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