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Word Origins of the Day

January 22, 2017 by Jane

squirm
1691, originally referring to eels, of unknown origin; sometimes associated with worm or swarm, but perhaps rather imitative.

bodice
1560s, plural of body, name of a tight-fitting Elizabethan garment covering the torso; plural because the body came in two parts which fastened in the middle.

relish
1530, “taste, flavor,” alteration of reles “scent, taste, aftertaste,” (c.1320). Meaning “enjoyment of the taste or flavor of something” is attested from 1649. Sense of “condiment” is first recorded 1797. The verb is attested from 1567 (implied in relished); sense of “to enjoy, take pleasure in” is from 1594.

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