Weird Words » american

Skullduggery

sarahscully — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:43:19 +0000

Skullduggery (spelled with either a “k” or “c” and/or two “l”s) comes from the Scottish word for adultry: “sculdudrie”. The word is used in modern parlance as a term for underhanded dealings or trickery, often political in nature. Ex. The skullduggery that was Watergate.

The word Skullduggery has been used to title various things from a 1970s Burt Reynolds film to the University of Adelaide orientation week, established in 1896.

Doozy (Doozie)

sarahscully — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:18:28 +0000

There is no definitive origin for the word “doozy” but there are at least three main theories, the oldest of which is that it is an adaptation of “daisy,” which was used in 18th century England as a synonym for something or someone of high caliber.

Example: “That horse is a real daisy. She’s well worth the price!”

Other etymological sources suggest it derives form the nickname for the Dusenberg, a luxury automobile introduced in the US in the 1920s.

A third possibility is that it come from the nickname given to Italian actress Eleanor Duse, who made headlines as beautiful and talented import to the New York theater world in the 1890s.

The definition has expanded in modern parlance from indicating something or someone superior to also including something that is extraordinary in its negative qualities.

Example: ”That test was a real doozy. I sure hope I passed.”

Gussied Up

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:06:42 +0000

This term is of an obscure / unknown origin, but is usually considered an American expression. However, the first recorded use of the word ‘gussy‘ in the Oxford English Dictionary comes from a British source, Morris Marple’s Public School Slang of 1940.

At the end of the 19th Century, both in Australia and in America, the term was used to denote a weak or effeminate person.

Or, the term could be associated with American tennis player “Gorgeous Gussie” Moran who is best remembered for appearing at Wimbledon in 1949 wearing frilly panties — which caused considerable interest and controversy.

Wowser

dave — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:07:48 +0000

‘Wowser’ is a delightful word with an interesting background, though its ultimate origin is unknown.

The word first appeared in print in 1899, in the Australian journal Truth, and was instantly popular in Australia. It rapidly spread to New Zealand, where it remains in use, and then eventually arrived in England, possibly brought by the Australian troops who served there during World War I.

The American writer and editor H. L. Mencken liked “wowser” and attempted to introduce it to the United States. He used the word frequently in American Mercury, the literary magazine he edited.

Despite Mencken’s efforts, however, the term never became particularly popular in American English; it is used occasionally, but it never truly caught on.

Smithereens

dave — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:37:29 +0000

Despite its American sound and its common use by the fiery cartoon character Yosemite Sam, ‘smithereens’ did not originate in American slang. Although no one is entirely positive about its precise origins, scholars think it is likely that ‘smithereens’ developed from the Irish Gaelic word ‘smidiriin,’ which means ‘little bits.’ That Irish word is believed to come from an even older term that means ‘fragment.’

On/Off the Wagon

dave — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:16:10 +0000

When the mob was running moonshine, it was required that the drivers not drink alcohol.

So, when one is On the wagon, one is not supposed to drink alcohol.

Lynch

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:50:09 +0000

Lynch law (lynching) is a term describing the rough-and-ready administration of justice by a mob in cases where the law is inadequate or dilatory (nowadays popularly meaning the execution of a supposed criminal). The term originates from the practice of Charles Lynch, a farmer in Virginia, USA who during the later part of the 18th century supported revolutionary principles in the district where he lived by catching ‘Tories’ and infamous people, whom he then hanged by their thumbs until they cried out ‘Liberty for All’.

Hello

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:42:16 +0000

The word was coined by Thomas Edison as a form of greeting to be used on the telephone.
Alexander Graham Bell’s suggestion was ‘Hoy Hoy’.
Thomas Edison’s suggestion caught on.

Gadget

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:21:34 +0000

After the completion of the Statue of Liberty, the city of New York had a large celebration.
The owner of the company that designed the statue of Liberty, Gaget, Gaultier & Co., decided to cash in on this occasion, and made small bronze replica of the statue to sell.
It was such a popular item, that everyone was asking, ‘So, do you have your Gadget?’ referring to the small bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty.

Doesn’t Have a Leg to Stand On

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:52:59 +0000

John Neil (1825) – Brother Jonathan
“As if the Yankee man were determined to leave the briggadier without a leg to stand upon, as a lawyer would say.”