TRYSTS In the most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a pre-arranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting. Further, a tryst taking place at lunchtime is sometimes referred to…

LET RIP “Gusto” is an Italian word meaning “taste”. We use it in English in the phrase “with gusto” meaning “with great enjoyment”. Proceed with gusto” and “let rip” are two expressions that convey a sense of enthusiasm or energetic action, but they have slightly different nuances. “Proceed with gusto”: This phrase suggests moving forward…

CLAW GAME Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic.…

LEDE The opening paragraph in any work of literature is often just called “the lead”. In the world of journalism, this is usually referred to as “the lede”. The derivative phrase “bury the lede” means to fail to stress the most important aspect of a story. The term “LEDE” can have different meanings depending on…

SOAP Soap is basically made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil or palm oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds. The specific makeup of a wet bar…

SALAD Our word “salad” comes from the Latin “salare” meaning “to salt”. The Latin “herba salata” translates as “salted vegetables”, which I guess could be a salad …

… YIPS The informal term “yips” applies to the nervous twitching that can sometimes spoil a sportsman’s performance, especially a golfer’s putting stroke. The condition you’re referring to in gymnastics, often referred to as “twisties,” is a phenomenon where gymnasts experience a disorientation during aerial maneuvers, losing their sense of spatial awareness. This can be…

CPU The central processing unit (CPU) is the main component on the motherboard of a computer. The CPU is the part of the computer that carries out most of the functions required by a program. Nowadays you can get CPUs in everything from cars to telephones. The term “CPU” stands for Central Processing Unit, which…

SOS The ABBA 1975 song “SOS” was originally titled “Turn Me On”. In the movie “Mamma Mia!”, “SOS” is performed by Meryl Streep (brilliantly) and by Pierce Brosnan (terribly). “SOS” is a dance-pop song released by Rihanna in 2006. “SOS” is a song title that has been used by both ABBA and Rihanna for hit…

RUM Rum was first distilled by slaves on the sugarcane plantations of the Caribbean in the 1800s, with the tradition being that the very first production came from Barbados. The term “Caribbean spirit rum” likely refers to a type of rum produced in the Caribbean region. Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane…