Posts

What is the Rorschach test?

Image
Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922) invented the 'ink blot' personality test. This uses ten standard black or coloured inkblot designs to assess personality traits and emotional tendencies.

What is Iconoclasm?

Image
  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.  

What is the longest word in English?

Image
Longest words in English? The Oxford University Press English Dictionary  disqualifies the word nominated by The Readers Digest with this withering put down: 

Most versatile word in English?

Image

Origin of nepotism?

Image
  —   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'?

Image
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?

Image
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 pundit come from?

Image
From the Hindi/Sanskrit word 'pandit'. 

Where does the word meme come from?

Image
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?

Image
Recent research suggests that the English language has doubled in size over the last century.