Wondering about a weird (or favorite) word or phrase–where it came from, or what it really means? Send your questions to:
questions[at]word-detective[dot]com
and they may be answered in a future column!
(Please check first to be certain that the answer to your question is not in our extensive archives. Questions already answered will usually not be answered again.)
Thanks,
Kathy Wollard
All questions submitted become the property of the Vast Word Detective Global Empire, Ltd. Which is another way of saying that the question and answer may also appear in a future Word Detective book.