Etymology

This, from Harper's, is cool -- but then I love this sort of thing. My favorite class to teach is History of the English Language and I am always threatening my students that I am going to take a lengthy sabbatical to get my doctorate in linguistics --

http://harpers.org/ACockHorse.html

Anyway, it's a tiny essay about a guy looking into the meaning of the word "cock-horse," as in, "Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross / To see an old woman / Upon a white horse." His niece asks him what exactly a cock-horse is, and of course once you're asked you must know, and for him the trip doesn't stop until he reaches ancient Greek tragedy.

Words are so cool.

You should look up weird some day. And lumber.