, the hare is characterised by much leaping, boxing and chasing in circles. Read More