Wednesday WOLF - Knock on Wood

I'm a nerd. I'm in fact such a big nerd that I tend to look up word origins in my spare time because I'm fascinated by our language. The odder the origin, the better. I'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.

In any case, I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of the new 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.

Ever knock on wood? It's getting harder and harder to do these days, as most furniture doesn't have a bit of tree in it. Fortunately for me I've got an old house so full of trees I'm able to get crazy and knock on wood with my head, if I feel it's appropriate.

But why do we do that? What's the origin of that phrase and action?

Many ancient cultures believed in nature spirits, and most agree that tree spirits are the bomb. Even Germans (and hey, we're kind of a dark people - ever read the REAL Cinderella?) have a kind tree spirit - the Waldgeist. In moments of fear or trepidation, people would knock on trees to wake up the good spirits for protection or good luck.

So now you know. Next time you're feeling beset, hit the beech.

Wednesday WOLF - Wearing Your Heart On Your Sleeve

I'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.

So, it's Valentine's Day. Hooray.

Here's a little etymology for romantic souls. The phrase wear your heart on your sleeve commonly means someone who shows their affection for others openly, without shame or caginess. This likely comes from a tradition in the Middle Ages at jousting tournaments for knights to wear a ribbon, or color, on their sleeves to signify in which lady's name they were fighting.

But if you think about someone actually having an internal organ on their outsides, it's kind of a turn off.

Wednesday WOLF - Jump the Gun

I'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.

Jump the gun is a phrase I use often, partly because of my environment, and partly because I'm always in a hurry and slightly spastic. But where does it come from?

After I looked it up I was kind of ashamed that I didn't figure it out on my own. Jump the gun, not surprisingly, comes from track and field events where the participants leave the starting line before the official has fired the gun to being the race.