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Putting cats in the bag.
Out on the northern prairie farm land that my dad lived on, my grandmother was good enough to volunteer my dad, then just a young kid, to help out any neighbor who was burdened with a new litter of kittens, by drowning the litter. The idea was that too many cats reduced the population of game birds that lived in the fields. Folks hunted game birds to put food on the table. The method of drowning was to stuff the poor doomed kittens into a gunny sack weighted with rocks and heave the sack into the river. After a few of these jobs, my dad wised up and told my gramma, after she told him to go to a neighbor’s house to drown yet another litter, he told her that the neighbors can drown their own kittens.
[BAG]~~biggest little word of E.CON-MICS~~[gunny sack] needs to be attacked…Grand Funk Railroad – Inside Looking Out 1969
:smile: :roll: :smile: …the old bag was a nag and a hag—–ferment the rags for the gas stations!!!
;-) Let’s play a little game…
OK ;-)
i hope its the wip the last one is sad :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
I would rather get spanked by Marina then be her teacher’s pet.
I think it is #one. Roman style.
:mrgreen: I am so confused! What does a cat have to do with anything? I’m still trying to figure out how to turn my computer off.
Yikes!!
I had a Russian Blue cat. Very smart…whipping good…don’t eat rabbits
Oh my Marina talking about a cat o nine tails rrrrr!! She needs a giant shoe like hotforprofits uses. Although I guess Kobe makes a good prop as well.
Actually, there is a German saying about “buying a cat in a bag” (Die Katze im Sack kaufen) which means to buy something without verifying that you get what you paid for. The origin is the same as the english term.
:wink:
What was the cat doing in the bag anyway? Shouldn’t the cat have looked carefully into the bag before getting in, especially if it could have been hazardous to the cat’s health? After all, whenever health is concerned, a cat scan is recommended!
my cat can’t resist getting into any bag that it can fit into. also have a cockatiel that loves to get into bags, boxes, cupboards etc. but exclusive of the cat. I also love getting into small spaces, feel safe, warm, even more contented there. So advise to birds etc would be, do a catscan before entering confined spaces. cheers
ok..its #2 switching the cat for the pig…
in China, only pig and not chicken is considered real meat…no, they would not usually eat the hardworking cow, plus they are too valuable to eat, but pigs are considered lazy, and not so valuable, so OK to eat, unless you are Buddhist of course…and then you would be a strict vegetarian…
Is it not interesting how we denigrate the animals that are our food and elevate those that are our pets?
:roll: its Number 3….there is some horrilbe people Around ……
Let the CAT out of the bag….comes from when you said number 3 .
The Word CATSPAW……. A Word nothing to do with CATS !…Catspaw (comics), a fictional member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the Glorithverse
Catspaw (plant), a small genus of Australian plants in the Bloodwort family Haemodoraceae
“Catspaw” (TOS episode), an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.
In the oxford english dictionary CATS-PAW …..A person used as a tool by another.
Other words with cat in it…..CATWALK…..catsup…(ketchup)….cattery……catkin……catseye……catnap……catty…..cats craddle.
You marina are just Purrrrfect…….you have stolen my heart I want it back……hehehehee…you know they say….A man’s best friend is a Dog….but HE can not go with out a pussy now and again…. :lol: :wink: oxooxoooxoxoxoxooxox
Nice looking orator!! Now if there were more teachers with her looks teaching english we could better communicate with each other!!! :smile:
P.S. What is the origin of the word, “DUFUS”.
Let the cat out of the Bag: I think it’s #1 even though it was no secret what was going to happen when that cat came out of the bag.
I Choose 1. the nautical definition, because I am familiar with that kind of cat and it just may be right. Fun choice for a quiz
Hey Marina, thanks for making Linguistics beautiful again…can you discuss words that are their own opposites, ie quantum can mean a great deal (quantum leap) or something very small. How many more in the English language are there?
Regards from Oz,
Strine
PS you have wonderful semantic weights *cough*.
:mrgreen: I think it’s ancwer # 1. it makes more sence to me.
PS: your still hot :lol:
Hey lovely teacher :wink: ,
Can you help m out with this word?
i saw this word and almost jumped outta my skin
HEBESPHENOMEGACORONA
Thanks,
Petto
How did the word ‘shampoo’ came about?
:sad:
I sent “Let the cat out of the bag” in via email last December.
It was the email in which I also alerted you to some places on the web which contained your surname.
I guess you don’t read your emails. :roll:
Dos
Hi Marina,
I believe its number one. The rest sound a little to far fetched.
Mike
Hello,
I have a list of words that I would like you to investigate. I am pretty sure you can have some real fun with these.
Boner
Cock
Felch (felcher, felching etc)
Cunt
Flack
FUBAR
Whore
Crap
Fuck
I know most of these are sexual in nature. That is because I am a very sexual person. My wife and I are both deeply sexual and sensual, so these are the only words we could cum up with. (puns intended).
Oh, there is another one. CUM. Please add that to the list.
Thank you and we love your site.
RipRap & Serenity
P.S. We were married on Halloween in a Cemetery. If you would like some pics of our wedding, LMK.
Goth alert! :eek:
I have alot of requests…
\\//\\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//
Happy Camper
_________________________________________
Say cheese!(taking a picture)
_________________________________________
Hookie.
as in playing sick to stay home from school…
_________________________________________
“as drunk as a newt”…
Now, having never seen a newt,much less a drunk one, I would imagine that they look and act like any other animal… Unless Kermit the frog started peddlin alchol…
Hello Marina.
I would like you to teach me about one of my favorite words. I’d like to be sure I’m using it correctly. The word is…
Phantasmagorical
Thank you,
Huganerd
Hey Marina,
Once again GREAT video!
I was wondering where the word deplorable came from and exactly what it means, because today my teacher told me and my friend that our work was deplorable and I said, I wonder what the origin of that word is.
Thanks so much Marina
Jonyboy26
I love Marina’s little quote of the day.
“Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?” – Bumper Sticker :mrgreen:
Hey, Marina I have a word request. How about the origin of the word Ditto?
I was just looking at past lessons and watched Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia which reminded me of my phobia, luposlipaphobia. which, as everyone knows, is the fear of being chased by wolves while wearing only socks on a slippery kitchen floor. Oh I guess I should have just submitted that word rather than give it away. Oh well.
The cats out of the bag now.
Marina “stop and smell the roses” that could be a good request. no :?:
:idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :roll:
I am just guessing. i have the idea that you are looking make the right arrangements of the words or phrases that you use on your channel to set the right mood for your audience, So how do i get with your system is my question (putting my request for dopamine up is just one example, if it’s not setting the right mood to make the next video how could i make the adjustments to get with the hotforwords “groove”) Is there some type of “rythme” that i am suppossed to tag my request to?
Hi Marina,
Many people use the word “ones,” like “those ones over there.”
It’s always bugged me a little since the word “one” is singularly singular. One should say “those over there.”
Am I wrong? Has the word “ones” officially entered into the lexicon?
Thanks,
turtle
Each one has one’s own way of expressing what one is wondering about. :grin:
indeed :smile:
wait a second. i just posted the last comment. its spelt “mnemonic” :cry: sorry
hi marina :mrgreen: i was hoping you could help me find out the origin of the word mneumonic as in mneumonic device for remembering what a word means. i think that would be interesting. well, thank you. i love your videos!
Too funny
I vote for option #1.
Word request: tow, as in wisp of tow and towhead
How did this word come to mean so many different things?
Thanks,
turtle
Isn’t it “toehead?” (I’m really not sure…)
Hi prospero!
No, it’s towhead. the idea being that a towhead’s hair is like tow, another name for the hair on corn. it’s actually very descriptive as it describes color, texture, and being tousled.
the odd thing is that a towhead is also a name for a sandbar.
and of course, there are tow trucks.
Maybe (total SWAG coming) the sandbar meaning is also related to the color of both blondes (sandy blonde hair) and sand.
Maybe the pull something meaning comes from cavemen pulling women by the hair back to the cave.
btw, can anyone speak to the veracity of that caveman mating ritual?
besides, what would toehead mean? is it what happens when one has stuck one’s foot way too far into one’s mouth? :wink:
Turtlewax asked, “can anyone speak to the veracity of that caveman mating ritual?”
No way, mate, I’m not that old. :grin:
I don’t know – for some reason I thought it was “toe head” and I was too lazy to google it…..
hi
can you find the orign of the word pirate and/or ninja
Hi Marina Could You Tell me the Origin Of Cliche please? Thank you
-Manuel Pyro
Real men don’t eat cliche.
Cliche? something is used a lot. or something that everybody uses?
You don’t Eat it.
Hey Prospero, I thought it was funny. ‘Course, I do eat quiche.
humble pie is so delicious… ah so chiche :razz:
I know… it’s an obscure joke – turtlewax got it. :lol:
Interesting “cat” words:
A “cat cracker” is a chemical reactor for converting oils with high boiling points into fuels with lower boiling points in the presence of a catalyst.
If a boat is “cat built” it has a bluff bow and straight stern without a figurehead.
There is a birth defect called “cat cry syndrome” where a chromosomal defect causes a baby to cry like the meowing of a cat, among other things.
“cat fever”:is a respiratory infection with a fever (panleukopenia).
To ‘cat foot” is to move in a stealthy manner.
And lastly — a request….. Marina, would you wear a “cat suit” in your next video? :grin:
She will if you dress up as Batman – no better make that Robin. :grin:
Her wish is my command!
Good morning, or afternoon is it. Just waking up and making my first cup of Joe. Is it just me or does the word cat seem to be slightly over used?
If Marina wears a cat suit in her next video I would freak. :shock: Cat suits are my favorite sexy outfit on a woman. Its like a tightly wrapped package that shows you nothing but reveals whats inside.
Boy 1:30pm in the morning and all I can think about is cat suits. Im so bad. :twisted:
http://www.costumesontheweb.com/Merchant2/images/Vinyl-Long-Sleeve-Catsuit-V6000LA.jpg
http://www.celebritywonder.com/mp/2004_Catwoman/2004_catwoman_031.jpg
Nice! :mrgreen: Now thats what I’m talking about. :cool:
Second photo didn’t load. I think they discovered your linking.
Odd meanings of “cat”:
I never new that “cat” was a British slang word for “vomit.”
To “bell the cat” means to attempt something formidable, but to “cat around” means to spend one’s time aimlessly.
A “cat” is a double tripod having six legs but resting on only three no matter how it is set down, usually used before or over a fire, but it’s also a type of shelter used in medieval warfare.
A “cat” is a slang reference for a man, or any devotee of jazz.
err… “knew,” that is…
I never knew that cat was Brit. slang for vomit either and I am a Brit though I’ve spent long periods in the far east and Scandinavia.
The circles I move in have some rather more picturesque phrases for it like Tiger Tiger, Technicolor Smile, and Pavement (sidewalk) Pizza.
What is the point of having six legs if you’re only using three of them?
That means that you have three legs in the air; is that the same as three sheets to the wind?
I really hope Marina is working hard on a new word or phrase cos I’m getting a little tired of Probie Prospero dogging my steps with his catcalls and catty remarks which he is constantly looking up in his dog-eared dictionary. If he carries on at the same rate I’m going to have to hand the dog watch over to the Captain with a request to lash him to a catamaran until his catawauling subsides. (No offence, Eric)
Well, Bob – you are a bit dogged with your doggerel writing. You roused me from my cat sleep, during which I was catatonic. Don’t turn this cat and dog competition into a dogfight, please!
:lol:
Hi Marina
Could you tell me the origin of the word “Mafia”???
I looked for the origin. But I am not as good as you :cry:
Thank you
Hello Marina! i am Marcos, a new student. I am from Bariloche, Argentina (I hope you have heard about my city). I think the correct answer is number 2, because here in Argentina (sapnish language) we use a similar prhase “gato por liebre” that means sometihng like “Cat for rabbit”. If you want to by a Rabbit the seller can change it for a cat, and fool you.
Thank for your lessons.
Yours,
Marcos
I know you meant Spanish, but I like the name Sapnish! :grin:
Hi Marina. I would like to know the origin of the phrase “The Lion’s Share”.
Thanks. You are epic.
The correct answer is number 2, scamming people who thought they were buying a piglet. I believe this dates back hundreds of years from the Middle East, where pigs weren’t Kosher.
id say its theory #1
i think is the number one, cuz manu phrases are taking from the old navy way of life
I believe that number 3 iss the correct answer but then again i have not always been a good guesser but wll see i a couple of days.
later
RED
I will be very surprised if it is number 2, because cats and pigs of the same size don’t weigh near the same, so who would be fooled? But more importantly it would mean that you (Marina) are still sticking to trend of making all the answers #2. I think it is #1. Capt Jacks theory that the fact that is a tool of punishment dis-counts it, doesn’t hold water because, it was the act of admitting guilt. Of course I could look it up, but that would require effort.
I should have proof read my comment before sending. The act of admitting guilt is what let the cat out of the bag.
Interesting concept. True admitting guilt would brings out the cat. There is this little skit the crew did on the Lady Washington that involved gambling with the passengers. The captain would see the crew gambling with the passengers and asked who brought out the dice. The crew would point at any random passenger. The captain said that the passengers did not sign ships articles so they are not bound by the laws of the vessel. So the last person holding the dice ( we where lined up on the rail passing the dice from one sailor to the next) would have to hand it over to the captain. Once placing the dice in his hands he then would order that crew member to be lashed up to the rattlins and to receive 12 strikes of the cat. Of course he could not allow present company to view this punishment and would call out some sort of sail call (order to shift sails). The sailor would then be cut down from the rattlins.
Admitting Guilt… It could work. But as Marina rules are it has to be documented somewhere and have a date of writing. :smile:
OK Capt. The earliest known use of this term was in 1760 in the “London Magazine”. But in 1789 “The Times” paper stated “Sir John Aubrey’s passion has got the better of his prudence – he has fairly let the cat out of the bag to scratch the party.”
It’s the ‘scratch the party’ part of that quote that seems to allude to the cat-o-nine tails. That’s the best documentation I can give you.
Hey Marina!
Great video as usual :) I have always wondered what the word ‘torque’ means. I see mentions of the word ‘torque’ on tv and papers, but never a mention on what the word means.
It would be awesome if you were able to find out the origins of ‘torque’ as i know several people also don’t know what it means.
P.S. I would also love to be your teacher’s pet :)
Look forward to seeing your next lesson :)
Hi Marina & H4W Team,
I love your lessons – actually I think I love you (only one more of a thousand, I suppose).
I’m doing a hard job speaking of you everyone I know here, in Madrid, Spain. I hope, sooner than later, we will be hundreds of thounsands of H4W’s lovers.
So, I have a “spanish” question:
French people says “Construire des châteaux en Espagne”
(to build castles in Spain)
Spanish people says “Construir castillos en el aire”
(to build castles in the air)
What is the English one?
If you build “castles in Spain” too, What’s the origin of this expression?
Besr regards
OK – this took some analysis and I still don’t know the answer. :shock:
Parsing the comments was helpful :)
#1 cat-o-9 tails; sounds viable but is disclaimed by Cpt. Jack.
– I agree with his analysis (at face value*). Ergo; #1 = NoGo
*This may be one of those phrases whose meaning has
changed over a period of time (and it may well be #1!).
#2 cat/pig swap, pig-in-a-poke: NO WAY a cat is going quietly! :evil:
So, #2 = NoGo, leaving us with #3; cat escapes from drowning bag.
Some have argued here that cats were valuable for rodent control.
True, but not so valuable in large population numbers. :cry:
My guess, only a guess, would be #3. :idea:
’nuff said
Even though theory number 2 is the correct answer, since you made me teacher’s pet…. my wife thinks that theory number 1 is more appropriate for me… :mrgreen: and she’d also like to have me neutered! :sad:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=YSyMQv1LOX4
Congratulations, care to join me, digg it?
Already did!
Congrats there trgoblin on becoming pet of the day!
Thanks…
I think I know the secret now… about how she chooses her pets that is, but I’ll never tell. :cool:
l’m still tying to figure out the digg thingys’ purpose. I’m old & like figuring things out, but if I knew how it could help or how to use it right… I’m just a confused old pet but there is hope for old pets. Marina’s animals (and I love how she says “animals”) keep popping up from time to time so I prowl, I mean soldier on. Cheers
Digg is a “news” oriented social network that lets you and I give “content” a thumbs up or down. Very much like YouTube, as content gets more popular it moves into the front sections where more users see it. The key difference, is that Digg tends to deal more with news items.
What makes Digg interesting, is that thousands of bloggers from around the world, use content from Digg, so if they see it and like it, they will post it on their blogs, creating links and traffic back to the original poster’s page. Social Media and Search Marketers refer to this as “Link Baiting”.
With a well developed “friend” network on Digg, you can help your news items go “viral”.
I use digg for humor! And occasional stunning photos of things blowing up, e.g., nanowires…
I’m just starting to digg., Another question. does HFW make $$$ if one were to click on the add links that I try so desparately to avoid? Or does something have to be purchased there before Marina can have a positive cash flow. After al business is business & I gottsa go to work. Later :smile:
The number two answer would be the answer that is true.
Love these gues the word games even though I can’t seem to get them right. Anyway, my guess for this one is Number 3. It is sad, but it makes the most sense to me.
I would like for you to profile the etymology of the word hypermammiferous (meaning having large breasts :mrgreen: )
No idea, but the 2nd one sounds really false and the 3rd would be too easy so my pick is no1
Hello my dear teacher!
I´m a bit confused, because the meaning of the frase. To me it´s more like letting out your secret that you think is cool to let people konw about and it turns out you let out more than you could handle.
Have you ever actually try to do that, letting a cat out of a bag..??? In that case you see that is exactly what happens, it will be hrad to handle!!!
Of the three theories you have my guess (meaning I don´t really know) is the first one with cat o´nine tales…
A word request after that
Atheist – is that really someone who doesn´t believe in a God or is it someone who doesn´t believe in the God that your are “supposed to” believe in in your society? I heard somewhere that word origin from the town of Athen in Greece??
from your devoted student / Swedehunter
Oh boy a Nautical phrase :mrgreen: Or is it?
I seen HFW video just as I was walking out the door to teach my evening class. I’ve been eager all evening to respond to this quiz. I rushed home, went shopping, and ate dinner (12 am dinner, yea I have weird hours but for good reason). :neutral:
Ok I don’t have a clue about #2 or #3. Of what I know of #1 I would not choose it. ooohhh. Captain Jack not picking #1? :twisted: Yes! Because Marina defined Letting the cat out of the bag is letting a secret out. So bringing out the cat of nine tail was not about secrets. It was a tool for punishment.
There was use of Cats (Multi-strand whips) back in Egyptian times. People believe that this whip was called a cat because of the cat like scratch left behind when used on a slaves back. Cats where used in British Navy for punishment. The first written use of a cat was back in 1695 or 1659 or was it 1665 (damn dyslexia!), and it just a mentioning in a book about love. I should research it and list it in my references. But whats weird is the phrase no room to swing a cat dates back even earlier. I think use of the cat in the British Navy was used long before it was documented. Many earlier documents (ships logs) were lost at sea. Cats were stored in bags and locked up.
Have you heard the song “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” There is this verse that goes “Give him a taste of the captains daughter” Sound like fun hu? Well Captain’s daughter is also referred to cat of nine tails. You don’t like that song anymore now do you? :mrgreen:
Ok enough of that. So now I have to pick one of the other two choices. The pig story sound good. I have personal experience with #3 that I don’t care to go into. Sad childhood. :cry:
Im going cross my fingers and go with #2.
__(\__~~ …Running from the storm..
Well done, Skipper,
You made the right choice.
Now, since I’ve already done the homework for the next video, I getting into the flight simulator and going somewhere warm and sunny.
Ready for take-off. :smile:
Oh!
Did I let the cat out of the bag :?: :lol:
Perhaps you were busy catting the anchor to the cathead?
#2
Cat out of the bag?? I will have to guess that theory number 1 is the correct choice.
I think it is number 3, but number 1 sounds plausible.
Dear Teacher
vote for #2
( but cheated on that one : by parsing the ‘comments below’,
#2 became an evidence )
Kudos for the micro-dramaturgy of your clips –
if I may give my preference : I really love your ‘Monty Python’ side…
oh, and also, keep feeding us with blunders : your magnetic field of seduction maximizes when you are natural/ laughing at yourself
Your respectful student.
Marina must have production software with macros/presets that allow her to whip :twisted: out her show extremely fast w/o a lot of post work to do.Don’t know if she wrote it or had help, but it works! :idea:
I vote for #4. Once you let the cat out of the bag, you can’t ever hope of putting the cat into the bag again. Thus, if you tell a secret, you can’t untell it. My gramma used to volunteer my pop, when he was a kid, to
take the neighbor’s kitten’s down to the river in a guinea sack weighted down with rocks and drown ‘em. After a while he wised up and refused
to do it. “Let ‘em drown their own cats.”
The cat was a secret weapon. “letting the cat out of the bag” means to reveal a surprise or a secret, like in medieval times when mice would get in your house around autumn so they would’nt freez during the winter, they would then go to market and buy cats, and when they got home they would let the cat(s) out of the bag and it would be a big surprise for the mice??? lol
Marina
Here’s a couple. “That’s SWELL”, and, “RASCALS”
Everytime I hear that it reminds me of the Little Rascals, or an old 1940s gangster movie, like with James Cagney… “Thanks MA, that’s just swell, see. Look, coppers… you ain’t taking me alive, see! NYahhh, see! NyAHHH!!!! lol
Anyway, “That’s swell!” and “Rascal(s)”
Oogalieboogalieboo
On topic http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kNqZ4coS0F0
History http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dG8P92jEiaQ&feature=related
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm8JyaO_E_4&NR=1
“Take our word for it” http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=gy6vWBUChOA
Classic pick uo lines too http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf3w9V6Y2lk&NR=1
Legends http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=T_7mcMaStV8&feature=related
I’ve always loved the longest word in the english dictionary: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, for several reasons. One, I learned it when I was young and kids like stupid things. Two, I could spell it and define it (A disease you get when you breathe in ultra-microscopic particles of sand while digging through volcanic rock).
So, I would love if you would feature it.
Chou~
This word is commonly requested not because it’s such a long word but because it is used so extensively due to our obsession with digging through volcanic rock at all hours of day or night. The word is especially used by pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosisphobes who suffer acute pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosisphobia. I think there is also a special word for the randomly constructed sand castles that appear in the affected pulmonary tissues…
Some ultra-microscopic sand particles seem to have blaste off the ending s of my word s. That is really annoyin g.
If I choose the wrong answer, it will be a cat-astrophe!
I say it’s #2
Because of how we use the expression, I think the only fitting explanation would be number two, the pig story. It’s the only once about a deception of some sort being uncovered, and that is why we use the phrase, no?
It’s not about punishement as in answer #1, and I find answer #3 has no relevance watsoever.
So, definitely #2…
Cheers! :smile:
(BTW: I’m a lazy slob! This is a copy/paste of the post I did on YTB… Shame on me!)
Dear HotForWords Teacher Miss Marina,
After deducing that when a pig is poke while in a bag will squeal like a pig and a cat can not squeal like a pig, #2 can not be the answer.
Knowing a little about felines, who are very valuable creatures for keeping down the vermin population such as rats, mice, moles, voles, etc. #3 should also be a wrong choice.
This leaves me to choose #1 as the correct reply to your question.
I’d rather suffer the ‘Cat-O-Nine Tails’ rather than to be ‘Keel Hauled’ :!:
ЗдравÑтвуйте Марина,
Just discovered your website and show the other day. Love it, I can understand why it is so popular!
I would be interested in hearing the origins of the word “usury” :grin:
СпаÑибо,
МаÑтер
:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:
Marina;
I think it would be Theory #2
I would love to hear the origin of the phrase: “Cover your Six?”
which is a cool military term?
or even the origin of the phrase “Top Gun”
or also the word origin of “newbie ?”
LOL
warmly,
Nelson
“Cover your six” means “Watch your behinds”. As in six o’clock; Noon being in front of you, 9 at your left, 3 at your right.
Used by combat pilots to indicate to a friendly the presence of an ennemy coming down on him from behind. Extended to ground troops for similar use.
Cheers!
Thanks buddy;
I was directing the Question to the Philology Expert;
I already knew what they meant but wanted to hear
Marina’s PHD speak on it to get Clarity and share
new phrases with everyone.
thanks though.
Ooooh Rahh!
warmly,
Nelson
I’ll take the first option.
I don’t have much to say but I’ll go with #3. That is all.
I vote for #1 and I would like to request the word “pickle”.
P.S. I also request the phrase “going to hell in a handbasket”. Why does the mode of transportation make going to hell worse?
marina, what is the origin of the word “book”?, i wonder
http://rapnike.myminicity.com/
How about the phrase when someone has “the devil to pay”? A hint is in my user name. Also, two of the words in the phrase come from earlier forms of those words. So, in reality, it goes further back than what you find with a google search. Can you handle it? Thanks.
You mean the Devil and the deep blue sea? Your going to need a bo’sun’s chair sailor and some caulk. :twisted:
I’ll go with number two.
No, not that number two! :razz:
Well I know of the cat-of-nine-tails as some call it, however from what I understand that isn’t really a punishment for simple crimes on a ship as they usually have woven bits of glass in them which are meant to do serious damage.. so no to the first I think..
As for the cats actually being in the bag, well that just seems too easy. And besides, drowning litters of kittens used to be a common way to keep the population of feral cats down, not that I approve in any way but I hardly see them making a saying out of it.
And so I will go with the most wacky answer as that seems to be the best choice when it comes to the “guess the word origin game”, and I will say it was a piglet that used to be kept in a sac, but shady dealers would switch them for cats to make a profit.
It’s number one.
Love your posts.
-s
Yes, I agree, “Cat out of the bag” is related to the cat with nine tails used in the British Navy for discipline. :cool:
:mrgreen:
last one
the other two sound fake
Number two.
Sad but true.
#2
I’ve heard the pig story a long time ago so maybe it’s the correct one.
I Think is #3
Why I am not the teacher pet? I am one of your first subscriber and you know that is an advantage knowing a hitman; because a hitman on the other side is nor really good (for you and for your family) :evil:
by the way, hitman, in the computer game, I always despaired of that mission where you’re supposed to take out those two guys that meet. too many soldiers all around, they got me everytime. plus, I never figured out how that car bomb is supposed to work. any help?
IN which HItman? 1, 2 , 3 or 4th? I played the four and ,of course, i won them with silent assassin calification(after several hours)
Hi Hitman. Have you heard of the Canadian “Hitman”. One of my employees was invited to his father’s wrestling school, but because of a substance abuse problem at that point in his life he failed to make it. Anyways when most Canadians think of “Hitman” they think, “Bret Hart” because he made it big in the bizzar world of “sports entertainment”. Tragically his brother Owen Died in the wrestling ring that had brought him fame & fortune. Just a little curious if they have anything like this in Russia. I like him, he is a good family guy.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5nUHp7HvM
I know how you feel Hitman. :neutral: Welcome to the HFW land of unwanted pets. :cry: I think its because we have cold noses like Bill Murry describes in the movie “Stripes”
You unwanted pets better be careful she doesn’t put you all in a bag and drown you. :shock:
She can’t do that with me because I can use my Crane’s bill as a pair of scissors to cut out and escape. :cool:
I will join to your club :neutral:
Do I hear of anymore unwanted pets that need loving too? :mrgreen:
Me too, although I just recently joined, so I don’t yet know if I’m unwanted or not… :neutral:
Sorry hitman… I’m the teacher’s pet today… you’ll just have to wait your turn! :razz: :lol:
Well well Mr. Trgoblin, You can’t be in our club of unwanted
pests… I mean pets :!: :twisted: I think she is saving here favorites to become her TAs for the semester. :razz:heheheh
Hi Marina!
The cats out of the bag on you!
You are fun and can be a real “Sweetheart”
Kisses for you!
You were “on”, but still like something is bothering you?
Are you ok?
Steve
I DON’T KNOW WHO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG!
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO UNLEASH YOUR PUPPIES!
:)
She only has one really big puppie! :roll:
:mrgreen:
to let the cat out of the bag means to rat someone out or imform someone a secret
huh you stomped me again so im retired navy im going with #1 as always rated 10 love and kisses my sweet teacher
Hi Marina,
New to the whole podcast thing, saw you on O’Reilly and decided to check out your site. Have been enjoying your lessons and hope you will consider this word for a future lesson:
Toeheaded- reference to a blonde haired child.
Hope you use this one.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
rampgunner
Please provide the etymology of the word esuriant. Monty Python resurecetd this word in their famous “Cheese Shop” skit. It also followed the use of the word ‘peckish’ to describe hunger. I would love to know the origins of esuriant before I become well… peckish!. Skit script here… http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/cheese.htm. Thanks to you, my dearest teacher!
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3OQECSDoQ&NR=1
Well, I haven’t see the lesson yet, downloading as I type this message.
However, I remember reading that this saying came from England (?) where pig farmers used to sell their pigs, but some farmers would cheat and put a cat in the sack instead of selling actual pigs. So letting the cat out of the bag was kind of letting a secret out, as is its meaning today.
I hope that was one of the options, or something similar.
Hey Marina, I was wondering if u can give me the meaning of the word RUTHLESS
Thank You & Take Care,
Cooper
What the heck is a ruth anyway? If I don’t have it that makes me cold-hearted?
:mrgreen: HAHA :mrgreen:
Okay, if ruth comes from 13th century Middle English ‘to rue,’ why is one of the books of the Old Testament called the Book of Ruth with themes that seem to define ‘ruth.’ I’m no scholar, especially no theologian, but I assume the Hebrew Ruth predates the 13th century.
Is it merely a coincidence that ruth and Ruth map so closely to one another?
Marina, care to weigh in on the convergence of these different origins?
Thanks,
turtle
:grin: WORD REQUEST FOR YOU MARINA!!!
Hi. I’d like to request; CHIVALRY
YOU’re the best teacher I’ve ever had!
-Andrew
probably to do with the French word “cheval”, meaning horse.
Knights ride horses….
It’s number 2, I’ve readit somewhere before.
PLEASE do “wenus” it is a very funny and interesting word and there is a lot of confusion about it.
thanks :!:
love ur videos! :smile:
:twisted: what the easter egg say to the boiling water :twisted:
:twisted: “going to be a while before i get hard, ,just got laid yesterday” :twisted:
(//_^) (\___/)
(=^_^=)
k amphibious or gekko either word works
Hello my dear teacher. I enjoyed your recent lesson on “SNAFU.” There are quite a few military acronyms. There is one I have used for 25 years to get me through difficult times. (Although I often have to just keep it in my head, not say it!)
It is FIDO, which is Fuck it, Drive On!. Basically means don’t lie around and whine about a problem, just keep going and the problem will either be solved or you’ll leave it behind.
As a side note, I when I was in Bosnia I did some joint patrols with Russian soldiers, which I enjoyed a lot. They were great guys and basically it showed us that soldiers are soldiers. I’d be interested in knowing some of their sayings and acronyms, translated into English, and what they mean. Thanks, I am your attentive student!!!
Marina, I am so excited that I found your channel. Etemology is kind of a hobby of mine. I read the dictionary for fun and all my friends make fun of me. My favorite word ever is defenestrated. It is my favorite because I find it incredibly funny that there is a word for throwing someone or something out of a window. Can you tell me the origion of this word as I have never been able to find it? I love, love, love your videos! It is cool to see a woman who is hot and smart. You give chicks a good name! Thanks for all you do, wordnerd
Cool word/meaning man,never heard it before now. I 2nd the origin request.
tryant
Motion carried! Ok Marina, I would like to see you make a vid with this one! :twisted:
Given that the French word for window is fenetre, and the English word fenestra refers to an anatomical ‘window,’ defenestrate is easy to piece together as coming from Latin, but I would love to watch a video of HFW telling us about the definition while reclining in a window seat.
“window seat”? and one of those delicious outfits?! I’m *all* for that idea! She better not fall though! That demonstration of defenestration would be more than I could bear.
Awe tutlewax. Now you let the cat out of the bag and now she has no reason to do a vid on this word. :mrgreen:
Theory number 2 — it is also related to buying “a pig in a poke” — “poke” being another word for “bag.”
Isn’t there a term “poke salad” too? What is that exactly? Salad in a bag?
MARINAAAAAA!! :grin: we need some help here!
What was that song that referred to “Poke Salad Annie”?
tryant
Tryant,
“Poke salad” is a Southern dish, made from poke weed (also called inkberry), which grows wild and is considered mildly toxic to mammals (although it is popular with birds). It was sometimes gathered and eaten (apparently in small doses) by those who couldn’t afford to buy salad greens, so Poke Salad Annie would probably have been a girl from a poor family, living on the wrong side of town. In this case, it has nothing to do with poke as a bag.
Hey,TY for the info man.
I also remember now the song said “and carried it home in a tote sack” or something like that. After all the talk of “poke” being a sack or bag it was an easy leap to think that poke salad might be named for what it was carried in. Oh well,it’s a good tune.
tryant
In the days of sailing ships when the Capt. or other officer would tell a
seaman something in secret the threat of the “cat” would normally keep him quiet, therefore when he would not reveal the secret to
his mess mates it was said “the cats got your tongue” if he did tell then indeed the “cat ‘s out of the bag” therfore the tiein of revealing
of a secret.. as for answer #2 has anyone tried to keep a cat quite in
a bag?
The idea of an officer confiding secrets to a seaman is so ludicrous.
The whole ethos of military service is secrecy and discipline.
“The less you know, the less you can tell.”
“The less you know, the less you can think.”
“You’re not here to think, you’re here to obey orders.”
“The less you know, the less you can question orders.”
“KITDAFOBS” (Keep in the dark and feed on Bull Shit.”
Bob, Its life as a mushroom (aka life in the military). Kept in the dark and fed crap all day. :mrgreen:
I once had a tie which had a mushroom on it with KITDAFOBS printed underneath, but I lost it somewhere in one of my moves. :sad:
Oh no Mr. Bill… I mean Bob. Sorry. Anyways thats sucks. Sounds like it was a great work tie :cool:
Maybe the cat-o-nine-tails were taken out of the bag when there was too much catting around on deck?
You mean like here on this blog?
Keeping with the cat theme, what is the origin of the phrase “the cat’s pyjamas?”
Marina, how about the origin of the phrase “skeletons in the closet.”
Thank you! :wink: :smile:
It is theory #2.
Please tell us the origin of the word sincere.
Thanks!
I have a word which I know of three meanings.
scat.
The droppings of an animal used by hunters looking for game.
to chase away someone or animal.
To sing made up words as in jazz. Sinatra used to scat, Scoobie doobie doo.
were did these meanings come from?
tom D
firebirdh
“To do is to be.”
–Socrates
“To be is to do.”
–Rene Descartes
“Doobie-doobie-doo.”
–Frank Sinatra.
I don’t know if the first two “quotes” have been correctly ascribed (no doubt someone will be able to correct them), but who cares?
As someone else said, “What’s the use of a good quotation if you can’t change it?”
“The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.”
–William Somerset Maugham
Word request :mrgreen:
“Brass Tax” why is this saying used to refer to someones “bottom line” in a negotiation or when all the cats are out of the bag.LOL. Thx B.
hey i was wondering where the word trix comes from because this morning i was eating some trix :grin: and kept thinking about the word and I couldnt get it out of my head :sad:
I have to say I think #3 is the one, parents can be so cruel.
I’m going with option 3, poor cats… :sad:
Anyway, I’m also wondering at the word “vowel”. In Dutch, consonant translates to “medeklinker” and vowel translates to “klinker” – which, translated back to english literally, would be “sonant”. I think consonant comes originally from co-sonant. So why is “vowel” used instead, nowadays?
Marina, remember me?
Why in the world is it that when people want you to smile for the camera, they say, “say cheese”?
anyways….yup thats my request…buh bye
I prefer to say “whiskey”! :grin:
I find I smile better after a dram too, preferrably an Islay.
Marina, my mom is always saying to stop riling up my brother. Where did that come from? thanks and keep doing your shows!!!!! :smile:
I might not have a cat in hell’s chance of being right, but my guess is that it had to do with the cat-o-nine-tails. Option number 1.
I don’t want to play cat and mouse, or fight like cats and dogs, because it’s raining cats and dogs. But, it’s kind of crowded in here though, there isn’t enough room to swing a scaredy-Cheshire fat-cat among the pigeons, (who looks like something the cat dragged in) that got the cream (and your tongue). Well, let’s see which way the cat jumps, anyway, because when the cat’s away, the mice will play and there’s more than one way to skin a cat (and curiosity is going to kill the cat anyway)..
Come on, Marina, I’m anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof, waiting for you to tell me I’m the cat’s whiskers!
:lol:
Love you’re videos, as always. And, you look smashing. I love the multiple outfits per video. Keep them coming!
Have I set the record for the largest mixed metaphor ever?
Ha! :lol:
Let’s keep it going…
cat’s in the cradle, fraidy cat, cat’s meow, cat’s eye… :mrgreen:
Im glad I’m not her husband. Can you imagine the dough I would have invested in her wardrobe? I would have sold the yacht and I would end up living in a canoe. Not to say thats bad, at least I’m still on the water. :mrgreen:
I don’t want to “bell the cat” here or anything, but I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that you’d make the trade.
You’d think someone with that many outfits and costume changes used to walk the catwalk.
Yea Prospero, you did go out on that limb hu? Stupid mouse thinking he can bell a cat.
Young grasshopper. I would never trade. A true sailor worth his salt that runs threw his veins would never think of such a thoughts.
Never ever give a pretty girl your slush fund/credit card. Make the lady get her own! :mrgreen: I’ve been around the block on this one buddy. In fact I’ve been around the world. This homeboy doesn’t play that game. Oh wait a minute… back peddling. I guess I do pay a lady for nice clothes. You know sailors calls a ship a “She”.? Well Im always spending money on my sailboat to make her look pretty. I guess in a way your right. I do spend money on my girl. But I only buy her one outfit and thats it. I get here a few accessories and thats it. Done! Any questions?
strange statement? think about it… Outfits are business @ HFW corp. (Tax deductable) & can be sold for a pofit or donated according to managements decision making processes. Also fits very nicely on sis’ so the one wardrobe is fit for two…or four, however you do the math.
Definition:
A Sailing Boat is a hole in the water, surrounded by wood, steel, aluminium or fibreglass, into which the owner pours a never ending stream of money.
I once met a man who told me that his motto was, “If it floats, flies or fucks, rent it, don’t buy it.”
Two out of three ain’t bad. :wink:
I believe she was a model for a time. You will just have too ask her.
Yea Bob, I hear you there! Two out of three ain’t to bad.
Whats your point Stokesjrj?
BillyB!!!! Yea, Your so right. The old saying is the best tax shelter is having your own business. No matter what it is you can right off $$$ bucks. One must do to keep from paying more than what the law requires us to pay. Many Americans pay more than their share of taxes. Thats because we don’t know the tax laws like the back of our hands. Its a sad truth. But Im kind of getting off the topic. Sorry :sad:
What where we talking about again? Oh the wardrobe. Yea. Is just amazing what she has. :mrgreen:
turtlewax says:
April 30, 2008 at 4:19 pm
You’d think someone with that many outfits and costume changes used to walk the catwalk.
Whats your point Stokesjrj?
I believe she was a model for a time. You will just have too ask her.
Fairly self explanatory
:roll: i wonder the meanings of the names :salome and karamazov if really they are meaningfull
actually im sure that u know the novel karamazov brothers, and im wondering the meaning of name.
and ive chosen salome as second request cuz i think u seem to be 21th centurys “Lou Salome” (another russian femme fatale who had interesting life)
ty :cool:
Floccinaucinihilipilification . Maybe you can unravel the story behind this word?
Whoops. You already explained it. My bad.
Hi Marina:
¡WOW!, congratulations for the video, your hard work, success and last achievements.
I was wandering if you would be willing to spend one video or a few extra seconds in a video to explain the etymology of the name:
CHIKILICUATRE
sometimes also spelled as chikiliquatre, chiquilicuatre and similar combinations.
This character appeared in a famous comic TV show and is now going to participate in Europe’s Eurovision-2008 contest.
You can find more info in
http://buenafuente.lasexta.com/
(La Sexta is the same media group that wrote an article about you on april 23rd)
The hints are that chiki comes from chiquito (diminutive of chico, “small”,I don’t know whether the origin is latin or basque) and “cuatre” means “four” in catalan. Basque girls often called their mates: txiki.
It may come from “Chiquito de la calzada” an older comic showman in Spain
I think it would be great for both of you. What do you say? Do you dare?
are you spanish hotfornumbers???
i think ”chikilicuatre” has no sense in english
and i think chiki really comes from you know what … :cool:
BUENAFUENTE BEST SHOWMAN EVER
and he spoke last week about a … women’s dictionary :?:
a different point of view …
you should watch it Marina, but maybe could barely uunderstand cause he is spanish
it is not full but … link …
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=opyydeLgAno
jaja deLgAno
a question about eurovision …
does russia participates ?? i don´t really know,
some of its ex-republics do but …
in credibly blue :roll:
Didn’t she run for public office a few years back?
Hi Marina,
I guess number two.
How about this request “googley-eyes or googley-eyed” – hmmm?
Cheers! :cool:
Maybe it’s from the old song “Barney Google” (with the goo-goo-googley eyes) – or not
What is the origin of the term “Echo Boomer” used to describe young people who are using the latest communication technologies?
Definitely #2.. related to “Don’t buy a pig in a poke”, which is the same transaction from the viewpoint of the buyer.
I have heard that the word Sabotage has a very interesting story, and I would like to know the complete background of the word. Thanks for your interesting website. Intelligence IS sexy!
Dear teacher
I hope the answer fot this one is coming soon, because I haven’t the slightest idea and I didn’t find anything on the internet. I read with attention the proposed answers, but they lack arguments! Hey guys, is there some one with an argumented theory?
Amicalement
Don Felipe
DisIrregardless (sorry) it’s a waste of a good bag–#1 1/2<—-fudging.
DOMINATRIX? Wow, :grin: EVER SEEN A CAT LET OUT OF A BAG? YOU GET A VERY UNHAPPY CAT, SLASH AND BURN, THE SHIT HITS THE FAN. LIKE WHEN THE TRUTH GETS OUT…….
in credibly blue :roll:
i’ve found it !
it is theory #2 !
it was there, in the OED
…
To let the cat out of the bag is to reveal a secret. But where does the phrase come from? What is the cat doing in the bag and what has this to do with secrets?
The phrase is a reference to an old scam in which a cat would be surreptitiously substituted for a suckling pig that had just been purchased at market. The cat would be placed in the bag in the hopes that the customer would not look into it until they were some distance away.
The phrase dates to at least 1760, although the scam itself is much older, dating to the 16th century at least. From London Magazine of 1760:
We could have wished that the author…had not let the cat out of the bag.
Also related is the phrase to buy a pig in a poke, which is a reference to the same scam (a poke is a bag or sack). And there is a similar phrase in French, vider le sac, literally meaning to empty the sack and used to mean to tell the whole story or finish the tale.
It’s commonly asserted that let the cat out of the bag refers to the cat o’ nine-tails used on board ships as form of punishment. The whip would be kept in a special bag to protect it from the sea air and to let the cat out of the bag was to confess a crime worthy of flogging. A neat tale, except there is absolutely no evidence to connect the phrase with a nautical origin.
and it is true that …
#1 cat o’ nine tails has not a secret connotation
#3 you’ve got a great inventive, Marina
can I be your pet?
but please dont whip me
Dear fellow student
Very interesting theory! I wait the answer to see if your argumented and very precise theory is true. I must correct something. In french we don’t say “vider le sac” but “vider son sac”. Which means that to say every thing you hide to someone. It is often used when you are angry at someone, and not as something said by mistake.
Nonetheless, congratulations for your theory!
Read you soon!
Amicalement
Don Felipe
Okay, but which sac? One’s sac à dos? sac à main? sac de couchage? sac herniaire? sac embryonnaire? sac à patates?
Dear fellow student
Hé, hé, hé, hé, hé, excellent, l’arroseur arrosé, well I don’t know if you ‘re french or not but I think that the bag (le sac) we are writing about is not a common bag. It must surely refer to the stomach. When you are angry, stressed, you feel stomach-ached (if I may!). So where the anglo-saxon stock says: “a pain in the ass”, we in France feel the pain in our stomachs.
A different point of view.
Amicalement
A fellow student just trying to make the quest for knowledge continue
Don Felipe
#2 is the correct answer
#2 sounds really good
Request for the origin of the word Dopamine
:idea:
I expect Captain Jack will argue with me on this in favour of theory #1, but I believe that #2 is the correct answer because it also gives rise to the expression “Never buy a pig in a poke”.
Poke is another word for a bag and buying a pig without opening the poke and examining the goods is leaving oneself open to being deceived.
:arrow: Caveat emptor!
Hi Bob, Uh no I won’t. In fact im 100% positive its not #1. Read my earlier post. I love nautical phrases. Also many phrases originate from nautical times. But in this case in the use of the phrase “to let out a secret” I have to say nope. Even though the Cat of 9 tails where kept in a bag. I worked on the tall ship Lady Washington. It was an educational ship and a floating museum of sorts. We tried our best to get accurate information on how life was like on a tall ship. I even did a skit where the cat was going to be used on me as I was lashed to the “rattlin’s”. One day they left me there tied to the rattlin’s for about half hour. Pay back was hell for the captain :twisted:
in credibly blue :roll:
i’ll say second #2 because it’s the one which is not said yet
i think i’m wrong, but i might be lucky
Hi, great video. Please could you tell me the origin of the word yo-yo.
Yes, the small toy with a cord. thank you
Elysian Marina……
Cracking video again…..
hhhmmm… thinking number one sounds the best answer – the other answers just don’t do it for me…..so terribly naughty :!:
Q for you… do you know what ‘Ken’ has to do with knowledge? Thesaurus lists his name but I have never heard of this Ken, regarding knowledge before!
HFW143always…..
Hint: Ken lives in Scotland but originally came from Scandinavia.
If it’s not Scottish it’s CRAP!
Hey Bob,
Ken Macleod? Googled this fella and what a guy! Clever clever man.
Thanks for the hint :smile:
Nae, Ah dinner ken MacLeod; A’ve niva met ham an’ A’ve niver heert tella ham.
Fit da F–? It disney ma”er onywhy.
Tak tent an far ye weel fra bonny disneyland.
Grundle grundle grundle.
(Sound of Robert Burns turning in his grave. :lol: )
#1 is correct
the cat of nine tails is also referred to in the
phase “No room to swing a cat”
Definately #3. I just wish I were wittier about the specifics although you are correct it was/is still NOT a nice thing to do.
Love, Me.
:cool: YAY – first at last….sweet