By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The question ‘what is a woman?’ has been widely discussed and debated in recent times, given the ongoing arguments – which have entered mainstream politics – surrounding gender and self-identification. But the question of where the word woman comes from is also of interest, since, as is so often the case with everyday words whose etymologies we take for granted, the origins of the term ‘woman’ contains several surprising details.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Where does the word ‘pandemonium’ come from? This word, which has come to have somewhat different meaning from its original use, has its origins in a classic work of English literature, where it has a very specific meaning. But what is that work of literature, and what was the word’s original meaning?
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
What is a ‘banana republic’, and where does the phrase come from? The origins of this phrase can be found in the work of a popular American writer, although his role in coining this phrase and giving it to the world is not as well-known as it should be.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The word ‘gaslighting’ has become an everyday term in the last few years, so a few words about its curious origins – and the precise meaning of the word – may be helpful (or, indeed, illuminating). The story of the word ‘gaslighting’ takes us into the world of 1940s cinema and, before that, early twentieth-century theatre. So let’s shed some light on that gaslight …
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The term ‘scapegoat’ is well-known: it refers to an innocent person who has to carry the blame for something on behalf of other people. But where does the term ‘scapegoat’ originate?
‘Scapegoating’ originates in the Bible, in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, which tells of how two goats would be ritually chosen, with one being killed as a sacrifice and the other being released into the wilderness.