Understand

Very nicely done!!

An excellant start to the weekend!

Does it mean to prepare a corpse for burial ?

or does it mean to take ones soul underground for eternal rest?

Take someone under, as in un

under ground that is

undertake— is to take control of or to take care of something with an understanding of how to care for it.maybe? any way, looking good as always.5 stars

Here’s a question for everyone.

Why do drugstores have the sign “Rx” what does Rx mean?

If no one can answer it, I hope we can do a lesson on it.

Hello Marina,
I was wondering if you could do the word “Sheriff”.

Keep the videos coming :razz:

Hi Marina,
Can you do the word, “raincheck”?

Like “The store did not have this product on shelves, so the manager did a raincheck.”

Undertake means to get into or take an interest in. Yes? No? Maybe? Am I even close?

whatever the meaning, can’t wait for our teacher to give the origin of the word!

heres a question
why do people say “touch wood” when they say something bad
for example “could you imagine if he died?, touch wood”

please investigate hotforwords i’ve always wanted to understand this expression :grin:

google:

Personalized Results 1 – 10 of about 508,000 for what does rx mean. (0.15 seconds)

Raincheck is a sports term. when a game is called on a count of rain, and you have a ticket to the game, you get a voucher for a free ticket

Hello my dear HotForWords. I love your videos. I’ve made several word requests and I hope you do one of mine one day. Love and peace.

How about the word gregarious

Ok. Now for the homework.

Under- , as explained in the lesson means among or between.

Take can mean to endure. Such as “I can’t take much more.”

Undertake means to start a task or commit to an obligation.

So what I can piece together is that undertake can be described as in the action of enduring, or doing.

Is that about right?

aLx.. I ask people to ask for lessons here in the comments… if everyone Googles everything then I will have no lessons to do!

I know.

but he said it was a question for everyone. ;)

i like to say good work :mrgreen: thanks fireduck01 :lol:

Hi there Marina!
Could you please do a class about ‘cellar door’? I’ve found many theories about its origin as ‘the most beautiful word(s) in the english language’, however most of these are said to be untrue. Perhaps you could clearify?

My neighbor sells drugs 24 hours a day, I’ll go ask him.

:arrow: where does the word shoplifting come from :?:

Undertake: to Take on under. Like a job. to help someone doing.

i wanna know where the word douche came from,im not trying to be mean,but i just wanna know where the word douche came from

He didn’t know, but if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy or obesity he has over the counter methamphetamines available! Let me know, I get a cut for recommending new customers.

Request to Revisit a previous Word:

“Three Sheets To The Wind”

I had always heard that this phrase dealt with windmills.

The old kind where fabric was draped onto one of the four wood-framed “sweeps”.

If only three of the four sheets were attached (on windy days they would not need all four to operate the mill inside) then the entire wooden structure of the windmill might wobble slightly – much like the walk of a drunken man.

Well – that’s what I’ve heard – what do you think?

p.s. I’ve just begun your courses and have enjoyed amazing my friends with the entertainng tidbits of information.

Keep up the great work. :smile:

Undertake such a journey without knowledge of the terrain, without indigenous guides, is sheer madness.

Marina, the conjunction undertake is similar to foreword. Fore is probably an archaic word joined with word.

Foreword \Fore”word`\, n.
A preface. –Furnvall.
[1913 Webster]

preface
n : a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
[syn: foreword, prolusion]
v : furnish with a preface or introduction; “She always precedes
her lectures with a joke”; “He prefaced his lecture with
a critical remark about the institution” [syn: precede,
premise, introduce]

Keep up the good work. I can’t wait for your next lesson, Marina.

Undertake such a journey without knowledge of the terrain, without indigenous guides, is sheer madness.

Marina, the conjunction undertake is similar to foreword. Fore is probably an archaic word joined with word.

Foreword \Fore”word`\, n.
A preface. –Furnvall.
[1913 Webster]

preface
n : a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
[syn: foreword, prolusion]
v : furnish with a preface or introduction; “Marina always precedes
her lectures with a joke”; “He prefaced his lecture with
a critical remark about the institution” [syn: precede,
premise, introduce]

Keep up the good work. I can’t wait for your next lesson, Marina.

All joking aside, meth will fuck up your life. Should have included this link in the above post. Each person I have known that has picked up meth has ended up rotting from the inside out. Now, how to return this to a happier content? Ah, a little drugstore ska should do the trick.

I think “Three sheets to the wind” is a nautical term. Sheets refer to sails, so having only three sails “to the wind” could cause a ship to move and sway unsteadily or “drunkenly”

Marina – Can you try the word “leather” for your next lesson?

Ooooh… an after-school special…

Oops. Undertake and foreword are not conjunctions of two words … but I suppose the idea of combining was conveyed to the less astute.

BRITISH IRONY WARNING: If confused, please refer to “Monty Python’s Quick Guide to Irony for Beginners” (1976) – $2.99, 8,678 pages – Amazon rating: 22,786,983…

Bad news, fellas… it seems Marina is very much in love with the talented comic actor Pauly Shore…

One crumb of comfort, however, this link dates from 2007, so it may no longer be the case… I thought she was saving herself for me! :cry:

I’ve checked every posting ever made on this website and, interestingly, 82% of the word requests for Marina double up as a weird sexual euphemism or simply have a sexual subtext… who’d a thunk it?

Hi My dearest Teacher.
Ok, since most of your students are males can you please tell us the origin of the phrase “Morning Wood” i kinda figured why it’s used but im not sure. Can you please let us know :grin:

Thanks You Mami,
i mean, Marina :cool:

hey teach,
whats up? I subscribe to playboy and they did a photography on hot women from russia. Well, i didnt see you in there. Ever think about poseing in Playboy? I would diffently say you would have fit the bill in those shots. peace

Who threw who away? Or, who is throwing who away? Or better yet, who has thrown who away?

I don’t get it …

…

Dittos.

Well, Marina I request you the word “alibi”, its an strange word for English language because its ends with “i” and not with “y” like other words in English, so i am waiting for your answer…

you really show your age if reference after school specials.

ha, I’m a fuckwit. You really show your age if you reference after school specials.

LOL!

I am like the kid in the back of the class that totally got away with what you got nailed for! :twisted:

So now I know to stop answering everyone’s questions for sure…

I’m fucking glad you don’t write marina’s dialogue. I had a professor like you in college, best afternoon naps I had that quarter.

I haven’t actually looked it up yet, but I like this guess!

I am always fascinated by the “homework”, since dictionary.com makes it more or less a no-brainer for us cheats. Hmmmm… I wonder if Marina knows the origin of “the Cheat”?

I have just done some very exact statistical shitting and with the number of posts, required figuring you wouldn’t be able to keep up with newly added comments in each lesson. Unless you have a team of trained monkeys to do your work and keep you happy. Or I’m bullshitting like you are.

to “touch wood” comes from “Knock on wood” and is a superstition that when you knock on wood after saying (“could you imagine if he died?, touch wood”) something like this is a way to prevent it from happening. as if merely thinking of something will make it happen. Only when thoughts are acted upon do things happen. But in the olden days when people had nothing more to fill their minds with, there were superstitions and the “Witches” of folklore. :twisted: Nowadays we have the internet. :???:

Marina, pozhaluysta obyasni v svoyih urokah chto takoe voyna “war”. Eto budet echen horoshiy urok potomuchto voyna eto vse plohoye, i otcuda poyavilos slovo?

Oh bloody hell, I forgot what I was going to enter here. What was the question?

Hey Marina so here’s my homework. it means “Undertake-to take upon oneself” but shouldn’t it mean “to take something under?” lol i don’t know guess you’ll have find the origin of that one too =-P
Anyways keep up the awesome work and have a great weekend alright.

Hi Marina, I’d like to request a saying. I’m wondering where the phrase “a coons age” came from. I have heard people say ” I havent seen them in a coons age.” Just wondering where that came from.

Where does the phrase, Nickel and dime to death come from? For example: That old car will nickel and dime you to death. :?:

Where does the phrase, bloody hell, come from? For example: Oh bloody hell, I forgot what I was going to do.

While, I’m at it, I have another word…. where does the work TRUCK come from? As in I have a Ford F150 Pickup Truck.

You rock dude! Wow.. blast from the past. Pauly was a fave of mine. He still has that sort of laid back class he did in the day too. That is so funny. Looks like the secret is out about her last name there, unfortunately. Or maybe she does not really care all that much…

Anyhow, dude. What a find!

I believe that undertake means to take on a new task.

Which reminds me, after this lesson I had a question. Why does undertaker have such a completely different definition than undertake?

I must have had a few too many AMP drinks, I have another phase…

Where does the phrase .. SHOT TO HELL come from? I’ve used it several times when I blew my engine racing. I’ve heard mechanic’s describe broken things as being “Shot To Hell”.

Two new innovations.

1. “Hot for Words must investigate.
2. Peace!

yo.

Undertake turns out to be harder than I thought even with the cheat sheet.. To take from among many choices? I mean, it means to commit to do something more or less, but how does that relate to among/between-take?????

Ungtastic.

Oh, and related to entrepreneur?

Strange that Shore went from dating porn stars to dating Marina… I don’t see the link…

Here is another one that I have contemplation for a while. I have several friends that smoke, and sometimes they ask another smoker “Can I have a light?” So how did they end up with that phrase? You set fire to wood in a fireplace. You set flames to a trash pile or structure, but you LIGHT a cigarette.

While I’m on a roll, I might as well keep at it. So where does “I’m on a roll” come from?

Undertake means “to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.”

“Undertake” is very old, and goes back to around the year 1200, “to entrap,” in the same sense as O.E. underniman (or Dutch ondernemen, and German unternehmen), of which it is a partial loan-translation, from under + take. See also French. entreprendre “to undertake,” from entre “between, among” + prendre “to take.” The under in this word may be the same one that also may form the first element of understand. Meaning “to accept” is attested from around 1250; that of “to take upon oneself, to accept the duty of” is from around1300. Undertaking “enterprise” is recorded from around 1425.

I want to say, Marina, that you looked fantastic in this video. I loved your outfit. Beautiful.

Also, I have a suggestion – can you add one of those links that allows one to email a page or your video, or a link to the video, to a list of recipients. Youtube allows one to do that with videos there. If you can, you should add that here so that when a word might be interesting to others, we can email them on. This would increase your exposure to new people too.

You rule.

I love you.

The man got out of his truck, and trucked down to the store to truck with with the owner over some trucks that he saw on a truck which the owner was wheeling around the facility. He said “I won’t buy this load of truck, and as such I will have no further truck with you.” He trucked back to his truck, and drove away.

Truck has many varied definitions, that seem incongruous. I second your suggestion that the lovely, Marina, with eyes full of the blue sky and skin akin to porcelain, investigate the word.

I’ll give you a nickels worth of free advice. It doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference. Dead men tell no tales.

What’s the difference between an orange?

Hi Marina, it would be great if you investigate the word

“naked”

Apart from that, you are doing great thing. I really enjoy your manner.
Bye me lovely professor.

:razz: awsome as always :razz: thanxs a great way to start my weekend is listening to u sweetheart noe go have fun this weekend :lol: KISSES

3 grapes und an avacado,,, geesh, I thought everone knew this. :roll:

My girlfriend calls mine, “Norwegian Wood.”

There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics. \

I always find that statistics are hard to follow and impossible to digest.The only one I can ever remember is that if all the people who go to sleep in church were laid end to end they would be a lot more comfortable. ~ Mrs. Robert A. Taft

Pauly Shore always struck me as gay-ish, and he is really annoying. Now I really hate him.

maybe i should have written. It would be great if you do the word naked.

but i didn´t want to be displeasing. Otherwise I think it is a lovely pun.

The other thing is: I really enjoy your wisdom. So take what you want.

The request is very similar, but the tone is different, and I like many

tones. So for the second time. Bye me lovely professor

Ouch… I’ve always wanted to do that….. like when you see posts asking, “I’ve always wondered what does the word ______ mean?” Errr… hello… http://www.dictionary.com.

New words, please:

PARKWAY
DRIVEWAY

And could you answer the age-old riddle: why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?

…and what the HELL is a BELTWAY?!

This has been irritating me for years. Please end my pain. Thank you.

Eternity is really long, especially near the end.
Woody Allen

Um yeah, we all have access to the internet. But I don’t see my google searches for Eva Longor-gious, come with any results where she sits down with a dictionary for a brain, titilating topics, a sense of humor. For that matter, when does dictionary.com make us want to raise our …hands, and a glass, to toast for amore lessons.

Well if understand means to be among the ones whom carry the meaning. To understand, comprehend, comply with meaning. Then undertake, well let us carry the same meaning of “under” to be amongst, correct? To take, it appears “take” carries a wide definition. What I derive from the word “take” is some type of active action in contrast to passive action. To undertake means to be take into action what is required of the group.

I feel like u got me talking in circles profesor.

- Suleiman

Marina…. no worries…..

Like me, 99 of your audience would rather hear and watch the origin from you, not search it. It’s more fun that way.

First of all.. that’s the LAST TIME I EVER EAT AT A RESTAURANT WHERE A CELEBRITY IS ALSO EATING!

Give me a break. I didn’t even know who Pauly Shore was.. I was waiting for my car when they filmed that thing and suddenly I’m dating him?

I only know who he is now because of all the people that say I am dating him.

I don’t know the guy and would never date him. Please! Give me a little more credit! :shock:

great show! you’re a very preekreesnya devotchka

how about the word…”ally”

I ate at a restaurant where Pamela Anderson was at, I guess we’re dating now…

Hi Marina, I was wondering if you could do a lesson on the word “new” ? How did the word “new” come in to the English? And was it new when the word “new” came to the English?
-Thanks lsimpa

Rastafarians didn’t think the word “understanding” made sense so they created their word “overstanding”. They just needed Hotforwords to explain it to them.

They also thought “oppression” ,which sounds like UPression, was another word that needed fixing.

Certainly, trying to change the language of their downpressers was a great overtaking.

I don’t know why but, my fav. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryTIEZcAep0&NR=1 Maruna’s debut @ 1:13 “the tags still take me too long”

Undertake means (to me) to dig deeper or go beneathe the layers into accomplishing a task or action or goal. My best undictionaried attempt. Thank you Hot for words.

Hello Marina, there is another word. I think I already know the origin, but I feel that this may serve your and others interest, too. So it´s

Douchebag.

As far as I know it was an object to wash vagina.

Douche is from France and means shower and bag is something to put something in. I read that a douche for vagina is water mixed something like vinegar.

Nowadays it is used too insult someone.
Am I right?

So bye my dear professor. Have a lovely day.

Any results from the contest yet? :?:

Request: What does the phrase “To the ‘T’” mean?

hello Marina after watching the godfather movies (again) i was wondering what the word consigilere means (please excuse spelling) and the origin of it was. Im guessing its an Italian word and was wondering about its origin and such. cheers daniel

That’s where the edit would be handy (fat finger pinched at work). “Marina’s debut @ 1:13″ is the published correction.
Thanks for the sent clip. nearly, 7 million views on the coldplay one.
You seem to be a caring chap. I wish you & family well & I think if I guess your taste in music, you may enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRtG2GcagkM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAfwiOxaRbk&feature=related

undertake == to take a responsibility… :smile:

thanks bad doggie!

Sorry I am not Marina, but i think I can tell you something about the word new.

New refers to Greek néos and Latin novus.
The verb novare what means renew or redecorate.

And probably nine and now also refer to the same origin.
If this this is true than the nine is the first new number, if you count
to eight (the new number in the third row , if you count to four in a row).
You only count to four cause you don´t count the thumbs.
I ´m sorry can´t tell you about the derivation to now, but i guess it was something like this. When is my house new. Now!

Have a nice time

dear teacher,

that was a nice lesson!

how about elucidating the origin of “salt of the earth”. i was always curious about that one.

many thanks,

your devoted student
fyshdoc

Whoa! Poor Pauly…

In my own defense, I did not know he had been dating porn stars, and did not mean anything like that. I just remember weeeeezing the juice and all that fun stuff.

:???: Sorry…

Be nice Buzz, stop monkeying around or you’ll get us in trouble with the teacher.
Can’t look at your gravatr pic without laughing.
Some students work a lot harder on their homework and thats good isn’t it .
Anyways I get some appropriatly timed email quotes sent to me.
Today’s
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.”
- Abraham Lincoln
Disclaimer:
Not intended to insult or to offend & this member takes full responsibility for harm caused by using qUote out of context.
Don’t blame parents, wife, kids or even Marina for allowig me to write in this big box.
There the quote applies to me now eh!
Actual context of quote was “When insults had class”
For the 82% guy:
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… for support rather than illumination.”
- Andrew Lang
My homewerk: use tags, ah it’s to late http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xpza2AWXjE&feature=related
Warning: wrestling fans were harmed in the making of this video.

Hallo, my dear teacher!

I think the word “undertake” is a verb which means to do something. For example, when you undertake a task or job, you start doing it and accept responsibility for doing it. I would like to Know more about the words misunderstanding and substance, so i think that you one day could do a lesson about this words.

Best regards

an answer to : Undertake

cause under refers to Inter and Among .
And Old engl. niman.

I suggest : to act in between and therefor to peg sth. to sth.

Starting business is maybe an adequate etymological translation.

Bye dear teacher

I can’t say how relieved I am to read that, Marina.
I was preparing to doubt your intelligence!

So, Eric, I have two questions:-
Is your girlfriend “hetforved”?
And
Are you “Eric the Ved”?

…and if the intestines of an average man were laid out in a straight line… he’d be dead…

You should go to Russia… there are so many hot women in Moscow alone, you would need several hundred thousand bound volumes of that renowned magazine to contain the pictures :razz:

Many of us didn’t know (or care) who Shore was either, Marina… I have to admit I’m also strangely relieved to read your response… you should find yourself a nice academic with elbow patches at UCLA or Harvard or somewhere… and you can prevent misinformation (and, indeed, disinformation) by revealing a few more details about yourself… an air of mystery is exciting but the guys on here seem to be genuinely decent people and maybe deserve a few more scraps from your table… (…and put a “Pauly Shore refutation” in you FAQ, perhaps?) :smile:

…you can’t be a little bit gay, or a little bit pregnant… :smile:

LIke moi?

Marina, I heard a young man yesterday use a term that my ears had not
listened to in many years.I think it became popular in the late 1960′s or early 70′s. The term was [Right On].Could you discuss the origin of this term in American slang sometime? Thanks for all your lessons!

Marked and noted, marina.

Bye.

dude, spice it up! I skipped the parts where your personal voice wasn’t apparent. I could look most of this shit up elsewhere, but it is people’s individual voices that make it interesting. If you prefer that style hit the caps lock half way through, yelling will startle me and keep my attention. ha. Hey, didn’t someone say heavens to mergatroid? Is that where your nick comes from?

Billy B,

Liked the lincoln quote, I’ll remember that one.

presumined,

Now you got a response you can stop reposting the comment and link.

dude, I fucking love iris dement. thanks for the link! and nancy griffith too. I got to listen to more of this prine guy. I appreciate your taste in music.

Hi Marina, on the T.V. I heard someone say “not on your nelly” meaning no chance of that happening, but where did this come from and who is Nelly anyway? I’d be chuffed to bits if you could find out for me. While I’m here “chuffed to bits” to mean happy. Hmmm? Thanks for all the lessons, keep them coming.

When I was dating Veronika both She and Her 3 Kids would say “fire” instead of “light”,,,”fire” the stove,,,”fire” the grill,etc. She fired the stove and made some very good Borsch. I fired the grill and cooked but it wasn’t as good as Her Borsch :!:

Dear HotForWords:

What about the word UNDERTAKER, as in a mortician? Oops!…….. I guess it must mean to “take them under the soil”?

What about UNDERWEAR? :wink:

Wayne.. maybe one uses one prefix and the other uses the other?

wtf.

alright, first off, my comment was not really a general one, telling everyone to google everything. it was “a question for everyone”, so I assumed that you ask a question like that if you’re not able to google it or something.

second, I didn’t explain shit. for all those smartasses: I did not write “I didn’t explain ‘shit’.”

third, I don’t think rx is gonna make for a lesson unless she explains the word … you know … the word that r stands for. it’s like asking, what does “LAX” stand for? :X

fourth, I don’t even know why the hell I’m explaining myself.

buzzword, twenty-three years later and not a peep from the Pope. Not a single Nicodemus in that crowd. It still hasn’t sunk in that some would never want their picture taken with the President of the United States, either. No way in hell.

Live and learn slowly, I suppose.

So it goes.

Bye.

in terms of smartass remarks I think it was succinct with an understated wit. The number of responses it generated is impressive for such a minor comment, indicating a degree of aggravation has been economically attained. aLx was able to accomplish this without using a single fucking expletive as well. Impressive, the post has proven its own worth. I’m jealous of the bastard.

Now, I would like to request the word “OK”.

How has it come to mean “affirmative”?

this is so fucking true. damn.

You have to subscribe to magazines or travel to Russia; I just go outside my house….

I have a Word Request, I guess purely because I want to see you pronounce it aloud and to see what kind of fun you can have with it :)

Osseocarnisanguineoviscericartilaginonervomedullary

Have Fun, if you ever get to this one I actually have a good word for you that isn’t soo complicated lol :)

Jonathan Daniels
http://www.shytech.com

Tee hee…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37069559@N00/2407984812/

Ya… makes you wonder why we ever had the Cold War… :neutral: btw, I found Riga, Latvia, slightly better for beautiful women… but my gonzo travel compadre swears by Moskva…

Just watched your “Antidisest…..” video and I remembered a word from my school days in the 50′s / 60′s (yeah – I’m that old. My daughter tells me I’m older than dirt) It was supposedly the longest single word in the world. It was the name of a town somewhere in the USSR and was unique to me because it had 4 “L’s” in a row in the word.
Maybe HotForWords can investigate and tell us the word.

I always thought it was because people have a problem talking about death (especially in previous centuries) so, sometimes, rather than say “funeral director” society has come up with “undertaker”, almost a euphemism for the person who “undertakes” or “takes care of” what has to be done when someone dies…

Hey now! My wife’s sister was featured in playboy many years ago, I never saw the issue or do I remember the year, “Sexiest Canadian Writer” is still a bit of a family joke. She never took her clothes off for it & if they did use a picture, then it would have been the standard publisher issued snap that goes on the back or in the sleeve of her novels. She was featured in the literary section, where a lot of guys don’t ever get to look, Do they still have a literary or cererally stimulating section in playboy?
I know Marina can stir up imaginations & what the comments are for, is to stir up conversation, so I’ll say a “pictorial” in playboy would be a bad idea for our teacher. what she chooses to reveal of herself is always & should always be her choice alone (no polls please).A friend of mine got back from the middle east, a country where the women remain completely covered in public, he said it was “as sexy as hell” when a woman inadvertantly revealed a well shaped ankle & if really uber sexy, a calf. Cheers

I got stoned with this groovy German couple in Barcelona and every time the spliff went out they shouted “fire!” as a plea to have hit relighted… in my discombobulated state, I kept thinking they’d spotted a house-fire or some other dangerous conflagration! :shock:

dude, I’ve recently been reminded the cold war is far from over. Everyone please note the location of the nearest <a
href=”http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/civildefense/shelte1.jpg”fallout shelter. Thanks aLx.

fallout shelter

BTW, I didn’t say being featured in the Mag was a bad Idea, just the pictorial thingys. I know I’m “cerebrally” challenged

So far I’ve seen requests for cum (so to speak), naked, leather, “take someone under”, “touch wood” (maybe that was just a comedy coincidence) and a guy with word “boob” forming part of his pseudonym discussing tenuously the word “pair”… :lol:

…and there seems to be a fascination with douches, someone requesting, in broken English, a definition and helpfully using the word “vagina” close to the word “Marina” and this guy, who writes: “i wanna know where the word douche came from,im not trying to be mean,but i just wanna know where the word douche came from”… :mrgreen:

What’s the origin of carpet? That’s a weird word.

And shindig. part of leg + digging = party?

buzzword, what? are we just playin’ games now?

What is the origin of “stereotype”? I get the type part, but stereo?

Keep up the good work! :cool:

It’s French for “take a shower.”

Actually, in nautical terms, the “sheets” aren’t sails at all. They are a set of cables connecting the top of the mast to the gunwales, or sides of the boat. These help to center the mast and keep the mast from being torqued over toward one side or the other under heavy crosswinds, such as when tacking or coming about (turning around). So when these break, the mast tends to bend sideways in a crosswind. The stresses caused by this action can exert so much force on a boat as to shear the mast clean off or wrench it loose from the keel, either one resulting in a serious loss of control. Loss of control means the boat can now turn broadside to the waves (every mariner’s nightmare) and capsize. Then you’re basically either “sunk” or at the vey least, “dead in the water.”

I think the guy that said “cellar door” is the most beautiful word(s) in the English language was smoking something, and I want to know what it was just so I can be sure to avoid it secondhand.

Blick!

When a dancers get real excited, one of them is bound to get kicked in the shin.

Yeah, Playboy still has lots of articles. Anyone that just looks at the pictures is missing out on a LOT of stuff. If I just wanted pictures of naked women, that’s free all over the internet.

The word is CAHOOTS as used In cahoots with

Oh and a lot of Stephen King’s best stories debuted in Playboy before he even published them in a book himself. Also, before he died, Shel Silverstein published most of his ADULT stuff in Playboy, and his children’s stuff was his only actual books. Like “Hamlet as Told on the Street” was first published in Playboy. Finally, Playboy is the place to see the latest artwork of Olivia DeBeradinis! Like every issue has her artwork on some page somewhere.

I didn’t find this word in my dictionary so I thought I would ask you. The word is SCRY What is it’s origin and meaning?

Hello my beautiful teacher ;-),

Could you please explain to us the word “leap year”.

Take care, *gives apple*

James

What is the origin of the word ‘Zebra’ ? Do you think you could another investigation? :P

P.S. I <3 your videos!

*and I just realised I forgot the verb ‘do’*

do you think you can do another investigation? :P

Pennsyltucky you’re thinking of “stays”.

Sheets, in my experience, are the ropes used to pull in / let out a sail to adjust the amount of wind being caught in them. My 19′ Cape Dory Typhoon, has two sails (main and jib), each having a set of sheets.

If you landlubbers would just review the video before disseminating misinformation, you wouldn’t have to endure the embarrassment of being corrected, though even Marina over-simplified the discussion of sheets, lines and ropes.
She said that sheets are lines that hold things horizontally and halyards are lines that hold things vertically; true enough if things are sails, however, masts are held in place by stays and shrouds, booms are held vertically by topping lifts and vangs and horizontally by sheets and preventers, yards are hoisted by halyards (haul yards, get it?) and controlled by braces, and spinnaker poles are held by guys (which are lines and not crew-members who are called Hands).
Confused? I still have to wear different coloured gloves to remember which is Port and which is Starboard. :grin:
Incidentally, someone posted a comment in reply to the video claiming that “sheets” was short for “Sheet lines” and that sails were therefore sheets; the only times I have ever heard the expression “Sheet lines” is as a description of rope for making sheets, and never as the name of a line in a vessels rigging. However it takes all types to make this world and I’m sure some people may use the term, but I can’t say that that makes it correct.

You sure like to show off your fake breasts. Come on admit you use to strip?

Funny how undertake has that great double-entendre when applied to a mortician (especially in regard to the act of burial or “taking” someone’s body “under” the ground as opposed to cremation).

But what changes does the deceased then UNDERGO? And how does the word “undertake” differ in usage and meaning from “undergo?”

While I’m definitely undergoing changes related to aging, for example, I am not really undertaking same. But regardless of what could be considered my willful resistance to undertake these changes purposefully (that is, to assume responsibility for their completion), they are overtaking me! :idea: Truly a conundrum inversely proportional to ones’ understanding of the gravity of the undertaking….

Another five-star lesson, Marina. We are blessed by the Goddess of Light once again.

Hi there…
I would like to request something allthough it’s very rough…
I don’t know if you even take on things like that but what i wanna know is where “pi** off” and “f*** off* come from…

And yeah i’m serious… i am from germany and interested in such things…
or can you investigate on “tupperware” please?

Thanks a lot^^

Marina …? My dear, imagine there is a movie based on my book, AND I WILL DEMAND THAT YOU PLAY THE PART OF ONE OF MY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. What? I’m going to let a Woody Allen character pick and decide on a Diane Keatonesque type over the thought-stimulating energies of YOU!? Hardly.

I don’t know what the future will bring or be with my book. Right now I live paycheck to paycheck but I’ll be hard pressed to say no to any future requests of yours, and in gratitude for writing a pithy foreword to my story.

I made similar gestures to Drew and Joanne at Rocketboom. My manuscript contains characters named Joanne, and Ivanka (not Trump though she says her father is a real estate developer. I never personally met Ivanka) as we tour the battlefields at Gettysburg. An original quote of Joanne is inside my ‘script.

My YouTube presentation, and my comments page a href=”youtube…profile_my_comments?user=mergatroidal.webloc”>link. I want to introduce kids to the idea of creating Mergatroid.

Between now and June or July, Marina, PLEASE write a nice tome for me.

Could anyone tell me the name of the song from this video ? the one at the end…please! :shock:

Marina …? My dear, imagine there is a movie based on my book, AND I WILL DEMAND THAT YOU PLAY THE PART OF ONE OF MY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. What? I’m going to let a Woody Allen character pick and decide on a Diane Keatonesque type over the thought-stimulating energies of YOU!? Hardly.

I don’t know what the future will bring or be with my book. Right now I live paycheck to paycheck but I’ll be hard pressed to say no to any future requests of yours, and in gratitude for writing a pithy foreword to my story.

I made similar gestures to Drew and Joanne at Rocketboom. My manuscript contains characters named Joanne, and Ivanka (not Trump though she says her father is a real estate developer. I never personally met Ivanka) as we tour the battlefields at Gettysburg. An original quote of Joanne is inside my ‘script.

My YouTube presentation, and my comments page link. I want to introduce kids to the idea of creating Mergatroid.

Between now and June or July, Marina, PLEASE write a nice tome for me.

Does anyone know the name of the song from the end on this video? :shock:

Three times and I’m out. I’m not going to fix the comments page link in the above posts.

Seriously, Marina, keep this door open. I won’t mention forewords and tomes again anymore, until the final stages of the book’s production.

Be a part of this revolution.

I’m with aLx on this one….absolutely. First of all, it specifically said, “question for everyone.”

Second, if everyone will please take note, Marina does not just choose a word and look up the meaning for us. She investigates the origin of the word – where did it come from? How did it enter the English language?

She tends to choose words that have some strangeness about them that makes one say, as she is wont to say, “what is going on here?” The word “understand” is a prime example – the meanings of its parts don’t seem to have a relation to the meaning of the word. So, she investigated how it came to be. Great lesson, of course, and not one that can be looked up very easily and succinctly summarized in an “understandable” way, as well as an entertaining way.

Buzzword – ditto.

I didn’t think the French had a word for that. :mrgreen:

Thank you Marina. Thank you. I have only now just managed to pry myself out of the fetal position in which I had nearly atrophied, consumed with grief, jealousy, and profound melancholy over the thought that the story might have been true. To think of your sublime beauty, sullied and fouled by the likes of someone with the name “Pauly” sent my heart and mind reeling with feelings of nausea and vertigo. I feel the universe has realigned itself into its proper order and I can go on with my life.

:lol:

touche’ presumined…..touche’

Celtic, I believe, from the Druids’ reverence for large trees of the deep forest. These were recognized as sentient beings whose power could be tapped by making physical contact with them. Tree-huggers with a history…

But the superstition of bringing bad luck to someone or something by merely mentioning it in a kind of “what if…” or “I hope such-and-such doesn’t happen” context probably relates to the Mediterranean-basin cultural belief in the “evil eye.”

This is where you could cause severe alarm to a mother by stating that her baby is cute, etc, without following up with the statement, “..and will continue to be so, God willing.”

Just saying something is nice or a person is pretty, etc., is believed to bring the focus (and thereby the destructive power) of the Evil Eye down onto them. This is still used, or implied, today when we hear thinly veiled threats like the classic “Nice house (or family, or car, or restaurant, or fill-in-the-blank, etc.). It’d be a REAL SHAME if anything were to happen to it.” Hint hint.

I don’t know what hetforved means… but she is “velformet” that’s for sure.

Having fake breasts has no relation to whether a women is or is not, or was or was not, a stripper. It also says nothing negative about her. She should show them off. They are beautiful. And even assuming arguendo that she did strip, so what? Why is it important that she admit that here? Of what possible significance, other than to fuel your apparent conflicting misogyny and prurient interest in the matter?

Okay seeing as you don’t have any U-related names. Why not use Uncool as your next video. I am a mod for a forum and I’ve recieved so many PM’s telling me to remove the “Un” part since they think I contraindicate the name. Can you, Marina shed some light on this name? :mrgreen:

Marina, put your foot down. Is it the calculus or just plain old calculus?

Marina, put your foot down, please. Is it the calculus or just plain old calculus?

could you tell me the origin of the the word ” prodigal”? :?:

I have another word I would like to know the history behind. It is bust it is, as I understand used in two ways. 1st, when some thing is broken and, 2nd, in refuring to a woman’s brest size. How did these two compleatly different meanings come to be known under one word??

Love
TheDragon

P.S.
please excuse my spelling I know it isn’t the best
:smile:

Hello

I am tuin0226, I am here for the first time and I like the word explaining and more so I have a word request for you namely:
Bobbin Lace
My latest biggest computer hobby

CU
Tuin0226

Undertake means to take upon, promise, guarantee, take charge, or engage oneself. :razz:

Undertake means to take upon oneself, put oneself under obligation, or guarantee oneself to do something. The words origin was in the 14th century. :razz:

There is a cookie named Snickerdoodle. Why? Where did that name come from.

BoArgMir

I belive that “nunnery” has also changed meanings over the years, like “under”. It has gone completely the opposite direction though.

Very good….i never thought that this 1 word would be so hard to understand.

Dear teacher,

Can u tell us the origin of Hushpuppy.

I’m fairly sure that to undertake is in referance to setting out to “take” on a task or job. Usually considered an unpleasent job which may explain some of the meaning behind the job title “Undertaker”, an older term for a mortician.

But were and when did this word first come to use for this unpleasent job? I suspect during one of the medivial plagues, but that is just a guess.

So, why is called playboy? They must change the name to “Magazine without pornography with interesting articles ; Stephen King’s stories and Olivia DeBeradinis’s artwork”
LOL! :lol:

Well, from what I understand, he is not really gay. But he seems gay, and is therefore gay-ish.

Hi, I’d like to request ‘Bleeding Heart’

fyshdoc,
I think “salt of the earth” may have originated a very long time ago. In ancient times, salt was very valuable commodity for preserving food. It was so valuable, in fact, that soldiers of the Roman Empire were paid in salt – that is where we get the word salary. It makes sense then, when complimenting someone as having genuine value for simply being who he or she is, to describe them as being like ‘the salt of the earth’.
I did not research this phrase, it may not be correct. Just educated guess, I guess.

How about the phrase;
“cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey”
or
“that’s the last straw”
Thanks

Fist of all I really like your show. What a great way to learn! :wink:

Second I have few word requests:

I was wondering how the word/name “John” came to be used to refer to a toilet and to a prostitute’s client.

I had another one, it just slipped my mind.

Dearest Marina!!

Its me your favorite student!! dfannin43! Whats up! ummm i think that you should say in one of your videos that you love me the most. Cause i love you!! anyways peace out.

i think its marijuana and could you plzzzzz do the word “Hot”?

i would like to know the meaning of the word chicken nugget

Seems some have undertaken an attack on poor P. Shore just ’cause he shared the same valet pause with M. and it was misunderstood for something more lasting–let’s not assume he undertook a more sinister task than just getting his car, too. Besides, he could be the coolest :cool: guy ever.

Hi Marina,
i would like to know where the term “cold-turkey” came from. like when someone quits drinking they say “i went cold-turkey”

Hey Marina! WORD REQUEST! :D Please tell us why the word “example” is abreviated as “e.g.” & what is the origin of both the word and the abreviation.
Great lessons! Luv u & ur show!

Hey marina,

i have a word for you.
Jones or jonesing. As in: I’m jonesing for a cigarette. How did this term come about to mean a strong desire or need for something? I’ve always wondered about that one.
Thank you. You rock!

het=hot
ved=wood

Yeah, (whatever your name is) pretty good line of logic going on there. I like the idea of recognizing the intrinsic value of just plain folks.

I have also read that the word salary derives from an allotment of salt paid to Roman soldiers. And, I also have NOT checked into it, so of course I should just shut the hell up. BUT NOOOOOooooo….

Instead, I have a theory about this phrase. People who work at hard labor, blue-collar type jobs tend to perspire and sweat is usually salty to some degree. “Back to the salt mines,” we used to say when finishing our lunch break on the construction crew.

Compared to the “idle rich,” who never soil their hands, working-class people constitute the ‘salt of the earth’ by virtue of their sweat-soaked clothing and gritty perspective.
One reason I imagine this to be the euphemism’s origin is that the lyrics to the Rolling Stones’ “Salt of the Earth” (from the Beggars Banquet LP) refer to the “common footsoldier” and the “lowly of birth” as belonging in this category. After all, why would Sir Mick lead us astray?

Let’s drink to the hardworking people
Let’s drink to the lowly of birth
Raise a glass to the common footsoldier
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth…

Misquoted probably, out of order definitely, but a pertinent social statement nonetheless. Whether any actual folk wisdom filtered through to the drug-saturated lyricist’s brain during the nuclear winter of the post-beatnik/proto-hippie days, who can tell? Still, it’s mildly poetic and provides yet another excuse to quaff yet another frosty lager.

Nazdorovye!

These are cornmeal dumplings deep-fried in shortening. They’re popular on the southern part of the Eastern Seaboard (USA) where fishing and shrimping was once a major industry. The way I understood it, when the fleet arrived in port with full holds, a big fish fry would usually ensue.

These were often held outdoors, weather permitting, because there’s less worry about all the messy fish guts and grease spatter. You’d just hose the place down afterwards.

Typically, the fish would be dipped in cornmeal batter to make them crispy. The problem was that since it was outdoors all the dogs in town would go crazy whining and begging and getting underfoot during all that frying activity. The easiest way to trick them into thinking they were getting some of the fish was to toss a spoonful of cornmeal batter into the fryer, let it brown, and then give it to them while saying the magic words, “hush, puppy!”

At least, that’s what Laney used to tell us when we ate at the Island Inn on Ocracoke, NC. Good hushpuppies there. Check it out.

If understand means “stand among” then undertake could mean “take action among” a group of people…

I only wonder how it came to be an occupation….
I guess an undertaker do take actions among a group even though they don´t do much to help….!?

As allways a nice way to start the day!

your dear student / Swedehunter

Yes, it seems every new comment section contains at least one post that is something like, “Oh, my dear Teacher…please, I’ve always [always?] wanted to know the origin of the word #$#$#!#.”

"comprehend" is a better word than "understand" because com+prehend is saying you gather and grasp the idea.

whether you under+stand or inter+stand (in+ter means to bury) you are in a sense burying your standing or your stance on the idea. That doesn’t sound anything like "comprehend" or that you get the idea. It’s just as asinine as the word "bad" which somehow evolved to mean "good".

Undertake…. to commit oneself to something or someone. To accept and take responsibilty. To go for it, balls to the wall stylie with promise to do ones best. Commited.

All, Understood! :wink: :smile:

Be well

You’re great Marina!

Marina, while you help us to understand, we oversit.

(But only for you! :smile: )

You mean〈℞〉?

LOL :lol:

Wasn’t tupperware originally made from ram’s testicles? :???:

boxers sometimes the boxer briefs

………….. :mrgreen:

“Underground” and “underfund” are the only words in the English language that begin and end with the letters “und.”

under take

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/30/america/NA-US-Vatican-Funeral-Museum.php

Interesting…peace outstanding, under the flight of the bumblebee. Spring victoria for a ride, under rail and grounded with Umbria’s unicorn. Danced all night, till the piece-worked out into the pie function. :lol: Good fingers makes communicational intellegence understandable. :wink: fun is funny[intercommunicate] forgot what i was to say……..THANK YOU

I was wondering what would be the opposite of understand…oversit? overlay? layover? :grin:

Love is in the airs…some polluted….Good one dude :wink:

:razz: I understood…understand :lol:

Ahhh…now I have an understanding of understand! :smile:

…and a relief to see Marina squelch that Pauly Shore rumor! :wink:

Marina, make sure you stay away from any photo ops with Carrot Top…I don’t even want to imagine the fallout from that! :lol: