All Questions
Tagged with british-english etymology
176
questions
15
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3
answers
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Was "coven" used as a term for a group of witches in 1608 or was another term in use?
I am writing a screenplay set in England in the year 1608. In one sentence I used the word coven (a group of witches), but according to Etymonline this word started to be used from 1660, or 52 years ...
- 213
0
votes
0
answers
51
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The etymology of doctoring text [duplicate]
I was gutted today that I failed The Times crossword on one clue - "writings not considered genuine", which I've now come to know is "apocrypha". While trying to give a clue to ...
- 297
2
votes
1
answer
578
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What's up with the syntax of "more fool me"?
In UK English, the idiom "more fool me" means something like "and I'm a fool for doing so".
But how might you try to understand the underlying syntax? Is "fool" an ...
- 123
2
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3
answers
157
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Origin of "Indent" as in inventory or request
I have recently moved to an institution run by the British government where staff use the term "indent" as a noun to refer to an inventory exercise done to work out what they need to buy.
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6
votes
2
answers
312
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Origin of the word 'unagreed'?
What’s the origin of unagreed?
I can find the word in Collin's Dictionary, used in parliamentary publications, as well as in American news articles.
However it's lacking from Merriam-Webster and there'...
- 1,282
2
votes
1
answer
133
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Is 'gonna' anachronistic in Sweeney Todd?
In one song the boy sings "nothing's gonna harm you". This struck me as odd because I was under the impression that "gonna" was a primarily American slang that was adopted by the ...
3
votes
2
answers
429
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Etymology of the word "erre" in English
I'm currently working on Bible translations and have stumbled accross the word "erre" in James (1: 2-18) of the King James Bible.
To be more specific in verse 16:
Doe not erre, my beloued ...
16
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4
answers
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Where does the word stoothing come from? Is it used in any other contexts apart from "stoothing wall"?
My father uses the expression "stoothing wall" to refer to a stud or internal wall. What is the origin of the word "stoothing" ? Is it ever used in any contexts other than "...
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26
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6
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Did Peter Piper steal a peck of American pickled peppers?
In the children's renowned tongue twister, which was first published in London 1813, we learn
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter ...
- 91.9k
1
vote
1
answer
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What is the origin of the British phrase "Rough as houses"?
I'm preempting the usual comments by saying: If you're not British, you probably won't have heard it before.
But it is a fairly well known phrase in BrE.
For instance, in this book:
Unfortunately, it ...
- 1,282
0
votes
1
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293
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What is the origin of the meaning of 'counter' to express the surface on which goods or money is counted? [closed]
The OED does not appear to list the meaning of the noun 'counter' which conveys the concept of a flat surface over which goods or money is counted, except that it lists the verb 'to counter' as having ...
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0
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2
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409
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Etymology of "brave", meaning insane
I was reviewing the hilarious and terrifying British English to other translation guide
and I would be fascinated to know something.
How has the use of brave in "That's a very brave proposal"...
- 139
10
votes
3
answers
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How did "muggins" come into use?
In an episode of "Yes Minister", the Rt. Hon. James Hacker is appointed to be "Transportation Supremo" - in charge of devising an integrated transport policy. His permanent ...
- 3,474
0
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0
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215
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Dialect differences between "should", "ought", and "ought to"
As I travel around England, Southern Wales, and Southern Scotland, I hear the rural and working-class people in some areas use "should" (and never "ought"), in other areas "...
- 11
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0
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318
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Why does ou change to o when adding the suffix -ous in words such as ‘humorous’?
Background
I realised today that humour when made an adjective by adding the suffix -ous, loses its -ou- spelling to -o-. There are some other words which have a change in spelling, such as miracle → ...
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