Tag: Turkish

meaning and origin of the phrase ‘caviar to the general’

.Reading time 3 minutes.

The phrase caviar to the general is used to denote a good thing unappreciated by the ignorant (here, the general refers to the multitude). It is from The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke (between 1599 and 1602), by the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616): (Quarto 2, 1604) – Hamlet:                     Come giue vs a tast of your quality, come […]

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etymological twins: ‘turban’ – ‘tulip’

.Reading time 6 minutes.

    The English words turban and tulip are doublets. Doublets (or etymological twins) are words in one given language that go back to the same etymological source but differ in form and meaning—cf. also lobster – locust, fawn – fetus, pastiche – pastis and clock – cloak.   The word turban is from tul(i)pant, […]

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