2010
Mar 08 Cappuccino: Origin of the Word
Mar 04 Sputnik & A Russian Word Lesson
Feb 28 Asbestos: Harper's & Canada's Poison Export
Feb 24 Locker-Boxing: The Shame of Minor Hockey
Feb 20 Labrador: Meaning of the Place Name
Feb 17 Quebec Expressions - Part 4
Feb 13 New Canadian Sayings Update Feb 2010
Feb 08 Canadian Sayings - new batch rp
Feb 05 Vampire Squids from Hell rp
Jan 30 Olympics Named for Mount Olympus? Not! rp
Jan 23 Olympic Words: from ancient Greek to English rp
Jan 19 Canadian, eh? The History of an Interjection
Jan 15 How Beaver Became a Dirty Word
Jan 13 Forceps: Origin of the Word - rewritten
Jan 10 Crowdsourcing: Sleazy New Corporate-Excuse Word - update
Jan 08 Subnivian: A New Scientific Snow Word - repost
Jan 05 Kamik, Babiche & Other Northern Shoe Words - repost
Jan 04 Some Newer Canadian Sayings - repost
Jan 03 Toast: Origin of the Word - repost
2009
Dec 27 Bergschrund: Snow Word
Dec 24 Graupel & Chionablepsia: Rare Snow Words
Dec 21 Skiff - Rare Snow Word
Dec 17 Névé -Unusual Snow Word
Dec 12 Firn -Unusual Snow Term in English
Dec 08 Etymology of the Word Winter
Dec 02 The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Nov 28 Mottoes of Canada -revised
Nov 25 10 Winter Weather Sayings from Canada
Nov 20 Obscure Verbs of Leaping: To Pronk, to Stott, to Saltate
Nov 16 Canadian Folk Sayings: New Batch Nov 2009
Nov 11 Québec Place Names: New Ideas
Nov06 Pip:Folk Saying about Annoyance
Nov 01 Bastard! & Other -Ard Words
Oct 25 to Oct 31 Halloween Week: Inuit Noise Ghost, Wendigo, Gougou & Bonhomme
Oct 17 Schiaparelli: Origin of an Elegant Italian Surname
Oct 13 Abbott & McNab: Names from Canadian History
Oct 06 Celibacy: The Word & The Practice
Oct 03 Tat: The Tattoo & Trash Word revised
Sept 28 Words like Cadillac & Screenge
Sept 25 Canadian Sayings: New Batch Sept 2009
Sept 21 Fig: Origin of Word & of Obscene Gesture
Sept 17 Shana Tova & Uses of the Hebrew Adj. ‘tov’= good
Sept 13 Calque or Loan-Translation
Sept 09 Panopticon Rare Words # 5
Sept 03 School: Its Etymology
Aug 31 Flatulent Neology: Two New Fart Words
Aug 27 Juju: an African Magic Word
Aug 24 Linden Tree or Basswood: Word Lore
Aug 21 Ramadan: Arabic Etymology of Holy Word
Aug 18 Kif: Arabic Dope Word Circles the Earth
Aug 15 Canadianisms: a New Batch
Aug 13 Hootch: A Klondike Gold Rush Word -repost
Aug 11 Is Zed Dead in Canada? -update
Aug 07 The Word Curfew & A Spurious Origin of Sincere
July 26 Galilee: Origin of a Hebrew Place Name & The God Pan
July 23 Mas Band & Masquerade
July 16 Fanny: A Naughty Word of Many Meanings
July 14 Canadian Saying about FEAR - repost
July 12 Hell’s Out for Recess: Canadian Saying - repost
July 10 The Origin of Summer & The Season Names -repost
July 08 Meadow Rue & Its Neat Etymology
July 05 Foxing a Horse on Prince Edward Island - update
July 03 Origins of the Names of the Great Lakes - repost
July 01 Canada: The Name of Our Country - revised
June 28 Alberta Ranch Saying - repost
June 24 Panopticon of Rare Words # 3 - repost
June 20 Anishinaabe for N'tl Aboriginal Day
June 16 Canadian Summer Sayings - revised
June 11 Pitot Tube: Phrase in the News
June 08 Bonhomme sept-heures - a Québec Bogeyman
June 06 Irish Words in Newfoundland English - repost
June 02 Porcelain: Its Exotic Origin - repost
May 28 Bleeding Heart or Dutchman's Britches or Dicentra
May 24 French Study: About the Acadian Verb Jaser
May 20 “Nuisance Grounds” & Other Garbage Words
May 16 Coteau - Saskatchewan Geographical Term
May 13 Guttersnipe & Gout from Latin Gutta ‘Drop’
May 10 Meadow Rue: Canadian Garden Plant
May 07 Canadian Job Names
May 04 Mayapple: Canadian Spring Flower - revised
April 30 Kitsch: Its Meaning & Etymology
April 27 Kitsilano: British Columbia Place Name
April 23 Soap: Its Origin & Etymology
April 20 Tat - My Favorite Shoddy Monosyllable
April 16 Vexillology & Other Flag Words
April 10 Jouer Fessier, Québec Phrase + Translation Essay
April 06 No Rhyme for Orange? Nonsense!
April 02 Italy: Origin of the Country's Name
Mar 30 Renoviction - March 2009 Update
Mar 26 Odd & Delightful Words in Zoology like Vampire Squids
Mar 23 Nudnik & Co. Yiddish Words from Russian - repost
Mar 19 Asbestos: Toxic Canadian Export revised,updated
Mar 15 Irish Words in Newfoundland English
Mar 11 Fraud & Ponzi: Origin of an Italian Surname
Mar 07 What is a Schwa?
Mar 03 Canadian Phrases Newly Collected March 2009
Feb 28 Judgmental Bird Names - Acerbic Humour
Feb 24 Dep & Guichet-Québec English & “Sticky Wicket”
Feb 20 Eh? A Canadian Interjection - expanded
Feb 16 Narcissus: Word & Myth
Feb 11 Charles Darwin: On the Origin of his Surname
Feb 07 Kamik, Asham, Babiche, Bear Paw: Winter Boot Words
Feb 03 Peanut:The Word & Its Botanical Names
Jan 30 Bad, Silly, Obscene Car Names -rewrite/repost
Jan 26 Year of the Ox & Chinese Words in English
Jan 23 Québec Words & Phrases - Part 10
Jan 21 Herb as a Word - repost
Jan 17 Inauguration: Etymology & Latin Roots
Jan 14 Rare words #4: Mandrinette & Rongeur
Jan 11 Superjuice: New Canadian Bootlegger Term
Jan 08 Queef: Naughty Noun & Vulgar Verb
Jan 05 Nanoscaffold & Its Greek Root 'nanos'
Jan 03 Veisalgia =Hangover
Jan 01 New Year's Commentary on William Blake
2008
Dec 30 Champagne: Origin of Word
Dec 27 Tuque: Canada's National Winter Head Gear
Dec 22 The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Dec 19 Subnivian: New Scientific Winter Word
Dec 15 Flux, Afflux, Efflux, Influx, Reflux,Effluxion
Dec 09 Snow Sayings & Proverbs from Canada
Dec 06 Boneyize: A Canadian Verb
Nov 27 Chaloshes, Tchotchke, Tchainik, Shpilkes:Four Yiddish Words
Nov 20 Fanny: Origin & Meaning of a Naughty Word
Nov 13 Renoviction: Creepy New Canadian Word
Nov 08 Vor & Phag: Latin & Greek "Eat" Roots in English
Nov 05 Michif, Métis, Nishga'a, Bluenose: Origin of Names
Nov 01 Asbestos: Canada's Shame - -updated Report
October "The Best of Bill" repeated 31 of my favorite columns.
Sept 25 Asbestos, Québec & A Toxic Name Change - revised
Sept 21 Bordens & Brownies: Canadian Racetrack Slang - repost
Sept 16 Pepper Words - repost
Sept 12 Mottoes of Canada - repost
Sept 09 Tories & Grits: Origins of Canadian Political Party Nicknames
Sept 06 Québec Bread Words & Etymology of Habitant - revised
Aug 31 Ramadan: Its Etymology or (mirror file)
Aug 28 Husqvarna: World's Most Mispronounced Brand Name
Aug 24 Barack Obama: The Meaning of His Given Name
Aug 20 Pepper Words of the World
Aug 16 Canadian Summer Sayings - revised
Aug 10 Olympic Word & Phrase Origins
Aug 05 Were The Olympic Games Named After Mount Olympus?
July 31 Botany’s Deficient & Botched Plant Names
July 23 Geophagy: Eating Dirt
July 21 Boche: Origin of a Second World War Racial Slur - repost
July 18 Lemon & Lime: From The Same Root - repost
July 15 Brit Can't spell Québec Words
July 12 Cyberbullying - update
July 08 Calgary Stampede: word origin
July 04 Lunenburg Pudding & Sausage Words - repost
June 29 Why I am NOT a Word Cop - 2008 Canada Day Essay
June 27 New Letters about Pays des Illinois French Dialect
June 23 Juniper & Gin: From Landscape to Larynx
June 21 Summer & The Seasons: Origin of The Names -repost
June 18 Tourtière & Omelette: Foods Named After Their Cooking Utensils
June 14 Mozart: Surprising Meaning of his Surname - addenda
June 11 Québec Expressions - Part 5 repost
June 06 Letter About Medved, Russian for bear
June 01 Schnoodle: Revolting Dog Breed Names - repost & update
May 28 Cunt: A Blunt History of the Word
May 22 Twat: Origin of a Rude Word
May 16 Poupoune: Current Québec Slang
May 12 Origins of "White" Colour Adjectives
May 06 Creepy New English Verb: To Tase
May 01 The Rhymeless Orange? repost
Apr 28 Plantgenets & Plantar Wart: Their Connection -repost
Apr 24 The Word Police - repost
Apr 21 Gorby - repost
Apr 15 Québec Words & Phrases - Part 9
Apr 11 Rare Words like Suppedaneum: Collection # 3
April 5 Porcelain - A Marco Polo Word
April 2 Boucan, Ballard Effect, Chanting the Cock, Misery Fiddle: Canadian History Words
Mar 29 Lariat, Lasso & Honda: Origin of Cowboy Words
Mar 25 Le Mitin: A Québec Borrowing from English
Mar 21 Giclée: A Printing Term
Mar 17 Québec Insults & Sayings - Part 8
Mar 14 Carotid Arteries - repost
Mar 10 Book Review # 1: Curse & Berate in 69+ Languages
Mar 06 Dmitri Medvedev: Origin of Russian Names
Mar 02 Telestrator: Origin of a Brand Name
Feb 27 Police: Origin of the Word
Feb 21 Tuque: Canada's National Winter Headgear
Feb 18 Quinzhee: Winter Shelter Word from Canada
Feb 14 Dilbit & Synbit: Alberta Oil Words & Places
Feb 10 Astrobleme: A Geology Word Examined
Feb 05 English Words from Chinese, Like Tea
Jan 30 Horse Words (rewrite and repost)
Jan 27 Canadian Sayings - New - Jan 2008
Jan 22 Lemon & Lime Word Lore: part of Fruit Names
Jan 19 Farce: Etymology of the Word (repost)
Jan 13 Sinus: A Medical Exam of the Word
Jan 09 Mottoes of Canada (revised & reposted)
Jan 03 ESL Sayings & ESL Tips
2007
Dec 30 Champagne: Origin of the Word
Dec 28 Winter Words & Rare Words
Dec 26 Toast & Toasting: Origins
Dec 19 Veisalgia = Hangover: Medical Word History
Dec 13 Thomas Nast: The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Dec 09 Uncle Billy's Toys for 2008 - humour
Dec 05 Cryosphere & Cryonics
Dec 01 Slang of Canada, Part 2: Nippertipping & Bumsicle
Nov 24 Sousveillance: Coined by a Canadian
Nov 13 Nudnik, Nogoodnik & Nu: Yiddish from Russian
Nov 09 Some Letters to the Editor
Nov 03 “Bordens & Brownies” Can. Racetrack Slang
Oct 30 Wendigo: Cannibal Fiend of the North Woods
Oct 27 Oak Words 3: Oak Surnames & Place Names
Oct 22 Oak Words 2: Druid, Mistletoe & Oak Myths
Oct 17 Oak Words of the World - Part 1
Oct 10 Fennel & Finocchio: Origin of the Plant's Name
Oct 04 Sputnik: Russian Etymology of the Word
Sept 21 Canadian Sayings - A New Batch
Sept 16 Cow Words Part 3: Vaccine & Pecuniary
Sept 10 Cow Words Part 2: Cow, Vacca & Vache
Sept 6 Fee & Other Cow Words Part 1
Sept 01 Mi'kmaq "Food" Place Names of Nova Scotia
Aug 24 Klondike & Yukon Name Origins -revised
Aug 19 Pomegranate - A Naming Error -revised
Aug 13 The Vicar of Bray & A Nazi War Criminal -revised
Aug 08 Onion Words of English & French - revised
Aug 02 Hysteria: Just Death of a Medical Word -revised
July 29 Gorby - revised and updated
July 24 Sipiy:Algonkian Root in Can-Am. Names-repost
July 19 Canadian Summer Sayings - repost
July 16 Skookum: Chinook Jargon Word - repost
July 12 Herb as a Word
July 9 Profane Reflections - repost & revision
July 4 Panopticon of Verbal Rarities - Part 2
June 29 Dion & Dionne: Origin of 2 Quebec Surnames
June 24 Horse Words: Some Etymology
June 20 Unpublished Canadian Sayings
June 15 Pitcher Plant, A Newfie Carnivore
June 11 Alberta Horse Terms & Your Coccyx
June o6 Cephalic, the Vein with the Wrong Name
May 31 Marde & Merde & Other Quebec Vulgarisms
May 27 Origin of Surnames Abbott & McNab (revised repost)
May 22 Onion & Garlic Words in English & French
May 18 Chiard & Excremental Word Roots
May 14 Apple Words
May 09 Alberta Place Names & Can. Sayings
May 04 A Swarm of Bee Words
May 01 Ed Stelmach: Alberta Premier's Surname
Apr 26 Percebe: Spanish Word Entering English
Apr 21 Verbal Rarities
Apr 17 Farce: An Etymology (revised Apr 2007)
Apr 12 Nappy: Origin of a Racist Insult
Apr 09 Crowdsourcing: New Word - Old Scam
Apr 04 Albertosaurus: A Canadian Dinosaur
Mar 30 Rock Tripe: Wildness Emergency Food (repost)
Mar 23 Capillaire & Wintergreen Teas (repost)
Mar 18 Sipiy (Algonkian) = River (English)
Mar 15 Mangeurs de lard: Canadian Historical Insult (repost)
Mar 11 Snow Motto has Ancient Greek Source (repost)
Mar 7 Vole & Viking Words in English
Mar 3 Frankum: Newfoundland Gum (repost)
Feb 26 Death Euphemisms like VSA and Passing
Feb 21 Québec Phrases using Gorlot
Feb 17 Tuque & Other Québec Expressions Part 6
Feb 15 Crokinole: A Canadian Word?
Feb 14 Saint Valentine's Day 2007
Feb 11 For the Love of Mike: origin of the expression
Feb 11 Bastard Canoe
Feb 05 Québec Sayings # 5 & Metathesis Explained
Feb 01 Québec Bread Words & Meanings of Habitant
Jan 30 Canadian Saying about Stephen Harper
Jan 26 Locker-Boxing: Amateur Hockey Violence
Jan 24 As The Canoe Tips: Excerpt from my book
Jan 20 Notes from The Wording Room - # 1
Jan 17 No Rhyme for the Word Orange?
Jan 14 Arabic Place Names of the World - 1
Jan 10 Panopticon of Verbal Rarities-1
Jan 08 Hoodoo Origins & Dictionary Makers
Jan 05 L'Épluchette:Quebec Corn Roast/Husking Bee
Jan 02 Bad Names for New Cars
2006
Dec 26 Canadian West Coast Expressions
Dec 21 Québec Current Expressions - Part 4
Dec 17 Schnoodles & Schnotties: New Dog Breed Names
Dec 13 Calgary Stampede Word Origin
Dec 06 Mask, Masquerade, Mascara & Mas Band
Nov 31 Skid means 'Street Kid'
Nov 23 Anishinaabe: Origin of an Ethnonym
Nov 19 Prickly Pear Cactus & Nopalitos
Nov 12 Catnip & Cat: Word Origins
Nov 06 Lord & Lady: Their Surprising Origins
Nov 01 Donner la Bascule: Québec Birthday Toss
Oct 26 Inuit Noise Ghost: 100% Canadian Monster
Oct 22 Quebec Sayings/Locutions Québécoises-Part 3
Oct 19 Fulda, Saskatchewan: Origin of the Place Name
Oct 15 To Parp a klaxon: British Phrase Examined
Oct 10 Fireweed: Flower of the Yukon
Oct 07 Unpublished Canadian Sayings Oct 2006
Oct 03 Miner's Lettuce: A British Columbia Phrase
Sept 28 Québec Words/Des Expressions Québécoises
Aug 28 French Canadian Sayings/ Les Dits Québécois
Aug 21 The Birch Tree: Word Lore & History
Aug 17 Hudson's Bay Hymnbook: Historical Slang
Aug 13 Canadian Sayings about Death
Aug 04 Canadian Words & Sayings: My New 2006 Book
Aug 03 Frankum: A Newfoundland Chewing Gum
Aug 01 Racist Slang of Canada
July 29 Abbott & McNab: Origin of Surnames
Apr 11 To Fox a Horse: PEI Historical Phrase
Apr 04 Italy or Italia: Origin of the Country's Name
Mar 26 Plantagenets & Plantar Warts: Their Connection
Mar 21 Dudek: A Canadian Poet's Surname
Mar 17 Tilley: Famous Canadian Surname
Mar 12 Rock Tripe: Emergency Wilderness Food
Mar 06 Crokinole: A Canadian Word?
Mar 02 Canadian Sayings Explained for ESL Students
Feb 25 Canada Yew: Origin of name & botanical name
Feb 21 Snye: A 100% Canadian Word
Feb 17 The Real McCoy: ACanadian Inventor
Feb 12 Stumping: Love in Pioneer New Brunswick
Feb 10 Butter Tart: 100% Canadian
Feb 03 Mozart: The Surprising Origin of his Surname
Jan 27 Ciao! Hello! The Origins of Words of Greeting
Jan 22 Banting: Origin of a Famous Canadian Name
Jan 18 Colcannon Night in Newfoundland Labrador
Jan 14 Veronica Tennant: origin of the artist's names
2005
Dec 23 Bobskates
Dec 18 Hell's Out for Recess: Newly Collected Saying
Dec 14 Fidiot: New Word
Dec 11 Capillaire & Wintergreen: Teas of the Woods
Dec 01 Summer Words for a Winter Day
Nov 28 Features & Services Links Page
Nov 23 Botanical Names: A Quick Guide
Nov 12 Cocagne, New Brunswick: Place Name Origin
Nov 08 Alberta Saying about Cattle Ranching
Nov 05 A Canadian Folk Saying about Fear
Oct 25 Moose Muffle Soup: Canadian Pioneer Recipe
Oct 11 Brand-new: origin of an adjective
Oct 02 Antumbra & Words Derived from Latin umbra
Aug 29 Michael Ignatieff: Origin of his Surname
Aug 24 Cyberbully: Canadian Coinage
Aug 18 Origins of the Names of the Great Lakes
Aug 12 Digitariat: Newish Computer Word
Aug 8 Funis, Latin 'rope' & Funiculi, Funicula!
Aug 1 10 Sayings Every Canadian Should Know
July 30 Sockeye Salmon & Ichthyology
July 25 Skookum: A British Columbia Word
July 22 Canadian, Eh? — The True Story
July 17 Eggplant & Aubergine
July 14 Happy Canadian Summer Sayings
July 10 Hysteria: Just Death of a Medical Word
July 8 Carotid Artery: Origin of Med. Terms
July 4 Sebum: Origin of a Medical Term
June 26 Wog: Origin of a Racist Insult
June 20 Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
June 11 Mangeurs de lard & Hivernants
June 7 Zed & Zee in Canadian Speech & Spelling
May 31 Summer & The Seasons: Origins of the Words
May 25 Labrador: Meaning of the Place Name
May 21 Canadian Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense
May 17 Belinda Stronach: Her Given Name Origin
May 16 Lunenburg Pudding, Bowels & Sausages
May 11 Profane: Etymology of the Word
May 9 Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
May 7 Mother: Etymology of the Word
May 5 Orillia: Spanish Place Names in Canada (1 of 3)
Tofino, Quadra, Galiano, Valdes (2)
Almonte, Oro Grande Gulch, Alhambra (3)
May 1 Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum
Apr 28 Castor canadensis: origins of name
Apr 25 Beaver
Apr 21 Clavier, Clef, Clavell, Enclave, Exclave
Apr 20 Autoclave & Moon Base Clavius
Apr 19 Clavicle: New Origin of Anatomical Term
Apr 18 Conclave, Keys of the Kingdom
Apr 15 Klondike & Yukon, Gwich'in Words
Apr 11 Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea
Apr 08 Gorby: Muskoka Insult Word
Apr 05 Kiack: Origin of Nova Scotia Fish Word
Apr 02 Canadian Primrose: Origin of Botanical Name
Mar 30 Asbestos: Changing Quebec Town's Name
Mar 25 Keanu Reeves: Meaning of his Name
Mar 20 Spruce - Part 2
Mar 17 Spruce: Origin of the Tree Name
Mar 12 The “Vicar of Bray” Saying
Mar 07 Diana Krall: Meaning of her Names
Mar 03 Canadian Winter & Cold Sayings
Mar 01 Sports Coach & Hungarian Cart: Same Word!
Feb 23 Pomegranate: Mistake in its Botanical Name
Feb 20 Festiglace & Québec Winter Words
Feb 17 Chimo: The Meaning of an Inuit Greeting
Feb 13 New Brunswick's Stumping
Feb 09 Newfoundland's Brewis
Feb 01 Cappuccino: Origin of the Word
Jan 28 Snow Phrase Origin in Ancient Greek
Jan 23 Kalan Porter's New Word of the Year
Jan 18 Avril Lavigne's Surname Explained
Jan 15 Famous Canadian Surnames Explained
Jan 12 Do Dogs Do Snow Angels? : a Photograph
Jan 12 Word Notes & Comments: A New Section
Jan 11 Wanigan: Born in New Brunswick?
Jan 06 Nicolas de Chamfort biographical sketch
Jan 05 Crummy: A British Columbia Logging Word
Jan 02 Bonspiel: Origin of a Curling Term
Jan 01 Medieval Woodcut of Time Analyzed
Jan 01 Comment on Blake's Book of Job Illustrations
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