Interesting (and International) Word Origins

Question 1

kowtow (v.)

Answer 1

(from the imperial courts of China) to kneel and touch the ground with his or her forehead. Such a gesture was intended to show respect and submission.
Today, kowtow has a negative connotation and implies that a person is acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner.

Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.

Question 2

powwow (n./v.)

Answer 2

(from Algonquin tribe) involved a big party of dancing and dining between tribes.
Today: an informal discussion or colloquy

Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.

Question 3

junta (n.)

Answer 3

(from Portugal and Spain) to join un-peacefully. Whenever military groups joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta.
Today: the aggressive takeover by a group

As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership.

Question 4

imbroglio (n.)

Answer 4

(from mid-18th century Italian) to embroil in a confusing, embarrassing situation

The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.

Question 5

juggernaut (n.)

Answer 5

(from Hindi and X-Men 2) to knock over and destroy anything in one’s path; a juggernaut was a large temple vehicle under which followers of Krishna would supposedly throw themselves.
Today: any large force that cannot be stopped.

Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.

Question 6

schadenfreude (n.)

Answer 6

(from German) harm-joy
Today: to take joy in the suffering of others

From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.

Question 7

amuck (adv.)

Answer 7

(from Malay) to run about frenzied

Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance of his boyish face.

Question 8

pariah (n.)

Answer 8

(from Hindi) an outcast

The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated/blamed for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

Question 9

nabob (n.)

Answer 9

(from Hindi) described a wealthy British person living in India
Today: a wealthy, influential person

The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno.

Question 10

zeitgeist (n.)

Answer 10

(from German) “time-ghost”
Today: spirit of the times

Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990’s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000’s was a curious admixture of fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on YouTube.

Question 11

sangfroid (n.)

Answer 11

French: cold-blooded
Today: calmness and poise, especially in trying situations

The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head.

Question 12

parvenu (n.)

Answer 12

French
One who has recently acquired wealth, thereby rising in class (derogatory connotation)

The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats.

Question 13

demur (v.)

Answer 13

French
To object or express reluctance to do something (not confused with demure: coy/shy)

When asked if she wanted to visit the war torn region without a translator by his side, the journalist demurred.

Question 14

arriviste (n.)

Answer 14

French
One who has recently acquired wealth, thereby rising in class (more ruthless connotation than parvenu)

The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.

Question 15

melee (n.)

Answer 15

French
a wild, confusing fight or struggle

Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so fond of baiting arrivistes into.

Question 16

lagniappe (n.)

Answer 16

French
an unexpected gift

The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered.

Question 17

picayune (adj.)

Answer 17

French: a trifling or meager coin
Today: fussing over some trivial point

English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.

Question 18

eponym

Answer 18

a word derived from a person’s name

Question 19

mesmerize (v.)

Answer 19

to hold spellbound

Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person’s eyes (I’m curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients).

Question 20

gerrymander (v.)

Answer 20

the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group

Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district.

Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.

Question 21

hector (v.)

Answer 21

to bully or intimidate

The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

Question 22

pollyannaish (adj.)

Answer 22

extremely optimistic

Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.

Question 23

chauvinist (n.)

Answer 23

anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else’s group

Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon’s army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was.
The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.

Question 24

picayune (adj.)

Answer 24

French: a trifling or meager coin
Today: fussing over some trivial point

English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.

Question 25

eponym

Answer 25

a word derived from a person’s name

Question 26

mesmerize (v.)

Answer 26

to hold spellbound

Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person’s eyes (I’m curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients).

Question 27

gerrymander (v.)

Answer 27

the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group

Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district.

Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.

Question 28

hector (v.)

Answer 28

to bully or intimidate

The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

Question 29

pollyannaish (adj.)

Answer 29

extremely optimistic

Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.

Question 30

chauvinist (n.)

Answer 30

anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else’s group

Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon’s army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was.
The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.

Question 31

pyrrhic (adj.)

Answer 31

a pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately lead to defeat.

So any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it is a pyrrhic victory.
George W. Bush’s win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.

Question 32

kafkaesque (adj.)

Answer 32

absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies.

So next time you are put on hold for three hours and then volleyed back in forth between a dozen monotone-voice employees, think to yourself, hey this is Kafkaesque.
The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation.

Question 33

quixotic (adj.)

Answer 33

one who is wildly idealistic (e.g. think you can end world hunger on your own)

For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.

Question 34

maudlin (adj.)

Answer 34

(from Mary Magdalene and her weeping)
One who cries in public for no good reason; one who deepest feelings with a stranger
(think Forrest Gump)

Just as those who were alive during the 70’s are mortified that they once cavorted about in bell- bottoms, many who lived during the 80’s are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy— really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?

Question 35

panglossian (adj.)

Answer 35

(from Voltaire’s Candide: Dr. Pangloss)
blind optimism

Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age.

Question 36

malapropism (n.)

Answer 36

(from George Sheridan’s The Rivals; known for mixing up similar sounding words to comic effect)

mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect

Question 37

quisling (n.)

Answer 37

(from Nazis’ Vichy govt and Viktor Quisling)
traitor
for arrant perfidy (i.e. utter deceitfulness)

Question 38

bzantine (adj.)

Answer 38

(from Byzantium’s adorning architecture)
anything extremely intricate and complex (usually negative connotation)

Getting a driver’s license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV.

Question 39

galvanize (v.)

Answer 39

(from Galvani’s experiment with electric current passing a dead frog’s legs making them twitch)
to shock or urge somebody/something into action

The colonel’s speech galvanized the troops, who had all but given up.

Question 40

supercilious (adj.)

Answer 40

(from cilia)
to be haughty and disdainful

Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.

Question 41

protean (adj.)

Answer 41

(from Proteus, who could change into shape/forms)

• tending/able to change frequently/easily
• versatile

Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.

Question 42

sartorial (adj.)

Answer 42

(from sartorial muscle)
of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress

Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complemented his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.