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Bookmark or Share- Origin of fag (meaning a cigarette in British English)According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it comes from "fag", meaning a loose piece of cloth:. fag (n.1) Look up fag at Dictionary.com British slang for "cigarette" (originally, especially, the butt of a smoked cigarette), 1888, probably from fag "loose piece, last remnant of cloth" (late 14c., as in fag-end "extreme end, loose piece," 1610s), which perhaps is related to fag (v.), which ...
- Why is "pineapple" in English but "ananas" in all other languages?When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them "pineapples" (first so referenced in 1664 due to resemblance to what is now known as the pine cone).[7][8] In the scientific binomial Ananas comosus, ananas, the original name of the fruit, comes from the Tupi word nanas, meaning "excellent fruit",[9] as ...
- First floor vs ground floor, usage origin - English Language & Usage ...@Mari-LouA India and most of Asia (perhaps not China and Japan) use the European system, as do most former British administered countries such as those who drive on the left. Australia has tried to be clever and abandoned the word floor. They talk about Level 1 (ground), Level 2 (First floor) etc.
- Meaning of " ‘Western’ world" and alternative termsThe discussion on the meaning and connotations of the world 'Oriental' got me thinking along similar lines on the usage of 'Western' world or 'the West' to denote North America and Europe.
- In what countries do women NOT shave their legs?In my culture, nearly all women shave their legs and underarms. Traditionally, except for the gay community, almost no men used to shave any part of their bodies (apart from their faces, of course), but in more or less recent years (+/- 20 yrs), many men with hairy backs, necks, shoulders, etc. have started to worry about their looks, thus creating a new target market for the beauty industry ...
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