From 'A' to 'ampersand', English is a wonderfully curious language

Forget selfies, belfies and twerking – practically every word in the English language has its own remarkable storyThis A to Z of word origins, adapted from Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons by Paul Anthony Jones, collects together 26 unusual etymologies – beginning with the last letter of the alphabet.ampersandUntil as recently as the early 1900s, "&" was considered a letter of the alphabet and listed after Z in 27th position. To avoid confusion with the word "and", anyone reciting the alphabet would add "per se" ("by itself") to its name, so that the alphabet ended "X, Y, Z and per se &". This final "and per se and" eventually ran together, and the "ampersand" was born.bunkumProving that political long-windedness is nothing new, "bunkum" derives from Carolina's Buncombe County. The local congressman, Felix Walker, gave such a lengthy and unnecessary speech to Congress in 1820 that its name became a byword for any tediously nonsensical rubbish.croupierA croupier was originally merely a gambler's associate, whose job it was to back his companion's wagers and give extra cash and advice during play. In the sense of "one who sits behind another" it is derived from croupe, an old French word for the hindquarters of a horse.dismantleAdapted into English from French in the 1500s, "dismantle" literally means "to remove a mantle" – in other words, to take off a cloak.explodeThe word "explode" is derived from the same Latin root as applause, and when it first appeared in the 17t...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: theguardian.com Language Features Education Languages Source Type: news