This very down-to-earth word has a very lofty origin .
The supreme Egyptian god, Amen or Amon was Ammon to the Greeks.
He was worshipped at the temple of Jupiter Ammon situated at a Libyan oasis.
The dung and urine of camels that came to drink at the oasis, was collected and sal ammoniacus or ‘salt of [more…]
This sweet little songbird owes its name to a large breed of dog!
Stories that the group of volcanic islands to the north of Africa were inhabited by large dogs, led the Romans to call these islands Canariae Insulae or dog islands.
Canary became used as an adjective to describe exports form the islands, such as [more…]
The alphabet was known as Christ-cross-row because the row of letters was preceded by a character resembling a Maltese cross.
When an illiterate person was required to sign his name he would print the Christ-cross as his mark.
Eventually the first syllable was reduced and the word crisscross entered our language meaning to cross with lines. [more…]
Have you ever thought to curry favour with your boss? Did you think it had something to do with inviting her to share a spicy Indian meal?
You might be surprised to know it has more to do with grooming a chestnut horse!
The expression comes from the less commonly known meaning of curry – ‘to [more…]
If you’re ‘dressed to the nines’ it doesn’t mean that you have nine layers of clothes on!
It actually means you are dressed very smartly or elaborately.
This phrase dates from the 18th century, and was already in use when Robert Burns used it in a poem in 1796, as ‘Twad please me to [more…]
When Albert married his first cousin, Queen Victoria, it was a match of true love.
Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel was the second son of Ernest, duke of Saxe-Coburg, and Louise, daughter of Duke Augustus of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg.
He was not initially popular with the people of Britain and was always in the background of public life. [more…]
A boy with a six-shooter in his hand – he wreaked havoc in the Wild West.
William McCarty, who took on the name William H. Bonney, and was also known as Kid Antrim, was one of the most notorious gunmen of the American South West.
Born in New York in 1859, he grew up in Silver [more…]
Did you know that the pneumatic tyre was invented by a veterinarian?
Scottish veterinarian, John Boyd Dunlop, began experimenting with an air-filled tube when it was recommended that his son take up cycling for exercise. The bumpy cobbled streets made cycling quite uncomfortable and Dunlop thought he would find a way to soften the ride.
He [more…]
Flaming red hair gave the Viking Eric Thorvaldson his well-known nickname.
Eric (or Erik) was a Norwegian-born mariner, who became the first European to explore Greenland, though it seems other Norsemen had been there before him. He named it Greenland to indicate that it was more visually appealing that Iceland.
Eric was escaping murder charges in [more…]
