've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications. I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of another acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.
Here's a little something I learned while writing A MADNESS SO DISCREET. I was working on a scene where a character needed to say something along the lines of, "Somebody call the cops!" Now, aside from the fact that they wren't calling anyone, I couldn't finish the sentence because I didn't know what policemen were called in Boston in the 1890s.
Were they police? Constables? Bobbies?
Ironically, I don't actually remember what the answer was, but I learned something cool while trying to find out.
The reason why we call police "cops" is because their badges were originally made out of copper - hence they were first called "coppers" which became shortened to "cops."
Fifteen minutes worth of research later, I was able to finish my one line of dialogue.
And I got a blog post out of it :)