Shrapnel

Shrapnel is commonly the word given to pieces of a bullet, bomb or other explosives after they detonate.

The correct term for these pieces is "fragmentation"; "shards" or "splinters" can be used for non-preformed fragments. Though these pieces are often incorrectly referred to as "shrapnel", particularly by non-military media sources, you have no doubt heard the term used. 

Henry Shrapnel is not a person I admire. He spent decades devising ways to develop bombs and shells that caused the most damage when they exploded. The original "shrapnel shell" was named for Major General Henry Shrapnel of the British Royal Artillery. It predates the modern-day high-explosive shell and operates by an entirely different process. 

A shrapnel shell consists of a shell casing filled with steel or lead balls suspended in a resin matrix, with a small explosive charge at the base of the shell. When the projectile is fired, it travels a pre-set distance along a ballistic trajectory, then the fuse ignites a relatively weak secondary charge (often black powder or cordite) in the base of the shell. This charge fractures the matrix holding the balls in place and expels the nose of the shell to open a path for the balls, which are then propelled out of the front of the shell without rupturing the casing (which falls to earth relatively unharmed and can be retrieved and reused). These balls continue onward to the target, spreading out in a cone-shaped pattern at ground level, with most of their energy coming from the original velocity of the shell itself rather than the lesser force of the secondary charge that freed them from the shell. Since the cone of impact is relatively small, no more than 10 to 15 times the diameter of the shell, true shrapnel shells needed to be carefully sighted and judiciously used in order to maximize their impact on the enemy.

wikimedia.org, Public Domain, Link

Aspirin

Aspirin tablets with enteric coating to ease stomach irritation

Bayer is a German pharmaceutical company. Friedrich Bayer received a patent for Aspirin in 1899. It is probably the most ubiquitous of nonprescription drugs.

It has its roots (pun intended) in the bark of the willow tree. The quest to create a synthetic version was an international endeavor. 

Plants like willow and meadowsweet were used as pain remedies by Sumerians and Egyptians as early as 3000 BCE. The Greek physician Hippocrates reported giving willow-leaf tea to women in the throes of childbirth to help ease their labor pains. 

In 1783, an English clergyman named Edward Stone wrote a letter to the Royal Society. He explained that, over five years, he had had consistent success in relieving ague and fever in his parishioners by giving them dried white willow bark. In 1828, a German pharmacy professor isolated the active ingredient in willow bark and named the bitter yellow crystals “salicin,” after the Latin name for white willow — Salix alba. Extracting the salicin from plants was difficult, and required a large amount of plant matter to produce the necessary quantity, so scientists went to work on a synthetic version. 

A German chemist named Hermann Kolbe first synthesized salicylic acid in 1860. In 1895, a Bayer chemist named Felix Hoffmann was given the task of developing a “new and improved” synthetic salicylic acid product. He had a personal connection to the task. His father suffered from rheumatism but couldn’t take salicylic acid without vomiting because it irritated his stomach. Hoffmann studied the scientific literature and felt that combining an acetyl group with salicylic acid would yield a gentler product.

He came up with an effective synthetic version in 1897, and once it passed clinical trials, Bayer sought a patent for the brand name Aspirin.

The "A” for acetylsalicylic acid. The “-spir” for Spiraea ulmaria, or meadowsweet, which was a botanical source of salicylic acid. The "-in” because it was a common suffix for drugs at that time. 

By 1950, it was the best-selling pain reliever in the world.

a 1950s bottle and box

Why Is It April Fools' Day?

It is April first, but why is this April Fools' Day?

Go back to the 1500s in France when the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar) was replaced with the Gregorian calendar (introduced by Pope Gregory XIII and still used in most parts of the world) to find the story. 

In the old Julian calendar, the new year began on April 1, but with the new Gregorian calendar, the new year was set to begin on January 1. News did not travel as fast in the 1500s as today. (That might not be a completely bad thing!) Some people didn't get this news that the start of the New Year had changed to January 1. That is a big change and those poor uninformed souls kept celebrating it on April 1. They were mocked as "April fools."

Pranks and April Fools' jokes started about the same time, so these jokes are also about 500 years old. The more effective ones rely on people not paying attention to the day being April first and often come early in the day.

Some jokes are a lot bigger and from more reliable sources than the ones you play on family or at the office. For example, in 1980 the BBC announced that Big Ben’s clock face was being changed to digital, and the first person to get back to the network could win the clock hands. There was outrage - and a lot of people trying to win the clock's hands.

In 1992, National Public Radio ran a segment saying that Richard Nixon was running for president again. They used a convincing actor and some people believed it. More outrage. Of course, Nixon resigned in disgrace in 1974. 

Bauhaus. Bauhaus and Bauhaus

Composition 8 by Wassily Kandinsky / Guggenheim (Public domain)

BAUHAUS is a triple-play word for this site as it can be categorized here as the name of a band, the name of a style of graphic design, and a famous school of architecture. It has enough different usages to require a disambiguation page on Wikipedia.

Polyphony by Paul Klee 1932, Public Domain

The Bauhaus is a German artistic movement that lasted from 1919-1933. Its goal was to merge all artistic mediums into one unified approach. It combined an individual's artistry with mass production and function. 

Bauhaus design is often abstract, angular, and geometric, with little ornamentation. Bauhaus artists favored linear and geometrical forms, rather than floral or curvilinear shapes. There was a great interest in technology and Bauhaus workshops were used for developing prototypes of products for mass production. The artists embraced the new possibilities of modern technologies.

Bauhaus building in Dessau designed by Walter Gropius.
It was the longest-serving of the 3 Bauhaus locations (1925–1932)
  CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Now known as Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, this university located specializes in the artistic and technical fields. It was established in 1860 as the Great Ducal Saxon Art School, gained collegiate status in 1910 and in 1919 the school was renamed Bauhaus by its new director.

In 2019, the university celebrated the centenary of the founding of the Bauhaus, together with partners all over the world.

Bauhaus performing in 2006    CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Bauhaus is an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978 known for its "gothic rock" and dark image and gloomy sound which also incorporated some glam rock, psychedelia, and funk. Members include Daniel Ash (guitar, saxophone), Peter Murphy (vocals, occasional instruments), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass).

The band formed under the name Bauhaus 1919. The date was a reference to the first operating year of the German art school Bauhaus, but they shortened this name within a year of formation. 

 

lacrosse

UNC team playing Duke in lacrosse
2009 By Caroline Culler Link

Lacrosse is a sport played on a field between two opposing teams using sticks (crosses) and a ball, whereby one team defeats the other by achieving a higher score by scoring goals within the allotted time.

Lacrosse is based on games played by various Native American communities as early as 1100 AD.  By the 17th century, a version of lacrosse was well-established and was documented by Jesuit missionary priests in what is present-day Canada.

Ball Players by George Catlin, Public Domain, Link

The traditional aboriginal Canadian version was quite different from what we know today. Each team consisted of about 100 to 1,000 men on a field several miles/kilometers long. These games lasted from sunup to sundown for two to three days straight and were played as part of a ceremonial ritual, as a kind of symbolic warfare, or to give thanks to the Creator or Master.

"Lacrosse" is borrowed from the Canadian French la crosse (“the stick”).

Lacrosse has historically been played for the most part in Canada and the United States, with small but dedicated lacrosse communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Recently, however, lacrosse has begun to flourish at the international level, with teams being established around the world, particularly in Europe and East Asia.

2005 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship
 CC BY 2.0, Link

Leotard

Leotard - a close-fitting one-piece garment, made of a stretchy fabric, that covers a person's body from the shoulders to the top of the thighs - typically worn by dancers or people exercising indoors.

This is a word and a garment I not only associate with dancers, but also with an earlier time. I don't hear the word as much these days and perhaps that is a fashion thing or perhaps dance is not in my life much.

"Erika Fasana, 2010" by Alby.1412.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

The word sounds French, but in checking the origin I find that it is another example of an eponym. The garment is named after a French trapeze artist (not a dancer) named Jules Léotard (1839–70). 

The word and the garment as a fashion trend first appear in the early 20th century.

The leotard is still usually associated with girls and women participating in ballet and gymnastics.

Jules Léotard in the garment that bears his name - Link

Jules designed the one-piece garment so that there would be no loose clothing that could get in the way of his act or jeopardize his safety. His version was tight-fitting with long sleeves and it eventually came to be known by his name.

Leotards are now worn by acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, figure skaters, athletes, actors, wrestlers, and circus performers both as practice garments and performance costumes. 

sample leotard for ballet or gymnastics

They are often worn with ballet skirts on top and with tights or bike shorts as underwear. As a casual garment, a leotard can be worn with a belt, worn as a tight-fitting top with pants, overalls, or short skirts.

There are a plethora of leotards available for women and young girls for ballet, for gymnastics, and as "bodysuits" for everyday wear.

long-sleeved leotard

Mahjong

It should not surprise you that the game of mahjong originates in China. In Chinese, the game was originally called 麻雀 (pinyin: máquè)—meaning sparrow—which is still used in some languages in southern China. The assumed etymology is that the sound of the tiles during shuffling resembles the chattering of sparrows. 

A second origin possibility is that it is an evolution of an earlier card game called Madiao from which mahjong tiles were adopted. Most Mandarin-speaking Chinese now call the game 麻將 (májiàng).

Old Hong Kong mahjong is played with a standard set of 144 tiles. Alternatively, cards may be used - though there will be no chattering sparrow sounds.

Sets often include counters (to keep score), dice (to decide how to deal), and a marker to show who the dealer is and which round is being played. Some sets include racks to hold the tiles, especially if they are larger or smaller than standard tiles or have an odd shape. Mahjong sets originating from the United States, Japan or Southeast Asia will likely have extra tiles or specialized markings. The tiles are split into three categories: suited, honors, and bonus tiles.

standard mahjong tile set
link to larger image

gin, gin rummy, meld

My mom used to play gin rummy with me when I was a kid. I never questioned the name of the card game. Is it from the liquors gin and rum?

Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game variant of rummy. It has been popular as both a social and a gambling game, especially during the mid-twentieth century which is about when I was playing it.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Even the simplified explanation on Wikipedia is pretty complicated. The objective in gin rummy is to be the first to reach an agreed-upon score, usually 100 points.

Rummy is a group of matching-card games based on matching cards of the same rank or sequence and the same suit. The basic goal in any form of rummy is to build melds which can be either sets (three or four of a kind of the same rank) or runs (three or more sequential cards of the same suit) and either be first to go out or to amass more points than the opposition.

Several theories about the origin of the name "rummy" exist. One is that it refers to the British slang word rum, meaning odd, strange, or queer. That seem odd as an origin. Others say the origin lies in the game Rum Poker which makes more sense than it coming from the liquor of the same name.

"Gin" as a liquor is an abbreviation of geneva, an alteration of Dutch genever (“juniper”) from Old French genevre (modern French genièvre), and back to Vulgar Latin ieniperus, from Latin iūniperus (“juniper”). Gin gets its distinctive taste from juniper berries.

Gin rummy was first attested in 1941 and is more likely at least partly from Middle English gin, ginne (“cleverness, scheme, talent, device, machine”), from Old French gin, an aphetism of Old French engin (“engine”); and partly from Middle English grin, grine (“snare, trick, stratagem, deceit, temptation, noose, halter, instrument”), from Old English grin, gryn, giren, geren (“snare, gin, noose”). In all of those earlier words, the idea of game strategies and tricks are present.

In card games, a meld is a set of matching cards, typically three or more, that earn a player points and/or allow them to deplete their hand. The word meld is a blend of melt +‎ weld; alternatively, from English melled (“mingled; blended”). It was probably borrowed from Dutch or German melden (“to report, announce”).

Spooky Tooth

Spooky Tooth was a hard, bluesy and at times psychedelic English rock band whose main run was from 1967 to 1974, though they re-formed several times in later years.

Their name is very unusual but - spoiler alert - I have no origin story for it. Unless there is some hidden meaning, the most I could find was that it can refer to a literal tooth - one that is visibly dead or discolored, particularly when seen on an otherwise attractive woman or man.

Why a band would want to use that meaning as their name is inexplicable.

The band prior to this name had been called Art. They had one album, "Supernatural Fairy Tales." It was produced by Guy Stevens and released in 1967. Their final line-up was guitarist Luther Grosvenor, vocalist Mike Harrison, drummer Mike Kellie, and bassist Greg Ridley. When American Gary Wright joined the band on keyboards, Art became Spooky Tooth.

The Rolling Stone Record Guide in 1979, describes the band this way: "If ever there was a heavy band, Spooky Tooth had to be it. Featuring two vocalists prone to blues-wrenching extremes, and an instrumental attack comprising awesomely loud keyboards and guitars, Spooky Tooth came on like an overwhelming vat of premedicated goo." 

But the band never achieved real commercial success.

1969 photo by Magnussen CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

Their debut album, It's All About, was released in June 1968 on Island Records. It was produced by Jimmy Miller, who had worked with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, the Rolling Stones and Blind Faith. Their sound was somewhat unique as it utilized both an organ and a piano player.

Despite talented musicians and a good production team, the album did not sell well. That was also true of their follow-up, Spooky Two (1969). The albums and band performances were generally favorably reviewed but without good sales two would be the final release by the original lineup.

Two songs from that second LP received significant airplay -  "Evil Woman" and "Better by You, Better than Me."

Ridley left to join Humble Pie replaced by Andy Leigh for the experimental electronic music album Ceremony. It was a disaster and Wright left the band following the release of the album. Harrison, Grosvenor and Kellie remained and recorded The Last Puff in 1970 aided by members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band (guitarist Henry McCullough, keyboardist Chris Stainton and bassist Alan Spenner).

After this, the band goes through a number of lineup changes and disbanded in 1971 only to reform in 1972 with Harrison and Wright and released You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw in 1973. 

More band member changes and several albums happened but still without any major success. 

Grosvenor joined Mott the Hoople (using the name Ariel Bender) replacing Mick Ralphs who left to form Bad Company. Mick Jones went on to form Foreigner in 1976.

Wright began to develop an international solo career in the 1970s and had a big hit with "Dream Weaver."

Harrison, Grosvenor, Ridley and Kellie reunited as Spooky Tooth at points in 1997 and 1998, which resulted in an album, Cross Purpose.  Spooky Tooth with original members Mike Harrison and Gary Wright and new musicians reformed and toured in 2009.

Kellie died in 2017 and Harrison died in 2018. 

     

Idioms, phrases, expressions and sayings

I use the category label of "idioms and phrases" on this site, but I sometimes rather cavalierly call multiple-word phrases "sayings," "expressions," or just plain old "terms." Are they truly interchangeable? I decided to investigate this confusion. 

An IDIOM is defined as a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. "Raining cats and dogs" and "see the light" are examples. 

A PHRASE is defined as a group of words that works together in a sentence but does not contain a subject or a verb. Often phrases are used to describe people, things, or events. The English teacher in me notes that I used to have to teach these phrases in grammar units: Noun Phrase; Friday became a cool, wet afternoon. Verb Phrase; Mary might have been waiting outside for you. Gerund Phrase; Eating ice cream on a hot day can be a good way to cool off. Infinitive Phrase; She helped to build the roof. Prepositional Phrase; In the kitchen, you will find my mom.

But when I label something as a phrase on this website I don't mean those things. I am more likely talking about simple expressions, idiomatic expressions, and the "turn of phrase." Still, I find other websites that also lump idioms and phrases together.

There are plenty of these that don't need an explanation or origin story from me: "A hard nut to crack" meaning a person who is very difficult to deal with is obvious.

What label would you put on "A picture is worth a thousand words" or "Better late than never" or "Born with a silver spoon in mouth"? 

I can say that idiom comes from late 16th-century French idiome, or via late Latin from Greek idiōma oddly meaning "private property" from idiousthai  "to make one's own" which in turn comes from idios meaning own or private. Is suppose the idea was that these phrases began as some personal expression and then some became more widely used.

Okay, I suppose I keep using the idioms and phrases" category and also use the other terms.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They were known for their heavy, guitar-driven sound. They are often cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. 

Cover of their first album with an image of
probably the most famous zeppelin, the ill-fated Hindenberg.

When The Who’s drummer Keith Moon heard that London studio legends, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, were forming a new band with Robert Plant and John Bonham, he mockingly predicted that the project would go down “like a lead balloon.”The Who's bassist, John Entwistle, took it one step further, calling it a “lead zeppelin.” 

When those comments got to Jimmy Page and manager Peter Grant, they adopted the name. They had been considering calling the band The New Yardbirds. The Yardbirds was a popular 1960s British band that included a number of lineups during its time. When Eric Clapton left to join John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, he recommended Jimmy Page who was known as a prominent young session guitarist, to replace him. But Page was happy with his sessions work and recommended his friend Jeff Beck.

In 1966. Jimmy Page filled in on bass until rhythm guitarist Dreja could rehearse on the instrument and they toured with Page on bass, and Beck and Dreja on guitars. When Beck fell ill on tour, Page took over as lead guitarist and Dreja switched to bass. The Beck–Page lead guitar tandem created the avant-garde psychedelic rock single "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" which also has John Paul Jones on bass instead of Dreja.

The Yardbirds, 1966. From left: Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page,
Chris Dreja, Keith Relf and Jim McCarty    Link

After The Yardbirds disbanded, the first gigs by Page's new band included some Yardbirds' material such as "Train Kept a-Rollin'", "Dazed and Confused" and "For Your Love" and even some of Back's material such as "Shapes of Things." 

The Led Zeppelin spelling was done to push the correct pronunciation. 

Plant and Page performing in Chicago Stadium. 1977, during their last
North American tour          Photo: Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Led Zeppelin is one of the best-selling music artists of all time; their total record sales are estimated to be between 200 to 300 million units worldwide. They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums and six number-one albums on the US Billboard 200, with five of their albums certified Diamond in the US. 

Rolling Stone magazine described them as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the Seventies", and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museum's biography of the band states that they were "as influential" during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s.

 

panegyric

I like to learn something new when I'm reading. In a poem, that might be a new word. Such was the case in reading a poem titled A Short Panegyric. I never heard of a panegyric.  

It is a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something. In the poem, it is in praise of meat.

The word comes from early 17th century French panégyrique, via Latin from Greek panēgurikos ‘of public assembly’, from pan ‘all’ + aguris ‘agora, assembly’.

That prose poem in praise of returning to meat-eating after an absence is:

Now that the vegetarian nightmare is over and we are back to

our diet of meat and deep in the sway of our dark and beautiful

habits and able to speak with calm of having survived, let the

breeze of the future touch and retouch our large and hungering
bodies. Let us march to market to embrace the butcher and
put the year of the carrot, the month of the onion behind us,
let us worship the roast or the stew that takes its place once
again at the sacred center of the dining room table.

"A Short Panegyric" by Mark Strand, from Almost Invisible

Kemosabe and Tonto

Originally a radio drama, The Lone Ranger first aired in 1933 and ran through 1954. It featured the adventures of a mysterious masked man who traveled the West with his faithful Native American companion Tonto and his white horse Silver, righting wrongs.

It became a book series and then a very successful television series, which ran from 1949 to 1957.

Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger riding Silver and
Jay Silverheels as Tonto riding Scout, 1956

Kemosabe (Ke-mo sah-bee) is the term that was used by Tonto on the TV and radio programs in addressing his partner the Lone Ranger.

Native American writer Sherman Alexie, who is of Coeur D'Alene descent, has said that kemosabe means “idiot” in Apache. “They were calling each other 'idiot' all those years,” he told an interviewer in 1996, a few years after the publication of his story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.

It’s more complicated and there is no conclusive evidence as to its true definition or its roots. Series creator Fran Striker himself never explained it. Most people interpreted it to mean “faithful friend or trusty scout,” and this is the most common interpretation. The Yale Book of Quotations cites a boys’ camp in Mullet Lake, Mich., named Ke Mo Sah Bee, and on separate occasions, Striker’s son and daughter each suggested this might be where the show got it from. 

To further complicate matters, "tonto" is a Spanish word that means stupid, foolish; idiot, or fool. Tonto's tribal identification is ambiguous. On the radio series, he was reportedly described as a Potawatomi though that tribe did not live in the southwest, where the show is set.

In the most recent film adaptation of the series, Johnny Depp is still Tonto and still says things like, “Justice is what I seek, kemosabe.”