Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length




May 16, 2024, 12:28:51 AM
Funfani.com - Spreading Fun All Over!INFORMATION CLUBInformative ZoneAwarenessThe Bizarre Origins of 14 Common Words
« previous next »
Pages: 1 2 [3]   Go Down
Print
Author Topic: The Bizarre Origins of 14 Common Words  (Read 2365 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
imran
FF Hero
*****

Karma: 6
Offline Offline

Posts: 35116
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2015, 01:24:43 AM »


Cantaloupe comes from the name “Cantalupo”, a papal estate in Italy where the first melons in Europe were grown. Cantalupo itself comes from the Latin words “Cantare” (to sing) and “Lupo” (wolf) – it’s assumed that the residents of Cantalupo would hear the howling of wolves regularly.
Report to moderator   Logged
imran
FF Hero
*****

Karma: 6
Offline Offline

Posts: 35116
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2015, 01:25:01 AM »


A “Sycophant” is a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage. Its origin is quite bizarre – it comes from the Greek “suko” (fig) and “phantes” (a person who shows or reveals something). In Ancient Greece, exporting figs was prohibited by law, and those who would report illegal exporters to the authorities were called “fig revealers”.
Report to moderator   Logged
Pages: 1 2 [3]   Go Up
Print
« previous next »

Jump to: