Etymologems

During the reign of Queen Anne of England (1702-1714) and the reign of Louis XIV of France (1643-1715), according to etymologist C.E. Funk, Jr., it was fashionable to don wigs at court. This fashion evolved so that the size and type of wig worn provided an indication of the importance of the wearer, i.e., the more important the person, the more impressive the wig. Wigs eventually lost favor, but were worn by judges in the British courts until autumn 2008 when they were no longer required. The bigwig idiom persists today connoting “an important and influential person, especially a party leader.” The popular expression, biggie is the contemporary version of bigwig. Today one can be a bigwig regardless of the quantity of his tresses, or, indeed, even lack thereof. While not everyone can be a bigwig, he can if necessary, still buy one! Hoodwink and pull the wool over one’s eyes, “deceive,” both have the sense of pulling a wig over someone’s eyes in order to blind and rob him (1839). You might say that in 2008 British judges figuratively flipped their wigs, a metaphor meaning “to lose control; rage hysterically.” In this case it only meant that the wig was no longer compulsory.

In the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city of Boston began banning literary and theatrical works that were thought to be obscene. Later, motion pictures were also banned resulting from the Comstock Law which was enforced by the Boston Watch and Ward Society (BWWS) started in 1878. Censorship was inspired by the Puritanical origins of the region as well as the ultra Christian Catholics who immigrated in the 1840’s from Ireland, forced by the Great Irish Famine. Creative works that did not meet the approval of BWWS were banned (1918-1957). In the early 1970’s the BWWS changed its name and direction as it went after crime. The people of Boston finally discovered what was really important: a low crime rate; World Series Championships for “Boston Red Sox” (2004/2007); and Super Bowl championships (2002/2004/2005) for the “Boston Patriots”.

Animal metaphors hold a certain fascination for this etymologist team. In most instances, their meanings are revealed by observing the behavior of animals. In order to grasp the badger metaphor, however, one must first understand the ancient and cruel sport of badger baiting. In this game, “a badger is placed in a pit inside an arena into which dogs are released. Betting was based on how many dogs were killed by the badger.” Badger, “is any burrowing carnivorous mammal of the Mustelidae family; a metaphor meaning to harass or pester.” Another game that can be injurious to its victims is the badger game, “a method of extortion in which a woman entices her prey into a sexually compromising situation, whereupon an accomplice appears and demands payment for keeping the situation quiet.” For many years it was assumed that the badger game was derived from badger baiting. But a new theory has been advanced that suggests that the badger in this case is derived from the Romany (Gypsy) word, bajour, meaning “a wad of money.” Gypsy women, according to this theory, were prized for their ability to extract a bajour from their victims through a variety of illegal schemes, including sexual entrapment. Such a woman was called a bajour woman. The inference here is that the word bajour was mistaken by the English to be a badger.

Steve Miller’s Band released an album entitled “Abracadabra” in 1952. One of the songs on this platinum work included these lyrics: “Abra abra cadabra I want to reach up and grab ya” We hope this etymologem “grabs ya.” The first appearance of abracadabra was from a 2nd century AD book by Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, a physician to Caracalla, a Roman emperor (188-217). Sammonicus a book prescribed an amulet, also known as an abraxaz or abraxas, with abracadabra written in triangular form. See below: ABRACADABRA ABRACADABR ABRACADAB ABRACADA ABRACAD ABRACA ABRAC ABRA ABR AB A While the abracadabra abraxaz was wishfully used to cure diseases, especially malaria, today it is limited to incantations by magicians. Abraxas was considered to be the Supreme God by the Basilides sect of Gnostic Christians in the Mediterranean region during the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The following origins have been suggested by several sources: • Hebrew- etymologist John Ciardi suggests that abracadabra is derived from these Hebrew words: Ab, “the father,” Ben, “the son,” and Acadsh, “the holy spirit.” • Gnostics- based it on Abraxas, The Supreme God. • Aramaic- avra kehdabra, “I will create.” The only thing abracadabra will cure, is perhaps, your etymological curiosity.

In a George Carlin (1937-2008) television comedy special, the comedian said, “Without further ado.” He stopped a moment and then added, “Don’t you hate it when people say, ‘without further ado’ when there has been no previous ado?” It is a very good and often used line and one that we, too, have used on occasion, but what does ado mean? Without further ado (there we go again), here is the result of our research. We found it in the Oxford English Dictionary. Ado is a shortened version of a northern English dialect phrase, to do, for example, “we have nothing ado (to do) with them.” Ado had, and still has, the sense of “bustle, fuss or trouble.” William Shakespeare used it in the title of his comedy- Much Ado about Nothing (1598-1599). His use of ado is the reason why this archaic word is still in use. Ado is not to be confused with the French farewell word adieu which literally means “I commend you to God.” There you have much ado about ado as we can offer you. We hope it has not been “much ado about nothing.” Adieu