What is Iconoclasm?
The word Iconoclasm has its origin in A dispute over the use of religious images (icons) in the Byzantine Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries.
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What is the longest word in English?
Longest words in English? The Oxford University Press English Dictionary disqualifies the word nominated by The Readers Digest with this withering put down:
Origin of nepotism?
— nep · o · tis · tic \ ˌ ne-pə- ˈ tis-tik\ adjective This satirical cartoon by Robert Cruikshank an alleged network of personal connections between those then running Guys Hospital in London in 1830. The subtitle is 'Sevilty Rewarded'
Why 'Dutch courage'?
To have Dutch courage is to lose fear or inhibition by drinking alcohol. There are two main theories as to it origin
Where does the word shampoo come from?
Shampoo is the Hindi/Urdu word chāmpo for a head massage with oil. The first known usage in English was in 1792 from a surprising source.
Where does the word meme come from?
In the The Selfish Gene (1976) the scientist Richard Dawkin expands the Darwinist concept natural selection to the realm of ideas.
How fast is the English language expanding?
Recent research suggests that the English language has doubled in size over the last century.
Words with the most separate meaning?
Here are the top ten words with the most entries in the Oxford English Dictionary.